Defining Hospitality

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Dan Ryan: Today's guest believes that great design works on multiple levels. He has completed over 150 projects. He designed seamless physical experiences tailored to a client's individuality. He is the owner and co-founder at Meyer Davis studios incorporated.
Ladies and gentlemen will Meyer. Welcome.
Will Meyer: Dan, it's a pleasure to
Dan Ryan: be here. It's really so awesome to be here. And I don't know how many people know this, but I like to do a little part at the beginning of intro to kind of describe how we all [00:01:00] came to be at this moment, sitting here with each other. And obviously we work in the same arena.
You're designing places. I'm, I'm furnishing them. Um, Our kids went to the same nursery school and, uh, PR uh, grammar school in New York city. And we have a lot of mutual friends. And what many of you may not know is that my children were in a friend's. Science fiction, short film, David Gaddy. It was called a beautiful dreamer.
And then you also, I donated my children to the part, and then you donated your house to have it filmed for part of there. So here we are with your site location and my semi famous children who are not really famous at all.
Will Meyer: Well, I, first of all, our children going to school together. We got to be friends early on and we sort of working together.
So that's always a great way to create a village [00:02:00] in terms of, um, you know, living in the same community, kids going to the same school, working on the same projects. Um, it, it just shows that like, Is somewhat of a full circle and, um, that circle gets smaller and smaller. Um, when you mentioned David, Gaddy's beautiful dreamer film, everybody out there should download and watch.
It's a little short film, but very heady sidebar. Um, story. I
Dan Ryan: find that any science fiction or any other story that messes with the space time continuum is really mind blowing because I have such a hard time getting my head around it. And it's interesting because you say, you know, as we gain all of this experience in our lives, our circle gets much smaller.
Right. And so now here we are coming full circle. Um, and then if I wonder, like, if you were to [00:03:00] be able to go back in time, And change things. We'll get there later, but like, I love thinking about that. Like alternate reality. How can we go back and do this? But David Gaddy and beautiful dreamer did an amazing job of helping us think about those possibilities.
Will Meyer: I love it. You're going deep already. It's getting off to big, start
Dan Ryan: to a deep dive. Yeah. And I Ms. David daddy. So very, very much. I'm just excited to see him the summer out in fire island. It's it's warming up and just all very exciting.
Will Meyer: Excellent. No, we, we, we missed the Gaddy's too. So, um, this was our, the portion of our talk that we praise David Gaddy.
So
Dan Ryan: check that box. Yeah, check that box. Let's move on. So, um, I guess. Most recently we saw each other at the, um, HD summit down in Miami. And it was interesting because we [00:04:00] were at a table having breakfast with all of these other. Um, I guess, competitors of yours, but really colleagues, just, you know, people also designing, built environment, designing hotels, restaurants, bars, resorts.
And what was interesting to me is that there's this kind of provenance of so many people in our industry that, oh, they started up under Michael Bedner or they started up under Trish Wilson or, you know, there's so many others that. You know, we're the, the OJI hotel designers. Right. But I was amazed that I really got the feeling that you and Greg kind of poof came out of nowhere and just have built this incredible business, um, working on incredible projects everywhere.
And you've kind of done it kind of coming out of a vacuum or coming out of a black hole from somewhere to go back into the space, time continuum and have just really charted this amazing. Path forward. So I just wanted to kind of hear [00:05:00] about your origin story.
Will Meyer: Looking back on our 22 year history, it's a great question that you just asked because I rarely go back. Thinking about the beginning, uh, and the origins, but early on grey and I, um, being architecturally educated and working on larger scale architectural residential projects realized that we wanted to bring that world into hospitality.
And we had the idea of moving into that hospitality space and hotels and restaurants, and that. And we, I can't say any other way, besides we just sort of willed it to happen. We put ourselves out there, we chased projects in that arena. And we, we learned about that world. And I think because we approached it in that sort of, um, I would say in a kind of, uh, uh, [00:06:00] Do I want to say the word naive.
