With an ever-growing footprint spanning Asia, Australia, and the United States, award-winning BLINK Design Group has established itself as a preeminent interior design and architecture practice in luxury hospitality.
Following the firm's latest project, Raffles Maldives Meradhoo, in 2019, BLINK is currently at work on the Andaz Xiamen in China and The Regent Phu Quoc in Vietnam, both slated for opening in 2020. Subsequently, BLINK will complete The Ritz-Carlton Jiuzhaigou in China and the Mandarin Oriental Manila in the Philippines in 2021.
Here, BLINK's Founder and Creative Partner, Clint Nagata, shares his insights on the future of design.
Sustainability and creativity will be inseparable.
"Even within the hospitality space, we are in agreement that the industry generates plenty of waste. As guests grow more mindful of their consumption, sustainability has rightfully risen to top priority for the hotel companies we work with. For example, the Hyatt Group -- with whom we are collaborating for the Andaz Xiamen, opening in 2020 -- has worked to introduce initiatives and conservation efforts to offset its hotels' carbon footprint. For our part as designers and architects, we will strive to look to energy-saving technologies, careful sourcing, and use of materials to complement and drive our vision without compromising our surroundings. In 2020, luxury will be more conscious of its impact on the environment."
Wellness will become a major differentiator.
"Business and leisure travellers alike are increasingly considering the improvement of overall wellbeing a vital factor in their choices. Hotels and resorts that cater to cognitive and physical health will thrive, and not just in Asia and North America. An upcoming BLINK project in Australia will present the epitome of what travellers pursue nowadays. When it opens in 2022, Wirra Wirra Winery will be the first five-star luxury wellness retreat in the South Australian region of McLaren Vale. The pursuit of wellness is universal."
Experience is everything.
"Crafting an unforgettable and distinctive experience has always been top of mind for BLINK. This means the tangible and the intangible must come together to express the best of a destination's local culture while executing our client's vision to the fullest. Now that everything seems more accessible than ever, exclusive remote islands in the Seychelles and the Philippines will be among the most desirable destinations in the next few years."