The Future Is Social: Designing the Next Generation of Casino Experiences
Casinos have long been defined by energy, excitement, and entertainment—but today, it’s the experience of that energy that’s evolving. That’s exactly what HBG Design Principal Paul Bell explored during his panel at the 2025 Global Gaming Expo. If you missed the session, here’s a quick recap.
Designing for Connection: The Rise of the Social Casino
Today’s players are looking for more than a place to play—they’re seeking vibe, community, and culture.
Industry data shows that over 80% of Millennials and Gen Z say non-gaming amenities are a major factor in where they choose to visit. And it’s not just about amenities—it’s about the experience they create.
HBG Design’s recent work with leading tribal and commercial resorts reflects these emerging trends, blending hospitality, entertainment, and social design into every guest touchpoint.
- Hangout Destinations: The Heartbeat of the Casino
Modern casino resorts are creating spaces where the main attraction is simply being there.
- At Live! Casino, the central bar acts as a stage—a centerpiece of energy and entertainment, with lighting and music driving a sense of excitement.
- Atlantis Casino’s Moon Bar and Bar Sol offer perfect vantage points for guests who want to be part of the buzz without playing.
- WinStar Casino’s Sessions Lounge captures a timeless social vibe, where the atmosphere itself is the experience.
These spaces thrive on design that promotes interaction, visibility, and inclusivity—places where guests can see and feel the energy of the resort.
- Summer Fun All Year: Water as a Social Magnet
From poolscapes to resort-level amenities, water is the new lifestyle anchor.
- The Cascades Pool Complex at WinStar Casino Resort transforms the property into a true resort destination, inviting guests to extend their stays beyond the gaming floor.
- At Sycuan Casino Resort, family-friendly and adult-only zones, plus a lazy river, create dynamic spaces for day-to-night socializing.
- The Wawyé Oasis at Gun Lake Casino places the poolscape in full view from the casino floor—seamlessly connecting gaming energy with leisure and relaxation.
These amenities capture a “daylife” energy—fun, shareable, and effortlessly social.
- Events as Lifestyle Engines
Events are no longer side attractions; they’re the core of the modern casino identity.
- Gun Lake Casino’s robust entertainment programming offers non-gaming attractions that keep guests coming back again and again.
- WinStar Casino Resort’s Lucas Oil Live has become a regional destination—an immersive, tech-forward performance venue that builds brand recognition and loyalty through memorable, shareable experiences.
These spaces turn entertainment into community, and casinos into hubs of cultural connection.
The Takeaway: Designing for Vibe, Not Just Volume
The future of gaming hospitality is about more than competition—it’s about connection.
Today’s guests want to feel part of something—whether it’s the energy of a live event, the relaxation of a poolside lounge, or the atmosphere of a central bar pulsing with life.
At HBG Design, we’re helping our clients lead this transformation—designing immersive, social, and lifestyle-driven environments that turn casinos into destinations of choice for the next generation of players.
Because the future of gaming isn’t about where you play—it’s about where you belong.
6 Key Insights from the 2025 Lodging Conference
Designing for the Future of Hospitality: Key Insights from the 2025 Lodging Conference
HBG Design’s Interior Design Leaders, Emily Marshall and Ross Burch attended the 2025 Lodging Conference in Phoenix—a dynamic forum exploring the trends, challenges, and opportunities shaping the hospitality industry today. They returned inspired by the innovative ways developers and designers are elevating guest experiences, meeting evolving expectations, and driving ROI through thoughtful design.
Here are some of the key takeaways from this year’s event:
Authenticity and Personalized Experiences Drive ROI
Panel discussions on boutique and lifestyle hotels highlighted that guests now seek tailored experiences and a sense of authenticity in their stays. Travelers want to feel connected to the local community, culture, and environment. Developers are increasingly partnering with local artists, artisans, and merchants to create bespoke experiences that not only delight guests but also encourage longer stays and higher spend.
Luxury Travel Continues to Grow
Despite broader economic pressures, the luxury market is thriving. Today’s travelers, including younger generations, are prioritizing meaningful experiences over traditional luxury. Wellness-focused resorts, immersive outdoor offerings, and curated F&B experiences are becoming essential elements in driving revenue and loyalty. Highlights include Marriott’s new Outdoor Collection and The Residences, a luxury longevity community emphasizing wellness and discovery.