I'm not sure I do, but we approach it in a fresh way where we didn't have any preconceptions about that
Dan Ryan: world. You know what? I want to go right into that naive thing, because I think that's really at the crux of this origin story. And I think that that naive TA or even there's a, there's a book that's called rookie smarts that I read.
And it's how, when you. Bring up new people or you're, you're mentoring, uh, a young up and comer within your industry or your company, or just somewhere from within your community. It's really interesting because the people who don't have that institutional knowledge, so to speak often come up with the best and newest and most creative and freshest ideas.
So I love that you did say naive and it's this whole idea of like, how can. You've got fresh eyes, thoughts and thinking on these challenges and constraints and how do you push [00:07:00] the envelope on them to create something new?
Will Meyer: Well, I think that, that, uh, you're touching on something that now that we've been in the industry for so long, um, you're inspiring me to get back in touch with my inner.
Uh, so that we can keep on bringing fresh to the, to the, to the world, through hospitality.
Dan Ryan: I love it. And I also think, where were you in great, you know, from doing your residential thing and, and, and also, you know, over the past 20 years just saying, Hey, we got to really get into hospitality and do, do more hotel projects.
How did you use. I guess like, take us even a step further back. I want to know, how did you meet grey? Like where did, what was your first encounter with him? What was like, where did you guys know that the light went off and you're like, oh wow. We are meant for each other.
Will Meyer: Well, grey and I [00:08:00] met at an architecture school at Auburn university.
Um, he was, um, in fifth year, uh, architecture school. I was in first year. Um, we had a couple of mutual friends, grace as he doesn't really remember me from school. Um, but I, when you're a young, a younger classmen, you know, the upperclassmen, right. When you're an older classmen, you just, don't just, you don't really know your, your, um, the lowly younger students.
But, um, we did have several mutual friends, um, that, uh, connected us when we both were in. And we had, um, a few professors that we both really love from Auburn that would visit New York and get to have, get togethers with us there and, uh, encourage us to get together and form an office. And that was [00:09:00] the impetus to that, you know, grey and I didn't really ever.
Think of it until, um, this one, professor David Raleigh suggested it, uh, at a little dinner we were having and we kind of looked at each other and thought, you know, it, that kind of makes sense. And, um, and the rest is history.
Dan Ryan: Are you still in touch with David?
Will Meyer: Yes. Uh, he is, um, he's a beautiful painter, um, and does architectural, uh, murals and paintings.
And, um, and he, he, he's just a creative, uh, guys and he's an amazing, um, teacher, amazing painter and, uh, someone that we, we still keep in touch with.
Dan Ryan: So what's interesting is if going back to that idea of naivete or rookie smarts, right. There's so many times in all of the conversations in meetings and [00:10:00] collisions that we all have, where someone is like, oh, you should talk to this person, or you should talk to this person.
I would say most of us are, I'll speak for myself. I love connecting people, but there are times when I'm just closed off to that opportunity of that collision and where other people can see that this one plus one equals three, or in your case, a case of willing and or of you and gray it's, um, one plus one could equal five.
So when David said that, how did you know that that was a special moment when he was connecting you to and. You didn't just let that like many other connections or conversations kind of go by. Oh, that would be nice. How did you know that it was like a real deep connection?
Will Meyer: Well, grey and I always had, we had always gotten along very well and, but I also knew how talented grey was.
Um, and I think. [00:11:00] Uh, knowledge was, was sort of, and respect was, was mutual. Um, and we also have the same kind of, um, you know, kind of, I would just say, uh, uh, similar demeanor and, um, personalities that are compatible. But no, we, we gray and I have never really had any, um, uh, Lois with each other or anything like that. We just always, there's a mutual respect and, um, And I think it's because we recognize that the best idea is the best idea and it doesn't matter where it comes from.
