1. The pool at the Holiday Inn

Long before he knew that’s what he was noticing, James was the kid who loved the courtyard‑around‑the‑pool design of a Holiday Inn — the layout stuck with him decades before it became a career.

2. The thesis

A Master’s thesis, roughly forty years ago, compared Hilton’s corporate design approach against two independent properties — the first time the gap between brand and physical space became a formal question rather than a feeling.

3. The gap, noticed everywhere

Even major brands struggle with the brand‑to‑physical‑space gap — but they generally know what their brand is. Independent owners often think their brand is their logo. It isn’t. It’s what a guest feels walking through the door — a design problem as much as a marketing one.

4. Where it landed

Küster Design closes that gap — brand versus physical expression, converted into measurable revenue gains — through design, critique, and targeted intervention for independent boutique hospitality properties.

FOUNDER

Küster Design

BY-INVITATION NETWORK

Cayuga Hospitality Consultants

CREDENTIALS

RID, LEED GA

BOARD SERVICE

Director & Treasurer, ALP