Renovation and Repositioning as a Strategic Advantage
With new-build opportunities limited in many major cities, developers are increasingly investing in renovations and repositioning existing properties. Thoughtful design that is intentional, market-specific, and experience-driven can elevate a property’s appeal, generate higher returns, and differentiate it from competitors.
Design Challenges and Solutions
The conference highlighted several key challenges for developers: rising construction costs, labor shortages, and inflation. Strategic design choices can mitigate these risks by focusing on efficiency, high-quality materials, and maximizing the guest experience. Intentional, market-responsive design remains the most effective tool to drive revenue and maintain brand relevance.
Outdoor and Wellness-Centric Experiences
Travelers are seeking more than just traditional accommodations—they want wellness, outdoor engagement, and curated lifestyle experiences. Luxury and upper-upscale properties are leading the way, but these elements are becoming relevant across all market tiers. Developers who prioritize these experiences in design can create long-term guest loyalty and profitability.
Insights for Food & Beverage Strategy
F&B offerings are evolving to cater to younger, less alcohol-focused travelers. By creating memorable, high-quality experiences—mocktails, curated menus, and interactive dining—properties can maintain profitability while meeting shifting guest expectations.
Looking Ahead
Asia and the Middle East continue to lead in global development, while luxury, ultra-luxury, and upper-upscale segments see sustained growth. Developers should remain attentive to market shifts, from room demand patterns to broader economic trends, ensuring their designs are not only beautiful but also strategically positioned to thrive.
At HBG Design, we partner with hospitality developers to create projects that combine design excellence, market insight, and operational strategy. Whether it’s a boutique lifestyle property, luxury resort, or wellness-focused destination, our approach ensures that every detail contributes to an elevated guest experience—and measurable business results.
Designing for Distinction: VIP Suites that Define the Guest Experience
When it comes to hotel design, no space is more powerful—or more defining—than the VIP suite. These rarefied sanctuaries are not simply accommodations. The casino resort curates these private domains exclusively for its most loyal and high-value guests. Here, privacy, prestige, and personalization become the ultimate amenities.
For properties competing in today’s hospitality market, suites offer more than luxury—they are strategic assets that deliver strong returns. By offering one-of-a-kind, invitation-only spaces that can’t be replicated elsewhere, resorts build loyalty and memorable guest experiences. HBG Design is trusted nationwide to create signature sanctuaries. Each balances bold design statements with the comforts elite guests expect.
The Ogema Suite at Gun Lake Casino Resort
At the heart of Gun Lake Casino Resort’s $300M expansion in Wayland, Michigan, the Ogema Suite crowns the new 252-key hotel tower as its premier two-story penthouse. Meaning “Chief” in the Match-E-Be-Nash-She-Wish Band of Pottawatomi Indians’ language, the 3,096-square-foot suite is the pinnacle of prestige within the hospitality setting.
Reserved for the resort’s most important patrons, the suite offers a private elevator and dramatic countryside views. Two-story living spaces, walnut herringbone floors, radiant heating, and a bespoke crystal chandelier heighten the sense of privilege. A sculptural floating stair adds distinction and artistry. With INNCOM smart technology, drapery and lighting respond seamlessly, making the guest experience effortless and striking.
The Ogema Suite is more than a stay—it is a premier environment that symbolizes leadership and luxury, ensuring the property’s best guests are rewarded with an unforgettable experience.
Third-Level VIP Suites at Four Winds South Bend Casino & Hotel
At Four Winds South Bend, the resort elevates privacy to a new dimension. It dedicates the entire third floor to VIP hospitality suites, creating a select tier of accommodations for its best guests.
Designed for private receptions, catered parties, and intimate gatherings, these suites feature tailored aesthetics ranging from lighter, feminine-inspired palettes to darker, masculine tones. Guests enjoy private bars, screened dining nooks, fireplaces, luxurious living and bedrooms, and terraces—some with dedicated whirlpools.
By offering a level reserved only for high-value players and dignitaries, Four Winds guarantees its most loyal guests an experience that feels indulgent, privileged, and deeply personal.
Private Cottages at Rain Rock Casino Resort
At Rain Rock Casino Resort in Northern California’s Siskiyou region, intimacy defines the guest experience. Designers envisioned eight boutique cottage suites as lodge-like retreats for the property’s most valued visitors.
