Moderator: Caitlin St John

As project budgets tighten across the hospitality industry, designers are being challenged to rethink how impactful spaces are created. This panel brings together creative leaders to discuss how thoughtful design strategy, material ingenuity, and focused investment can produce memorable guest experiences without excessive spending. From identifying high impact moments to balancing aesthetics with operational realities, the conversation will explore how limitations can sharpen creativity and lead to smarter, more meaningful design outcomes.

Hotel development pipelines hit record highs in 2026.Travel is a $1.37 trillion market in the U.S. The data is clear: Now is the time to rethink how hospitality projects come to be. Owners, developers, investors and brands have a unique opportunity to capitalize on the strength of the industry to rewrite the rulebook. Conventional development thinking considers the hotel as an asset first and foremost. The question is “What can we build here?” Now, development, financial strategy, ownership, conservation and creative direction are sitting at the table together asking “What can this place become and how can it serve the guest, the land and the community?” Hear from leaders in design, ownership and strategy on how they’re building an integrated model, one where capital, operations, guest experience and design begin shaping the project together from the start. Find out what skills designers need to build to elevate their role upstream in the development process. Learn how pioneering clients are redefining the “what” and the “how” of hospitality development. Can hotels change the world? In 2026, the answer is yes - and design plays a central role in powering that positive impact on the guest, community, ecology and yes, business model.