Um, and that's true between the two of us, but also true with our entire staff. We, we get ideas, we collaborate, we, we work to find what's best and it's, there's no sense of. The authorship or, um, ego in the room, it's really about making [00:12:00] the best possible spaces, the most enlightening experiences. Um, and it, it's not about who it came from.
It's about what it is.
Dan Ryan: Yeah. So hearing about your and gray successful partnership, thinking about all of the other partnerships that we hear, I would say like so many partnerships don't work many do, but many don't.
Um, how do you, how do you in gray as partners. Connect and make sure that you guys are fully in alignment as you're going through your day to day and growing, and just making sure that you guys are working truly as partners and building all the success that you guys have built over the years.
Will Meyer: Um, you know, day-to-day gray and I start with a call before the Workday begins.[00:13:00]
Um, um, it starts off as a social call. You know, how's the weather what'd you do last night? Um, boring, things like that. What do you know, just small talk and then it worked its way into, um, did you see that drawing that came in last night, which you think about it? I was thinking about this plan. You know, the circulation's kind of funny.
Let's let's get that work done. Um, you know, then to business talk, you know, is, you know, has this client paid? What's the, you know, what's going on with this contract? It's it's we cover all the important, you know, touch points and you know, the purse 10 or 15 minutes of the day. And then the day unfolds when we get on, uh, we go to our meetings, we get on our zooms, we run to the airport, um, whatever the day [00:14:00] until.
Dan Ryan: Um, so going back to when you and gray first started doing, um, your residential work, and then when you made that switch, like walk us, you, you said that you had this feeling that you knew you had to get into hotels, walk us through that first kind of residential, the transition from the residential to your first commercial project.
And like, how did you know that that was your, your calling as a partnership.
Will Meyer: Well, you know, early on, you know, we started in 1999 and we started off with, um, houses, um, apartments. But, um, but one of our earliest projects that a lot of people don't know about was the V-Bar in Las Vegas, which we did in 2000.
Um, and it was with David RayBan and we'll read. [00:15:00] And their idea was to introduce this cool New York drinks bar cocktail bar in Las Vegas. And believe it or not, it wasn't a common thing in Las Vegas. It was. Uh, you know, Fanny packs and, you know, not really sexy looking crowd and they, you know, yeah, sorry, I didn't mean that sort of the little
Dan Ryan: Chanel ones.
I see them a lot, all those little designer, Fanny packs or they're making they're rearing or heads up
Will Meyer: they're rearing. Yeah, no, no pun intended. No, but they, um, um, they will, and David had this idea of introducing this to Las Vegas. So we designed this amazing sexy cocktail bar called the V-Bar. And the Venetian and year 2000. And it sort of, I feel like that sort of ushered in, um, the sort of avalanche of cool bars and, um, uh, nightlight into Las Vegas [00:16:00] that was previously not really.
Dan Ryan: I remember that it was super elevated and that whole Venetian experience.
Um, well, I'm actually, when I first went to Venice, um, and I went into St. Mark's square. I was like, oh, wow. This kind of looks like Las Vegas. I was very, uh, upset with myself that my first memory of, or my first association. My experience in Venice was the actual Venetian. It was pretty crazy from just that heightened level of theater.
Um, how did
Will Meyer: you wind it up? And that's getting back to your, you know, time continuum, uh, that you started this whole conversation.
Dan Ryan: Totally. It was mind bending. Um, I didn't like it very much. That that happened. Uh, but, um, how did you wind up going from more residential projects to get that's like a pretty high profile in 1999 or 2000.
That was like the place to be. And it still is like, as far as [00:17:00] all of the conferences and a lot of the higher end business travel, that all goes there, but like, how did you wind up securing that?
Will Meyer: Well, we had, we knew David and we'll, um, just socially in New York. Um, and it just kind of came out of a conversation.