Nestled into landscaped grounds, the cottages embody HBG Design’s “Journey Upriver” narrative. Their power lies in the privacy and retreat they offer. Moreover, warm woods, layered stone, and spa-like interiors connect VIP guests to place, while also granting the privilege of staying apart from the main hotel.
By layering seclusion with cultural storytelling, the cottages ensure Rain Rock’s most valued guests receive a one-of-a-kind hospitality encounter.
Hotel Suites at Golden Mesa Casino
At Golden Mesa Casino Hotel in Guymon, Oklahoma, designers created boutique-inspired suites for the resort’s most discerning guests. These suites balance sophistication with simplicity.
A distinctive wooden portal signals arrival into a premier space. Inside, accent art wallcoverings, oversized pendants, and custom carpeting bring individuality. Clean-lined vanities and refined finish palettes enhance comfort. The spa-inspired shower, with dark mullions and glass, becomes a sophisticated centerpiece.
At Golden Mesa, tailored details deliver a personal, upscale experience that strengthens guest loyalty.
Prestige as the Ultimate Amenity
From Gun Lake’s dramatic penthouse to Four Winds’ dedicated VIP floor, Rain Rock’s private cottages, and Golden Mesa’s boutique suites, HBG Design’s work demonstrates one truth: the best guests deserve the best spaces.
Privacy, prestige, and personalization form the common thread—transforming suites into rewards, retreats, and lasting memories that strengthen loyalty. For casino resorts, these rooms are not just lavish showcases of design—they are strategic investments with measurable returns in guest satisfaction, reputation, and repeat visitation.
For a resort’s most valued guests, the VIP suite remains the ultimate expression of design and devotion.
A Journey Upriver: The Rain Rock Experience
HBG’s Design of the New Rain Rock Casino Hotel is Rooted in Land and Culture
A Story Written in the Landscape
Within the mountains of Yreka, California, the Karuk Tribe’s Rain Rock Resort Hotel rises from the rugged beauty of the Siskiyou landscape. Designed by HBG Design and opened May/June 2025, the 78,995-square-foot casino and hotel expansion tells a story rooted in land, culture, and connection.
Inspired by the HBG team's “Journey Upriver” concept, the design carries guests along a path shaped by the Klamath River itself—flowing through valleys and forests, into lakes and up toward the mountains—where each bend reveals a new experience and every space reflects the enduring spirit of the Karuk people.
At HBG Design, we believe architecture should tell the story of place. For Rain Rock, that story unfolds in four archetypes drawn from the natural world - the Bountiful Forest, the Winding River, the Majestic Mountains, and the Tranquil Lake.
“As designers, our goal was to craft an experience rooted in the spirit of the Siskiyou landscape and the cultural narrative of the Karuk Tribe,” reflects Joe Baruffaldi, AIA, Principal & Project Manager at HBG Design. “Every design move—from the arrangement of cottages to the choice of an earthy palette—was about strengthening that sense of place and community.”
The journey flows to the Tribal Council Boardroom and semi-private terrace. From there, it flows across the serene pool deck and anchors the private outdoor cottages as sanctuaries of reflection.
Each environment becomes a passage in the guest’s journey, moving them as naturally as the river shapes the land.
The expansion introduces 72 guestrooms and eight boutique cottages, balancing luxury with intimacy.
Spa-inspired baths, custom finishes, curated art, and warm natural palettes anchor the interiors in their Siskiyou setting. Together, fire pits and the poolside garden extend the story outdoors.
Materiality grounds the project in authenticity. Stone, wood, and metal echo the surrounding terrain. In harmony, fluid patterns and tactile textiles weave the natural story indoors. Public spaces gather around a glowing hearth, an anchor of warmth and welcome.
Beyond its restorative comforts, Rain Rock is growing as a regional entertainment destination. The expansion infuses new energy with 175 gaming positions across the 20,000-square-foot floor. It transforms the sports bar and unveils a banquet hall where gatherings and celebrations take root.
The Rain Rock Casino Resort Hotel is an invitation to journey. It invites guests to escape into the Siskiyous and follow the metaphorical river from vibrant spaces to sanctuaries. Along its flow, guests discover the enduring bond between design, nature, and community.
