A Chicago-area native, Emily Keip has worked for Hyatt Hotels for nearly 13 years. Applying her Cornell University architecture education to the professional world, she has been an integral component to Hyatt’s continued lifestyle evolution. “It’s important to always have a story—a North Star for every design,” she says. That philosophy, coupled with a purpose to bring authenticity to guests, is reason enough for Keip’s constant pursuit of design perfection, whether she’s launching new-build hotels or restoring landmarked buildings into Hyatt properties. “Every project is challenging with unique pressures,” she says, “but a truly transformative renovation is like completing a puzzle.”
Early design memories
Keip was always redecorating her bedroom—experimenting with many popular ’80s trends like florals, geometrics, pastels, and neon—as well as “tie-dying everything I could get my hands on,” she says. “A lot of my early memories are tied to welcoming places and the things that populate them, like a pair of vintage chairs in my grandmother’s house or a drawer pull that hid a chocolate Easter egg just so.”
The draw of hospitality
Before finding her way to Hyatt, Keip honed her craft at a number of design firms focused on high-end residential projects. “I loved everything about residential design, especially the need to fit functionality and furniture into a space,” she explains. Hospitality is a natural extension of that. “I love change and crave variety,” Keip points out. “There is an opportunity to share your ideas with more people, but the concept of making people feel comfortable through design is the same. Built environments are so powerful and can change your mood—affecting how you experience each destination.”
The Maialino Mare restaurant inside the Parts and Labor-designed Thompson Washington DC
On her big break
Keip points to the ground-up Andaz Maui at Wailea Resort, designed by New York firm Rockwell Group, as a career-defining moment. “It was one of my first non-renovation projects at Hyatt, and in three years, I learned how to bring a design to life with intentional details, each supporting the overall concept.”
She also recently completed the Grand Hyatt at SFO, a collaboration with local firms BraytonHughes Design Studios and RoseBernard Studio. Combining sustainable features with an extensive art collection, “we redefined what an airport hotel could be and developed a new standard of warm and thoughtful design for Grand Hyatt in the Americas,” she says.
On lasting impressions
Keip credits her growth at Hyatt to working with Mari Balestrazzi, who previously oversaw the Americas full-service design group and is now director of operations at Airbnb. “Mari has a great background in hospitality design, and more importantly, she is a strong female leader,” Keip says. “She taught me how to be tough yet empathetic, and how to advocate for myself.”
The lobby of the Quirk Hotel Charlottesville in Virginia, crafted by ARCHITECTUREFIRM
This article originally appeared in HD’s July 2020 issue.
