An excerpt from the Target Guest Mindset and Behavior statement written for Cape Kaido Ōmishima, JdV by Hyatt, a proposed hotel in Japan’s Setouchi Inland Sea (Sept. 2026) — and how I got there. Ōmishima is fifty minutes by road from Onomichi, out along the bridges. Somewhere under them runs the blue line — paintedContinue reading “Pace Restorer & Cultural Drifter”
Category Archives: From the Work
Being well.
An excerpt from the Wellbeing experience concept statement written for Ginzakōka, The Luxury Collection Tokyo (March 2025) — and how I got there. Brand Experience is what goes where, and what happens there. For the wellbeing floor of The Luxury Collection Tokyo, that work started with a Concept Statement. It isn’t a list of featuresContinue reading “Being well.”
Mastering Luxury at JW Marriott: The 8 Essentials Every Leader Must Know
An abridged version of the Definition of Luxury programme written for JW Marriott, Marriott International Greater China. Luxury is more than just grand gestures and opulent spaces – it is a carefully curated experience that evokes deep emotions, creates genuine connections, and delivers effortless elegance. At JW Marriott, operational leaders are the custodians of thisContinue reading “Mastering Luxury at JW Marriott: The 8 Essentials Every Leader Must Know”
Experience as Healing
A record of Experience as Healing, the first of a series of brand experience programmes Normal . curated at Patina Maldives, Fari Islands through 2023 and 2024. 2–3 June 2023. Images: Guojie Khoo For a short weekend in June, I brought together a group of leaders in the fields of nutritional psychology, health-tech and esotericContinue reading “Experience as Healing”
Belitung EcoBeach and surrounding islands
Field notes from Belitung, Indonesia, made while Normal . was scoping concept and site programming for Belitung EcoBeach. 2019. When Davide (pseudonym) first made an appearance in my office with an hour notice and announced he owned one-tenth of Belitung Island and that he’s wanting advice for developing that area as socially and environmentally responsibleContinue reading “Belitung EcoBeach and surrounding islands”