Designing Nature-Inspired Luxury at Gun Lake Resort
Designing Nature-Inspired Luxury at Gun Lake Resort
Gun Lake Resort’s new hotel tower is more than an expansion—it’s a transformational destination for West Michigan and the greater Midwest. Rising prominently above Highway 131, the 15-story tower positions the resort as a premier super-regional draw for guests traveling from Chicago, Detroit, and beyond. With its blend of high-end accommodations, world-class amenities, and the one-of-a-kind Wawyé Oasis tropical atrium, the resort elevates the standard of hospitality in the region, offering guests an experience that rivals the nation’s top luxury destinations.
A Grounded Arrival: Biophilic Hospitality
The best hospitality spaces don’t just provide a service—they create experiences that linger long after checkout. At the new Gun Lake Resort Hotel Tower, HBG Design has reimagined the guest journey by blending biophilic principles with elevated luxury, crafting interiors that connect guests to nature while surrounding them with comfort and sophistication.
The interior concept was shaped by the natural rhythms and beauty of the region—dynamic summer sunsets, dappled light filtering through the trees, and serene views of Gun Lake. These elements became the design DNA for the tower’s interiors, translated into atmospheres of Dappled Light, Serene, and Radiance.
The journey begins in the soaring double-height lobby, where guests are welcomed by a vibrant living green wall—a vertical garden that breathes life into the reception experience. Expansive glazing frames the lush Wawyé Oasis atrium, filling the space with natural light and views of greenery. Together, these layered strategies set a calming tone, grounding guests the moment they arrive.
Material selections extend this connection to place: warm wood, natural stone, and metals that mirror Michigan’s rugged beauty. Radial ceiling treatments echo organic patterns, while daylighting establishes rhythm and flow. For HBG, biophilic hospitality design isn’t a trend—it’s a philosophy of guest wellbeing, ensuring each space resonates with a sense of balance and belonging.
Serene Wellness and Retreat
Below, the MnoYé Spa embraces Serene. Inspired by the soft glow of Gun Lake sunsets, its palettes of warm stone, tranquil colors, and layered textures create a restorative retreat. Flowing water features, hydrotherapy pools, and customizable lighting reinforce the sensory calm, allowing guests to feel both nurtured and renewed.
Guestrooms extend this atmosphere of serenity. Broad glass openings frame the surrounding landscape, while natural woods and layered fabrics echo the colors and textures of Michigan’s seasons. Here, biophilic design ensures that the restorative qualities of nature are never out of reach, even in the most private spaces.
The Pinnacle of Luxury: The Ogema Suite
At the summit, the Ogema Suite redefines modern luxury. Spanning more than 3,000 square feet across two levels, the suite delivers architectural drama with its soaring two-story glass wall framing panoramic views of the Michigan landscape. A sculptural floating stair, bespoke railings, and curated art add layers of sophistication, while fireplaces and a full-service bar create opportunities for both retreat and gathering.
Technology enhances this indulgence with seamless personalization—integrated automation of lighting, drapery, and climate, plus radiant floor heating for comfort in Michigan winters. Every detail, from crafted finishes to immersive views, reinforces the suite as the pinnacle of hospitality design.
Redefining Regional Hospitality
At Gun Lake Resort, luxury and biophilia converge. Rooted in the landscapes and skies of Michigan, the interiors balance restorative, nature-inspired design with the drama of high-end hospitality, giving guests spaces that are both grounding and unforgettable. From dappled light in the lobby, to sunset-inspired spa palettes, to the radiant vistas of the Ogema Suite, HBG Design has crafted an immersive experience that elevates regional hospitality and sets a new benchmark for connection, comfort, and design excellence.
Award-Winning Collaboration
HBG Design Wins Bronze Award for Collaboration in Design
HBG Design is honored to announce that we have been awarded the Bronze Award for Collaboration in Design by the ASID South Central Chapter, which represents Mississippi, Arkansas, and Louisiana.
This recognition highlights the exceptional partnership between HBG Design and Schumacher Hospitality, a leading purveyor of fabrics and wallcoverings, on a current boutique resort project in development.
A True Collaboration
Over the course of a year, our interiors team worked side-by-side with Schumacher Hospitality to design custom wallcoverings and fabrics that bring artistry, craft, and durability to this boutique hospitality environment. The design vision draws inspiration from the area’s industrial heritage and surrounding woodland landscapes, blending the strength of forged steel and precision detailing with the warmth, texture, and flow of the forest.
