Hotel management, investment, and development company Highgate has appointed Tony Machado as head of design.
In the newly created role, Machado will join LUCID—Highgate’s in-house design and construction studio—to oversee all aspects of design innovation and execution for the company’s growing portfolio as well as Viceroy Hotels & Resorts, which it acquired in 2022.
“Tony is a visionary whose work translating hotel designs into extraordinary guest experiences has earned him the highest level of respect throughout the industry,” says Arash Azarbarzin, principal and CEO at Highgate.
Prior to joining Highgate, Machado served as senior vice president and head of design at Starwood Capital Group/SH Hotels & Resorts. Throughout his tenure with Starwood, he played a pivotal role in leading all aspects of design for the 1 Hotels, Baccarat, and Treehouse brands, and overseeing their expansion from a handful of U.S. hotels into a major international portfolio.
Machado also previously worked at Morgans Hotel Group (now Accor), where he played a critical role in the expansion of the Delano and Mondrian brands.
“This is an invigorating time to join Highgate, as the company is evolving and expanding in new directions that offer unlimited possibilities for creativity and innovation,” Machado says. “Whether building on the legacy of a brand like Viceroy by refining its design ethos or creating designs from the ground up for Romer Neighborhood Hotels, we will deliver best-in-class solutions across the spectrum of Highgate’s dynamic portfolio.”
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