Industry News Premier Hospitality

Hospitality Minds: Q&A With Yasmine Mahmoudieh

Hospitality Minds: Q&A With Yasmine Mahmoudieh
Written by Amy

For over three decades, Yasmine Mahmoudieh has been at the forefront of interior design both in Europe and the USA, Russia and further afield. As Founder Principal of Yasmine Mahmoudieh, she has worked on a range of high profile projects – from hotels and residential developments to shopping centres and museums. She was also responsible for the interiors of the Airbus A380.

The third in Premier Hospitality’s Q&A series ahead of Hospitality Minds Europe, we spoke to Yasmine about her career.

What does a typical working day for you involve?

“My working days are very diverse because I work all over the world. I am trying to concentrate a bit more on Europe because I was travelling too much. I am much more involved in the creative side and I have my chiefs for execution and project management. I am more the visionary behind the company.

“I have a passion for materials. I always look for very unusual materials, not only unusual looks but ecological materials and how you can learn from other companies.

“I am also interested in developing my own projects. I have created a concept for a country club house hotel and I am currently looking for a site. It’s a very cool design and is very different to other projects because it would have 50/60 cottages that you would sell and rent back to the hotel. I am more than just doing designs for other people, brands or companies. I am very interested to throw out my own ideas and find partners to team up with. I am very busy.”

What makes the Yasmine Mahmoudieh Design standout?

“First of all, I’ve always looked to the future and looked ahead of time. When I started in the hotel industry it was one of the last industries to really change to modern life. For me, you have to look to what’s the next thing and what can you change.

“Also, I don’t want repeat the same style or shape all over the world. I find that extremely boring. I have a philosophical approach which is always the same but it’s very different expressions. I like to work in different countries where I always look into the history of the country and mix it with something contemporary. I like to dig into the history of a place and then take it into the present and future but not forgetting its roots. I like to reinterpret historical facts or passed artefacts in a new, modern way.

“I am very intrigued by technology – what’s the next big thing. I’ve already worked on concepts where you could customise your room by using an app before you get to the hotel.”

What’s the biggest change you’ve seen in the hospitality industry?

“I think what has completely changed is that there are a lot of non-hoteliers that go into the hotel business. The traditional way of running hotels and designing hotels is gone. Design and aesthetics have become a major part of success.”

And finally, what do you pride yourselves in as a company?

“I think we stand for innovation and are always looking for new things. It’s not just design. I have often done marketing and branding for hotels and brands in general, coming up with concepts and design concepts that you can market and that stand out in the crowd.”

About the author

Amy