Design Practice: HBA
Location: London
Since our founding in 1965, HBA has been a leader in hospitality interior design. Our expertise covers every design stage, from conceptualization to execution, ensuring exceptional spaces that inspire and elevate experiences.
Today, we are a dynamic and multidisciplinary creative collective, bringing decades of experience to bear across design specialisms, markets and industries. From hotels to homes, art to architecture, landscaping to lighting, HBA delivers design solutions that transcend function, creating environments that inspire and evoke emotion. With over 1,500 professionals in 24 offices across four regions, each year HBA partners with clients in over 80 countries.
HBA, honoured with multiple awards, has been consistently recognised as the industry leader in hospitality design, ranking first on the renowned Interior Design 2025 Hospitality 100 Giants of Design List for over 19 years. Other prestigious awards include Hospitality Design Awards, Interior Design’s Best of Year Awards, Boutique Design's Gold Key Awards, AHEAD Awards, DNA Paris Design Awards, SBID International Design Awards and International Property Awards.
HBA's founders Howard Hirsch and Michael Bedner saw an opportunity to revolutionize hospitality design at a time when dedicated firms in this field of design did not exist. They not only pioneered a new approach but also played a key role in shaping the industry's design standards. This period of intense learning and innovation was the core inspiration.
Over the years, the hospitality industry itself has transformed, and HBA has been at the forefront of that transformation. We've seen a shift from traditional designs to more contemporary and experiential spaces. Technology has become integral to the design process, and client expectations have risen significantly. We've had to adapt and evolve our approach to stay ahead of the curve. This continuous evolution and commitment to innovation have ultimately led to our recognition as the world’s leading hospitality design firm. This year, HBA marks 60 (sixty) years of design excellence.
My philosophy revolves around crafting spaces that cultivate harmony and balance. As part of the collective of designers at HBA we see every project as an opportunity to tell a story, ensuring that each space reflects the unique character of its vernacular and the needs of its guests, ultimately creating a timeless and original response. The diversity of our global portfolio showcases a legacy built on creative freedom rather than a singular style, allowing us to collaborate with the world's finest brands—whether designing a contemporary resort or sensitively restoring a historic city building.
HBA's journey began with landmark projects, including our inaugural work at The Beverly Hills Hotel in Los Angeles and our pioneering entry into cruise design with Princess Cruises in 1989. These early successes set the foundation for our legacy of hospitality design. While those projects marked our beginnings, our commitment to innovation and design excellence has continued to drive us forward. This dedication is evident in our recent award 2024 wins. We are honoured to have been recognised as: - Global winner at the SBID International Design Awards 2024 for Hotel Public Space Design – Rest of the World, Waldorf Astoria Doha West Bay by HBA London - A finalist at the 2024 World Architecture Festival Awards for Future Projects - Commercial Mixed-Use, Chengdu Xinglong Lake Runyang Tianfu Centre, China, by HBA architecture Shanghai - A winner at the 2024-2025 Asia Pacific Property Awards for Hotel Interior Philippines, Hotel Okura Manila, Philippines, by HBA Leisure
Other notable global hotel projects include, Luxury Villa Colony At Grace Bay, Turks and Caicos (to be completed in 2027); SHA Emirates Wellness Hotel & Branded Residences, UAE (to be completed in 2026); St. Regis Longboat Key, Sarasota, US; Silk Road Express, Fosun, China; Four Seasons Hotel Dalian, China; Six Senses Puglia, Italy; Mandarin Oriental Maldives.
Today, we are focused on our expansion into new markets in the Middle East and North Africa and consolidating our presence The Americas and India.
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