Um, so we enjoy that as one of our first projects. And then we continued on and to, you know, more and more residential projects. And 2004, we designed a great little restaurant in the west village called Moss farmhouse, which is sadly no longer there. And, um, but it was, it was again, super cool, beautiful, sexy space, um, that had, uh, it was a really amazing culinary experience.
And, um, again, you know, these. To special projects that out of, you know, [00:18:00] the first, you know, I would say 15, 20 projects, we did these two really were exciting to us. And we, we realized this wasn't our main part of our business, but we, we really liked it. So we, we had that kind of moment of realization that, um, you know, the, these projects excite us and we're really offering.
To the design world. That's not really out there. So we, we, we took, uh, we took stock in what we had done and thought, you know, the world needs more of this, so,
Dan Ryan: okay. I see the excitement as you're kind of walking back, remember you're going into that black hole of the memory and traveling back in time and I see the excitement and if between mass mass farmhouse and, um, the V-Bar, if you could ID in that excitement.
And what was different from what was already in the marketplace, if you will end with your rookie smarts approaching [00:19:00] these to a bar and a restaurant, um, w what do you think, what was a theme or a unifying idea or thesis that you think generated so much of that excitement and kind of change your car, your, the arc of your company and your partnership?
Will Meyer: Well, it was, it was creating warmth and. Kind of a residential, uh, tactile experience within the hospitality space. And I saw how people responded to it and it was, it was something special. We noticed people responding to that, that world that we were creating these environments, we were creating an a, in a really positive way and, you know, like any.
Performer or artist or anything. I think you, you, you get a feed of energy off of, um, [00:20:00] how the audience perceives your work.
Dan Ryan: And I think that's also a great transition as far as that residential feel and it was just different and you could see the excitement from. The people interacting with your built environment that you designed, but as you take that onto this off-ramp, which really turned into to be an on-ramp into this fact building this fabulous business, I'm working on some of the, like some of the most incredible projects over the past 20 years.
Um, how did that help you define and identify and connect with what hospitality is?
Will Meyer: Well, Um, that's, that's an interesting question because with our, with the, you know, the lion's share of our work being residential and only having a couple of hospitality projects that, um, we did have that realization that these worlds and these [00:21:00] demographics weren't drastically different, that the people that we were designing houses for go to the restaurants that we were designing.
And the people that go to the restaurants, we are designing live in houses that we designed. So knowing that demographic and the multi, you know, past bit size of their wants and needs in terms of their environment, that they appreciate, um, there's things to find, uh, throughout that exposure to these different worlds that are actually much more similar than they are.
Dan Ryan: And then as you started that study into hospitality and taking these residential, um, sensibilities over and seeing how people reacted, how do you like, and then the evolution that you've had since then, how do you define hospitality today as you, as you will, are you in, or were you in gray? How do you guys [00:22:00] define hospitality?
Will Meyer: Gray and I look at hospitality. as An elevated sense of the home, a heightened sense of residential comforts and elements that create a new space within the hospitality world that make people feel comfortable, make people feel inspired that create a new turning of the dial of their experience in the hospitality.
world But grounded by that sense of residential home feel that makes people feel comfortable.
Dan Ryan: And I know that we're talking about you and we'll as a partnership and that since David Browley Brawley introduced David Raleigh, Raleigh Brawley, since he introduced you to. [00:23:00] You didn't do it alone. Like it started off as the two of you, but what also is amazing about what you and gray have built is you attract some of the, like the, the coolest, most fun, most creative, most talented teammates to come work with you and that you mentor, what do you think.
The great teams that you've built over the years, and then they've gone and done other things and you people stay and go, but it's almost like where we started talking about how there was the Michael Bedner or the Trish Wilson who launched all these careers, like how you've also done that on your own, coming into this from a residential world.
Like how, how are you attracting. Improving. I don't know. How are you attracting and mentoring all of these great people that have that come work with you guys.
