The world is getting smaller and increasingly homo- geneous. The same international brands proliferate the main thoroughfares of major cities across the globe. This same ubiquitous brand immersion has until recently been true of the major hotel groups, where as a frequent business traveller one would be hard-pressed to distinguish one room from another across the limited spectrum of business designated hotels. Thankfully, this utilitarian approach to design is being abandoned by the major players, mostly in response to smaller operations and individual properties filling the niche in responding to guest needs and pushing the boundaries of style, amenities and service. The mold has definitely been broken and major hotel chains are breaking free of the corporate style guides that had constrained creativity for decades.

Now the challenge facing the hospitality design industry is the prevailing demand for uniqueness and individuality. This is demanded not only by guests, but also from developers, tourism bodies, local municipalities and even the hotel corporations themselves as they fight to carve out a distinctive destination amidst an extremely mobile and progressively less-loyal clientele.

The challenge facing the HD industry is how to meet these challenges and create the perfect dichotomy of producing individual and unique properties whilst maintaining the corporate brand familiarity that distinguishes one analogous tier of hotel from another.

The decision to publish an Asia Pacific & Middle East brand extension of Hospitality Design magazine was a case of natural progression. Quite simply, we have followed the direction of our readers and the brands that they specify and procure for their projects.

Asia has for the past 10 years been a prominent source of work for international design firms, often allowing the most fantastic of ideas to flow; pushing the boundaries of luxury and influencing a generation of guests to now expect resort facilities in city properties.

More recently, middle-eastern countries and emirates – especially those on the Arabian Gulf – have taken a serious look at their long-term positions and the finite resources that have financed their rapid development and wealth. Oil reserves in some states will run dry within 20-30 years and therefore their major source of income.

Until recently, most of the region relied solely on business travel associated with the oil and gas industry, with the notable exception of Egypt. With little else to attract the leisure traveller in terms of places and things to see, several countries have embarked on an enormous and mind-boggling spate of infrastructure and destination development. Quite literally, creating from scratch picture postcard resorts, islands, luxury villas and theme parks out of the desert.

Having enormous wealth helps when planning the steps needed to shape the future of a nation. Indeed, huge resources have been allocated for the infrastructure needed to develop a fabulous array of hospitality resorts.
Asia Pacific is by no means lagging behind, spearheaded by significant growth in India and China. In all, both the Middle East and Asia Pacific are providing a vast array of prospects for cutting edge design, innovations in technology and sublime levels of luxury and service.

You can be sure that HD has it covered. It's your source for inspiration: Worldwide from January 2007

Tony Smyth Publisher VNU Business Media Asia	Michelle Finn Vice President Hospitality Design Group VNU Business Media USA