Laurie Woliung, Senior Director Interior Design at Marriott International

In this episode, Glenn speaks with Laurie Woliung, Senior Director Interior Design at Marriott International about Marriott lifestyle brands as well as the specific designs she was involved in creating. Laurie starts by speaking on what guests who stay in lifestyle-branded hotels are looking for. She says they want something that speaks to their lifestyle. She says they handle designs by seeing what the guest is looking for. Glenn goes back to the 1990s when he first joined the industry and hotel design was more boring than not! Woliung says that back then it wasn't thought of as boring, but over time it has become exactly that. She says we grew people wanted to express themselves through everything including hotel design. Laurie brings up how in around 2012 they brought the modern contemporary look into their hotels. She says they looked at the traveler demographics and how they could evolve the DNA of the brand around their travelers. She says pairing the right architect with the right designer is the key to how they have been able to provide guidelines for a custom experience. Glenn wants to know how they make a template that meets the needs of the guests. Laurie says they work with the owner every step of the way. She says it is a collaborative effort to bring the ideas to life. They have come up with beautiful products by doing this. Looking at one of the properties Laurie has created which was AC hotel Scottsdale North, Glenn wants to know what the AC brand wants to show people. She says that they want a seamless, timeless clean look. In 2014 Marriott brought the AC brand to the US with other 100 just in the states. Originally the AC brand was thought of as a business travel hotel. They wanted simplicity that doesn't complicate the travelers' lives more than it already is. Moving to the Aloft Hotel Columbus Easton Glenn and Laurie look at the property lighting on the outside. Laurie says that the brand is informed by bright colors and technology. She says this guest looks for live musical experiences. It speaks to a contemporary loft space that creates an exciting backdrop for the music. With everything speaking to technology, it creates a modern type of space. Next, they look at the Element brand. This is Marriotts sustainability and wellness brand. Believing that everyone deserves to be well and comfortable within their cleaver and warmly designed hotels was their mindset going into these properties. Purposefully creating a space that divides the spaces into truly livable areas. Organic and soft design that makes people feel good was important for this brand. The last brand they look at is the Marriott Moxy brand. Specifically taking a look at the Oakland Downtown property. Laurie says this brand is made for fun-loving travelers. They wanted people to check in at the bar that includes a complimentary cocktail. They purposefully created smaller rooms that help convince the guest to spend time in the shared areas. The urban design was intentional to bring a bit of grit. They wanted an artsy, fun, practical design. Efficiency is not lost as they use their small space for extra stocked alcohol. Avoiding professional ideas was a strong thought when designing these hotels. They wanted to encourage Instagram-able moments within the spaces. In conclusion with Woliung, Glenn asked her how she keeps creating properties that people want to keep visiting time and time again. She says discovering the designs made by others is so important in creating new designs. By reinterpreting ideas over and over again, you keep everything fresh. Hospitality design pulls together every type of design to create a cohesive product. She says it can be difficult to move from one to another. She suggests that new designers need to stay connected and get involved in the design community.