Stijn Oyen - Design Hotels | Selective by Design, Independence at Scale & The Marriott Partnership

350 hotels. 58 countries. And they reject 95% of hotel
applications. Ouch. Fritz caught up with Stijn Oyen, Managing
Director of Design Hotels, at upnxt26 - organised by Elevatr
Hospitality - to talk about how you build a global brand without
selling your soul… Fun fact: Stijn's career started in a two-star
Michelin kitchen. He still runs hospitality like a chef: teamwork,
zero compromises, and every detail has to be perfect or it doesn't
leave the pass. Now, here's what Stijn shared: - Curation is the
Superpower Design Hotels gets 400+ applications a year. Only 5%
make it in. They're not just collecting properties, but rather
building a community of visionaries. (And 60% of their owners are
first-timers. Bold moves only.) - The Marriott Trade-Off Design
Hotels brought Marriott 90 new destinations. In return? Access to
Marriott Bonvoy's global reach and serious commercial firepower,
while staying fiercely independent. - Travelers Want to Be Changed
Nobody books a trip to feel exactly the same afterward. People want
to learn something, connect with locals, and come home as a
slightly better version of themselves. The bar has officially been
raised. So… Ready to hear how Design Hotels stays fiercely
independent while playing in the big leagues? Hit play. This month
of SMACK is sponsored by RoomPriceGenie.