Design Highlights
Through close collaboration, Schumacher’s iconic residential patterns were reimagined and transformed into hospitality-grade finishes—tailored in color, scale, and performance to suit the resort’s high-traffic spaces.
- Verdure: A reinterpretation of Verdure Tapestry fabric into a custom vinyl wallcovering for the lobby living room.
- Larissa: Scaled and adapted into Type II vinyl for dramatic impact on the lobby bar nook ceiling.
- Zenada: Customized with a fresh color palette for the bar nook bookcase wall.
- Public Restrooms: Vibrant vinyl wallcoverings designed in new project-specific colorways.
- Elevator Lobbies: A striking “zebra” pattern reimagined as an abstract feather motif.
- Featherfest: Saturated feather-pattern wallcoverings for the suite powder room.
- Zambezi Velvet: Digitally printed fabric in a custom colorway for the rooftop restaurant.
Why It Matters
This award celebrates the power of collaboration in design. By uniting HBG’s hospitality expertise with Schumacher’s craftsmanship, the team created one-of-a-kind finishes that capture the spirit of place while meeting the demands of modern hospitality design.
Congratulations to our HBG team and our partners at Schumacher Hospitality for this exciting recognition!
HBG is Setting a New Design Documentation Standard
Our teams are enhancing design documentation accuracy through streamlined BIM workflows.
At HBG Design, we understand that exceptional architecture depends not only on great ideas. It also depends on how well those ideas are communicated through our documents. Design documentation is the critical bridge between concept and construction—and we’ve made that bridge stronger, smarter, and more reliable.
BIM Leadership Team
That’s why we’ve invested heavily in streamlining our BIM workflows, optimizing our Revit standards, and developing a more collaborative, integrated approach to design documentation. Processes are strategically led by a specialized BIM team - Documentation & Specification Leader/Senior Associate, Chris Devine, AIA; BIM Manager/Associate Chase Percer; and Practice Leader/Senior Associate, Leslie Thompson. These enhancements are helping us produce more accurate, coordinated, and efficient design documents—while reducing risk, change orders, and schedule impacts during construction.
Organized BIM Workflow Strategies
Our team uses a cloud-based approach built on Revit and Autodesk Construction Cloud (ACC) to enhance collaboration, secure data access, and bring consistency to every project.
- Real-time Synchronization: Design and consultant teams work in a synchronized Revit environment, where program data and model information align throughout the entire process.
- Custom Revit Templates: We’ve embedded our QA standards and enhanced workflows directly into our Revit templates, giving every project a consistent starting point and a framework for success.
- Smart Content Management: Our library of parametric Revit 2D and 3D families and standard detail views helps eliminate redundant modeling.
- Automation & Model Health: Add-ons and internal tools help us automate repetitive tasks, maintain model integrity, and support staff training—all inside the project environment.
By standardizing and simplifying BIM processes, we’re helping project teams focus more energy on design thinking, problem-solving, and coordination—where their time is most valuable.
Consultant Integration from the Start
HBG Design's documentation process includes full coordination with our consultant teams from the outset. Standardized workflows and technology platforms support real-time collaboration and allow all partners to stay in sync as the project progresses.
A Culture of Quality, Not Just a Checkpoint
Our quality assurance (QA) and quality control (QC) systems are integral to our workflow. These aren't just isolated review phases—they’re embedded into how our teams think and work across every project phase.
- QA starts early: With clear expectations for design documentation completeness, constructability, and coordination. Everyone on the team takes ownership of quality.
- QC adds a second perspective: Senior architects, interior designers, and reviewers outside the core team review drawings at key milestones for accuracy and alignment with HBG standards.
- Collaborative review in Bluebeam Studio: Allows teams to markup and resolve document comments in real time from anywhere.
For our clients, this means more accurate bids and schedules and a final product that faithfully reflects the design vision.
We’re constantly evolving our documentation systems to better support our clients, the contractor, our consultants. This contributes to the success of every project we touch.
At HBG Design, we believe that great documentation is great design. It's the difference between an idea that looks good on paper and a space that works beautifully in the real world.