Will Meyer: So Dan is, I'm really glad you asked about that aspect because it's [00:24:00] been, you know, me talking about, you know, gray, you and I talking about gray and will, and you know, all this, you know, this partnership, which is the, that was the beginning of everything, but.
What we, what we do at Meyer Davis is we, we do, we create that space for, uh, talent to, uh, convene. And, um, when we have that sort of open-mindedness in terms of the best ideas, the best idea you tend to attract cool people that love that freedom, and that thrive off of that sense of collaboration that gray.
And I try to kind of maintain that space to let that. And we've been blessed with this amazing chemistry that we created over the years, where people come and they have that opportunity for that creative freedom. And they take that out to the world, whether it be in our office when they work with us [00:25:00] or when people decide they want to do something else, we support that.
And we love to see those seeds go out into the world and. And do great things. So it brings us a lot of joy to see that happening in our world.
Dan Ryan: I will. And also I want to dig, we've said it a couple of times and I, I know you truly believe this. And I think actually that is why you attract such great talent as well, but it really is.
That I've seen, heard, and just not just from you and talking to you, but also people that work for you and have worked for you. The best idea is the best idea. And to me, as an outsider, what I'm hearing is look, you might be that rookie coming in, but you're going to have a whole different sensibility.
You're going to have a great idea. And you know what, ego aside, that best idea is going to win. Am I seeing that correctly as an outside?
Will Meyer: Yes you [00:26:00] are. I think, um, no look, it's, it's, it's fun to watch people grow and people have, you know, the, their aha moments and, um, and, and find something that we encourage and they focus on and make it better.
We it's it's when you see this happening day in, day out, and over the years, you, you realize that you create a special environment for people to grow and become strong creative. And take that out to the world. So it does give us energy to watch that energy be born and, and flourish.
Dan Ryan: Yeah. And it's for a lot of these conversations that I'm having, the ones that were like, kind of were things that really resonate with me is, you know, nurturing this young talent and letting their best ideas win and being like, Hey, go for it, make it happen.
Can you think of an example?
A new teammate, [00:27:00] um, a new hire someone who's, you know, in that the rookie smart kind of idea where they're, they're working on their first or second project and they come up with an idea that just really resonates and is memorable for you that really made a project super special.
Will Meyer: Are you looking for, sorry, are you looking for like a specific example of someone kind of, I just like
Dan Ryan: an example either, um, specifically about a person or just in general on a project, like, oh my God, we did this project and we had this challenge and one of our new teammates came in and was like, Hey, let's think about it this way.
And then it like ran it, it basically changed the tenor of the project.
Will Meyer: Um, I mean, what's your, what you're asking is, is, uh, is so commonplace that it literally happens multiple times every day. There's I could, I could rack my brain and think about the most recent one or the [00:28:00] first one, but it would be, we could spend all day long talking about that,
Dan Ryan: but that's truly because the best idea is the best.
Will Meyer: Exactly. Exactly. And look, you know, for finding the best idea. There's, you know, there's probably a hundred bad ideas, a comfort for that too. So it's editing and, and binding a project, um, through iteration. And, um, and finding, uh, you know, what, what's, what's the essence of a project and discovering that. And I think it, sometimes it comes to you quickly.
Sometimes it takes a lot of work. And, you know, when we talk about collaboration within our office, uh, that's, that's half the equation. The other half is working with our amazing partners and our brands, um, and people that we work with in the industry, you know, You know, four seasons to Mandarin Oriental, to Rosewood, to a bears, [00:29:00] to w hotels.
It just, the list goes on and, and the apologists let people off with a short list, but it's just, it goes on and on. Um, and we, we discover new things about ourselves by working with experts in our industry. And, um, and I think we all get a. Energized from these deep dives into what each property wants to be.
They all, they all find their own road and our work tends to look like where it is and who it's about rather than look like us. If that makes any sense.
