James Kuester is a hotel designer with a background in industrial engineering and a love of hotels that goes back to childhood. He works with independent and boutique hotel owners to make sure their properties live up to what their marketing promises. Susan and James talk about branding, bathroom fixtures, and badly placed towel bars.
What You'll Learn
- How an industrial engineering degree became a hotel design career
- Why high-polish marble at the front door is a bad idea
- Why signature scents can go the way of cilantro
- What a hotel’s brand really is (spoiler: not the logo)
- How ornate faucets quietly sabotage housekeeping
- How James tests tile, faucets, and one very questionable hair-detangling shower head
- Why that gorgeous freestanding tub might mostly get dusted
- How to pick finishes that won’t look dated in five years
- Why the most impactful budget upgrade might cost nothing
Key takeaway: A hotel’s design is its brand, so every finish, fixture, and towel bar should deliver on what the marketing promises.