The top design and food trends of 2025, Hyatt is poised for expansion, and the hotel-within-a-hotel concept gains momentum. All that and more in this week’s Five on Friday.
Are hotels-within-hotels just clever marketing?
The NoMad Las Vegas, with interiors by Jacques Garcia; photo by Benoit Linero
The hotel-within-a-hotel concept continues to gain momentum. On the top floors of the Savoy Palace in Funchal, Portugal, for instance, the Reserve is an upscale 40-room boutique hotel that offers exclusive amenities including a private pool, all-day dining at the Jacarandá Club lounge, and complimentary Rolls-Royce transportation. Santa Fe’s La Fonda Terrace Inn, South Florida’s Boca Raton Tower Suite Collection, and Palm Beach’s Flagler Club are all part of this popular trend. Industry experts, however, are skeptical. “It seems like a great idea for someone looking at spreadsheets, but not necessarily someone who understands the humanities of a space,” Arsalun Tafazoli, founder of San Diego-based hospitality group CH Projects, told Robb Report. He points to the NoMad Las Vegas, which is located inside the 2,700-room MGM Resort. The original NoMad was “just so special,” he says, “and then they exploited the hell out of it.” For Jaclyn Sienna India, founder of a lifestyle and travel concierge agency Sienna Charles, the hotel-within-a-hotel trend is simply “a marketing ploy.”
When it comes to food in 2025, anything goes
Photo courtesy of Adobe Stock
Following years of upheaval, Americans are embracing unconventional combinations, global flavors, and hyper-individualism when it comes to food in 2025, writes The New York Times. A few of the nine trends explored in the article include a revival of hospitality, where warm, personalized service is in demand as an antidote to loneliness and societal disconnection; nonalcoholic drinks infused with THC, kava, and GABA that provide alternatives to alcohol; and high-protein diets that cater to health-conscious consumers. The article also shined a spotlight on a few micro-trends such as freezer martinis, spicy Haitian pikliz, tahini egg creams, and sustainable packaging.
Design movements that are in (and out) this year
The sculptural Pearl Curtain chandelier from Preciosa; photo courtesy of Preciosa
This year, design trends will encompass creativity, individuality, and a blend of boldness and nostalgia, writes House Beautiful. Sculptural lighting, for instance, will replace functional lighting. “Using layers—like task, accent, and ambient lighting—brings dimension and warmth, letting rooms shift in mood throughout the day,” says designer Kara Childress. Other movements highlighted in the article are colorful kitchens, dramatic drapery, Art Deco-era antiques, moody hues, cottagecore gardens, and immersive bathrooms. On the flip side, Forbes highlighted the 10 trends going away in 2025, which range from gray flooring and over-the-top maximalism to plain white walls and boucle. “We want homes infused with our personality, not spaces that feel like we stumbled into some TikTok influencer’s photo-ready stage,” explains designer and HGTV host Shay Holland.
Hyatt expands its presence in the all-inclusive segment
The Hyatt Ziva Los Cabos, part of the Playa Hotels & Resorts collection; photo courtesy of Hyatt
Hyatt Hotels is in exclusive talks to acquire Playa Hotels & Resorts, a leading operator of upscale all-inclusive resorts in Mexico and the Caribbean, reports Skift. The deal would expand Hyatt’s footprint in the all-inclusive market, where competitors like Marriott, Hilton, and IHG are also growing. Playa’s board has engaged multiple potential buyers but is prioritizing Hyatt as a strategic fit. No purchase price has been disclosed, and the companies caution that a deal is not guaranteed, with talks continuing until February 3rd. The move builds on Hyatt’s previous $2.7 billion acquisition of Apple Leisure Group in 2021 and its 2023 joint venture with Grupo Piñero to add 23 resorts. Further, Playa chairman and CEO Bruce Wardinski called Hyatt’s interest “a testament to the strength of our business.”
Submit to the 21st HD Awards today!
Daphne restaurant in Toronto, designed by Studio Paolo Ferrari, a 2024 winner in the Upscale Restaurant category; photo by Joel Esposito
The deadline is fast approaching for the 21st annual HD Awards. All submissions must be received by February 10th, with finalists announced in March, and winners revealed in-person at a ceremony on May 6th in Las Vegas, held during HD Expo + Conference (register for the tradeshow here!). Submit your projects and products. And stay tuned next week when the judging panels for both projects and products are announced.
