In less than a week’s time, Kavitha Iyer, Head of Design at IHG Hotels & Resorts will be speaking at the inaugural Hotel & Resort Design South (HRDS) conference. Kavitha Iyer is a leading Architect and Designer with over 20 years of experience in hospitality and designing for travel. In her role, Kavitha is responsible for leading the design strategy for IHG’s brands in the Americas. Here, she has been the creative mind behind developing distinct visions for new brands like Atwell Suites and voco, as well as leading the transformational creative direction for lifestyle, luxury and premium brands like Hotel Indigo, InterContinental Hotels and Crowne Plaza. Next week, she will be speaking at HRDS in the keynote session, ‘Leaders Debate – Travel Horizons and Design Trends for Southern States and CALA’.
Leaders Debate – Travel Horizons and Design Trends for Southern States and CALA will see some of the industry’s biggest players weigh in on the current state of the industry. With guests at the heart of what they do, these forward-thinking designers will be exploring guest’s changing expectations as well as current consumer trends and how to incorporate these into designs. Other talking points will include a look into how luxury is changing across hotels and resorts, championing responsible design, and the role interior design plays in communicating brand identity.
Ahead of her session, we sat down with Kavitha to find out more about her role, her take on the industry’s hottest design trends and what she’s looking forward to most at HRDS.
Thank you for speaking with us today, Kavitha. Can you tell us about your current role and what it entails on a day-to-day basis?
I head up Design Strategies for our Brands at IHG. My team and I work to create design and experience personalities which map to the philosophy of each brand. An everyday is quite dynamic. It ranges between having conversations with our internal stakeholders: communicating and sharing our visions with our owner community to creating a completely new narrative for a re-imagining or transforming an experience for a guest.
What inspired you to venture into the hospitality design industry?
I had the opportunity to grow up traveling in my early years thanks to my father’s career. I spent a few years in some of the most iconic global hotels of that time, building memories of places, people, and most of all how people treated each other so generously and were so proud to belong to these communities. Hospitality was/is in my mind an extension of personal generosity, and my background in painting and the arts navigated me towards architecture and design.
Could you tell us about a recent interesting project you’ve worked on?
I have worked on far too many and too diverse to pick just one. I would have to say that my current interests are mostly in re-engaging and immersing the guest to build strong memories which leave them feeling regenerated and enriched. Travel is about memory making; it serves a variety of guest needs and purposes. Whatever they may be, ultimately the intent is to have the guest take away a strong sense of fulfilment. This creates a strong sense of trust.
What trends have you seen emerging recently, or are expecting to emerge, in the hotel industry?
If I were to share what is on my mind, it would be holistic sustainability. From the long-term investment and guest and customer experience and choice perspective, holistic sustainability will be playing a larger role in travel. In terms of design, we can offer meaningful achievable direction to inform the way we build, shape, and create rich service cultures which embody thoughtful measures in support of the communities and environment where we do business. At IHG we refer to this as our Journey to Tomorrow.
I also believe we are always evolving experiences to meet guests in time, need states and unique desires to make their own stories. There is no one trend in hospitality other than to ensure you keep at balance how you deliver to your guest, your owners and most importantly your own people who deliver the utmost by way of service.
Next week you’ll be speaking at HRDS. Without giving too much away, can you tell us what we might expect from your session?
A great conversation and dialog with some of my industry peers, so you’ll have to be there!
Hotel & Resort Design South is approaching fast! What are you most excited for at HRDS?
I am excited about meeting some old friends and also making new connections. The thing about our hospitality events is meeting your fellow favorite people who live and love travel. You can’t beat that.
Check out our top 5 reasons to attend HRDS to find out more about this unmissable event!
Want more of this?
Check out the Hotel & Resort Design South blog for more design insights and the latest industry updates. Hotel and Resort Design South is a hotel product-sourcing and networking platform for those involved in the design of hotels and resorts in the South and LATAM regions. The next event will be taking place on 3 – 4 June 2025 alongside Cruise Ship Interiors Design Expo Americas at the Miami Beach Convention Center.