These days, the term “design hotel” is often offhandedly batted around to describe just about any property that strays from the familiar, interchangeable grand-hotel or chain-hotel aesthetic, but there’s more to a true design hotel than cookie-cutter minimalism or fly-by-night visual trends. This is something CEO and President Claus Sendlinger recognized well ahead of the curve.

Established in 1993, as the first of its kind, Design Hotels AG now represents and markets a hand-selected collection of more than 150 hotels in over 40 countries around the globe. Far more than just a loosely-affiliated assortment of member properties or a mere online booking engine, the company offers both its members and today’s travellers unparalleled specialist knowledge, innovative, international marketing savvy and a future-forward vision that moves in step with our shifting world.

The company has established itself for both its ground-breaking concepts and ability to “connect the dots” by positioning its properties in unusual ways: not just booths at travel trade fairs but also collaborations with design institutions and leading architects; not only booking rooms online but also organizing symposia and creating publications in which today’s top thinkers cleverly address present and future trends in society, design, and of course travel.