BBG-BBGM‘s New York and Shanghai employees have joined the St. Louis-based design firm HOK. Their Washington, DC, office will continue to operate as BBG-BBGM.
“The addition of a premier hospitality design firm to our already strong hospitality group provides immediate benefits for HOK’s clients worldwide,” says Bill Hellmuth, president of HOK. “We have tremendous mutual respect for each other and share a passion for exceptional design and project delivery. We each are committed to creating great spaces that respect their communities, delight guests, and bring value to owners. This is an exciting time for HOK’s people and clients.”
BBG-BBGM’s hospitality experience includes the Atlantis Sanya, the MGM Grand Sanya, and the St. Regis Sanya Yalong Bay Resort & Spa in Hainan, China; the Peninsula Shanghai; the Rosewood Abu Dhabi Hotel and Residences in Abu Dhabi; the St. Regis Hotel and Residences Bangkok; the Smyth Hotel and Suite 5000 at the Mandarin Oriental in New York, as well as the renovation of the New York Palace Hotel and the Waldorf-Astoria in New York.

“HOK is a wonderful fit for us,” says Louis R. Hedgecock, a former managing partner at BBG-BBGM who joins HOK as a principal in New York. “Coming to HOK, which has such a robust global infrastructure and highly collaborative culture, gives our people increased opportunities for professional growth and the ability to design significant projects all over the world. We expect a seamless transition.”

“We’re excited about the prospect of continuing to create excellent hospitality experiences for clients all over the world,” says Julia Monk, a founding partner of BBG-BBGM who joins HOK in Shanghai. “The global hospitality market is growing quickly. Joining HOK expands our global reach to meet the market’s demand. The timing is perfect.”

“We are practicing in a truly global marketplace,” adds Carl Galioto, HOK’s New York managing principal. “Our goal is to be the leading expertise-based design practice in every market in which we operate. The combination of BBG-BBGM’s people with our hospitality design experts immediately positions HOK as a worldwide leader in hotel and resort design. Each client will benefit from our collective expertise, whether they are designing new properties or renovating and repositioning existing facilities.”

HOK’s expanded hospitality interior design group is led by Monk in Shanghai, Christina Hart in New York, and Randa Tukan in Toronto. Other BBG-BBGM partners joining HOK include Gregory Cranford, Marc Gross, and Marie-Paule Petitjean-all based in New York.