Wellness Design in Hospitality
“Wellness isn’t a luxury anymore—it’s a baseline expectation,” says Landon Shockey, ASID, NCIDQ, Senior Interior Designer at HBG Design. “The most successful environments are both sensory-rich and versatile—crafted to evolve with guest needs while creating meaningful, wellness-infused experiences.”
In today’s hospitality industry, wellness design is no longer an amenity—it’s a strategic must. From spa suites to biophilic architecture, hotel and resort guests expect spaces that support how they want to feel, move, and recharge.
What Is Wellness Design in Hotels and Resorts?
Wellness design integrates mental, physical, and emotional wellbeing into the built environment. It’s not one-size-fits-all. Sometimes wellness means:
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A calming in-room palette and soft glow lighting
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Aromatherapy showers for personal retreat
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Full-service spas and fitness spaces
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Climate-controlled pool environments
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Outdoor-inspired architecture that promotes natural connection
At HBG Design, we scale wellness design to match how different guests want to engage—whether that’s stillness, movement, or immersive experience.
WinStar Resort Spa – Thackerville, OK
Guests from busy metro areas like Dallas/Ft. Worth and Oklahoma City arrive seeking peace. This spa retreat offers:
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Touchless therapies
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Aquathermal bathing
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Ambient experience shower
Each sensory element is designed to encourage guests to slow down and reconnect.
Cascades at WinStar – Thackerville, OK
You don’t need an ocean to feel serenity. At Cascades, wellness design comes to life through:
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Lounge pools shaped by ocean-inspired forms
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Curved daybeds for socializing or solo relaxation
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Fluid zones that feel like a water-based escape in the heart of the Midwest
Astral Spa at Oaklawn Resort – Hot Springs, AR
Wellness also means movement. This spa integrates:
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Fitness center and outdoor pool with in-water loungers
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Yoga lawn and shaded treatment areas
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Multiple ways to stretch, breathe, and rejuvenate
Wawyé Oasis at Gun Lake Resort – Wayland, MI
In Michigan’s cold climate, warmth and light are vital to wellness. This indoor tropical atrium offers:
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Six-story, climate-controlled space
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Poolside lounging by day
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High-energy concerts and social events by night
This is wellness design that flexes to fit guest energy throughout the day.
Cache Creek Resort - Biophilic Wellness Design in Action
At Cache Creek Resort (CA) nature plays a leading role. We use:
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Natural light and panoramic views
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Organic textures and materials
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Outdoor-inspired interiors to foster a grounded, calming atmosphere
The Future of Hospitality Is Wellness-Focused
Designing for wellness is no longer optional. It’s a powerful differentiator—and a way to build lasting emotional connection between guests and place. By focusing on wellness design, hospitality brands can meet guests where they are and give them the freedom to relax, move, and reconnect—on their own terms.
How Travel Influences HBG's Hospitality Designs
At HBG Design, our work is driven by one guiding principle: our clients’ visions. We don’t approach projects with a one-size-fits-all aesthetic. Our teams delve deeply into our clients’ missions, goals, and cultures. We also consider the local context and our travel influences. This approach helps us create designs that resonate with distinct audiences and purposes.
This commitment drives HBG designers to create immersive guest-focused spaces where architecture and interior design unite seamlessly. Designed environments enrich personal experiences and deliver lasting value, and foster meaningful connections.
Global Travel: A Catalyst for Creativity
A significant influence on our design philosophy comes from global travel, which offers profound insights into form, materials, spatial relationships. Through the global explorations of our GOH Travel Scholarship winners and the personal journeys of our team, we gain perspectives that inspire creativity and authenticity in our work.
Whether it’s studying intricate biophilic patterns in Spanish architecture or marveling at Finland’s innovative modern structures, these experiences inform our design thinking. Each HBG project becomes an opportunity to draw from these travel inspirations, creating environments with authenticity, creativity, and cultural resonance.
Nathan Blair’s Design Insights from Colombia
HBG Project Architect Nathan Blair, AIA, recently embarked on a journey through Colombia, a vibrant exploration of culture, climate, and design that reawakened his creative spirit. From Bogotá’s layered architecture to Cartagena’s climate-adapted spaces and the colorful energy of the coffee region, Nathan discovered how design responds to its environment.
His exploration revealed low-tech sustainable solutions and playful aesthetics free of rigid constraints, inspiring him to bring that sense of color, freedom, and storytelling into his work. This journey reminded him of design’s profound ability to connect people to place.
Christine Wass’ Travels Through Italy Shape Her Creative Worldview
HBG Interior Designer Christine Wass’ travels through northern Italy shaped her creative worldview, offering rich insights into history, culture, and design. In Florence, she admired Renaissance heritage through a climb to see the Duomo’s stunning views. Siena emphasized storytelling with intricate wolf-shaped motifs tied to local legends. Portofino unfolded as a hidden gem, its vibrant harbor embodying the beauty of discovery.
Christine also found inspiration in Milan’s intuitive subway wayfinding, an elegant example of functional design. Her journey reinforced the power of travel to inspire and shape community-driven, story-rich interior design projects.
Rob Jurbergs Explores Baltic Heritage and Design
HBG Principal Architectural Designer, Rob Jurbergs’ adventure through Finland, Estonia, and Latvia connected him to his Baltic roots while exploring innovative design and tradition. Helsinki’s Kamppi Chapel and Oodi Library offered examples of modern, community-focused architecture, while the Loyly sauna showcased the inimitable Finnish communal sauna culture.
In Tallinn, medieval charm provided a glimpse into preserved history, and Riga, Latvia, reflected resilience through a blend of old and new in a celebration of Latvia’s Midsummer traditions. In deepening his connection to heritage, Rob drew equal inspiration from wellness-focused, culturally thoughtful design approaches.
Travel Influences Promote Intentional and Holistic Design
By drawing on our travel inspirations, we create designs that respond not only to the physical environment but also to the experiential identity of each location.
From the 19th-century Spanish Colonial charm of Gaylord Palms Resort near Orlando, FL, to the sleek, desert-inspired abstractions of Desert Diamond West Valley Casino near Phoenix, AZ, HBG’s portfolio showcases how diverse inspirations can shape distinctive environments.
For instance, our design of the Cache Creek Resort Hotel and Spa in Capay Valley reflects the California sophistication and natural charm of its agricultural surroundings. Every design decision—from material selection to the nuanced integration of outdoor elements—was informed by a deep appreciation of the region’s unique landscape and agrarian character.
At Eagle Mountain Casino in Porterville, CA, the lodge-style aesthetic is infused with cultural references, celebrating the heritage of the local community.
Similarly, our design for Gun Lake Hotel and the Wawye Oasis near Grand Rapids, MI, demonstrates how contextual insights inform functionality and aesthetics. The striking glass-clad design is a direct response to the local climate, inviting natural sunlight and warmth to flood interior spaces while being engineered to endure the region’s demanding lake-effect weather conditions.
By weaving global travel influences and inspiration with an understanding of local context, HBG Design creates environments that transcend boundaries and deliver a distinctive sense of place. Each project is a testament to how travel, culture, and thoughtful design converge to enhance guest experiences and celebrate the uniqueness of every location.
HBG Design Projects Set Industry Standard in Spa/Wellness
We’re excited to announce that two of our standout spa projects, the WinStar Spa at WinStar World Resort & Casino in Thackerville, OK, and the Cedar Spa at Four Winds Casino Hotel & Spa in South Bend, IN, are highlighted in the 4th edition of the Global Wellness Institute’s Guide to Hydrothermal Spa & Wellness Development Standards, setting the industry standard in spa design.
The WinStar Spa is particularly notable for housing the largest hydrotherapy tub/pool in the U.S., exemplifying innovation and HBG’s commitment to wellness-focused design. This recognition by the Global Wellness Institute underscores our role in setting new standards for luxury spa and wellness experiences across the country.
Wellness industry specialist Don Genders, of Design for Leisure, was instrumental in creating this comprehensive guide, which has become a key resource for developers, architects, designers, and builders interested in incorporating hydrothermal wellness elements into their projects. As spa and wellness facilities continue to grow in demand, the updated edition provides essential insights on integrating features such as saunas, steam rooms, and cold plunges into both residential and commercial spaces.
We are proud that HBG Design's work is helping shape the future of wellness design and are thrilled to be included in this global resource, available now for complimentary download. Whether it's the large-scale hydrotherapy features at WinStar or the tranquil luxury of Cedar Spa, our team’s projects continue to define the industry standard for spa and wellness environments.
For more details, download the guide and explore how hydrothermal spa elements can elevate wellness experiences in any space.