Dan Ryan: A hundred percent. And I think a great example of that from a recent thing that I've seen, and I'm a little bit of a fan blight on, and you mentioned w hotels, but that w hotel you did in Rome, it was a Rome, right?
Will Meyer: Yes. We just make that
Dan Ryan: property. So that's a great example of like Rome has its own unique it's Rome. Like there's no comparison [00:30:00] to that, to anywhere else in the world, but it's such, you guys really. I think it was like super different from anything that I've seen in a really long time. What walk us through that one?
Will Meyer: So the w Rome, which just opened a couple of months ago, uh, where actually grey and I are traveling to on Monday for. The official grand opening party hashtag live eternal, um, was, um, uh, a really fun, deep dive into the history of Rome. We, we, what we loved about Rome, what we found and we create our narrative around was that it's the eternal city.
And what makes it amazing is these layering of eyras and culture and architecture and design. Um, is special because of, of, of all of the layers on top of each other. Um, you're inspired by ancient [00:31:00] buildings for Renaissance buildings, mid century buildings to modern buildings and all of that. Um, art, architecture, sculpture, um, design layered on, um, is what makes from special.
So. The interior of the w Rome is this amalgamation of all those layers and really, um, exploring and finding all of those and putting them all together in one pallet, we always say our design inspiration is, uh, you know, edited less, you know, what's the essence. We turn that on its head at w. With Debbie Rome, it was more, is more, is more, is more.
We just, um, kind of let it all, kind of get out there and, um, this, an explosion of color and design and stone and wood and metal and lighting and, um, really an exercise [00:32:00] and. Um, maximalism. Oh, I
Dan Ryan: liked that maximalism. I didn't realize it was opening next week. For some reason, I thought it was open already.
So at the time
Will Meyer: it's open and running, but the big party gray in are rarely mess up a big party. So. We're going to be
Dan Ryan: there for that. Are you going to be dressed in a Toga or as a gladiator?
Will Meyer: We are full Toga. Um, and, um, and it'll be a big Toga party. Yeah. Good. Um, I
Dan Ryan: actually just recently got
Will Meyer: married. I'll be wearing coordinated color coordinated.
Uh, I love it.
Dan Ryan: Um, I recently got back from Paris and I hadn't been there in awhile. You can get that if you want to. No, no. W w unless you want. But, um, I recently got back from Paris and one of the things that struck me about Paris was it's so beautiful. And so, um, Nice and put together and clean. Whereas I think what I love about [00:33:00] Rome and I love that idea of maximalism and layer upon layer because Rome has this grittiness.
Uh, with all of these, it's like greediness within a Juul box, if you will. And I think like, just from the shots that I've seen of some of, some of the, um, areas that you've done at that hotel it's, um, I totally see that maximalism and in Rome embraces its grittiness. Whereas I think Paris is Paris tries to clean it up and they're both, they're, it's both great experiences.
They're just different. Um, but I love the, all the layers of. And I think you really did capture that in that project.
Will Meyer: Thank you. No, it's, it's really, it's a really fun property. And um, if you have a chance to get to Rome sometime soon, um, you have to make sure you get there, uh, to everyone out there because it's.
Were there Rome is, is experiencing there, there are a lot of new properties that are happening there. And there's a lot [00:34:00] of, sort of, I would say there's a, I see a lot of new interest in Rome from travelers to designers, and there's a lot of relevance to what realm is, is, uh, is doing now
Dan Ryan: in addition to Rome, will, what is exciting you most about the future?
Will Meyer: Um, we. Or working on several new, really interesting projects we're doing, um, a new four seasons and the red sea and Saudi Arabia. That's, um, a Norman foster designed property that, um, for the architecture, um, and it's, uh, a low impact environmental, um, sustainable project where these very light structure.
Um, touch on the, this island on the red sea. And, um, our design is based on this kind of nomadic journey. [00:35:00] Um, so that's a really interesting, that's a very interesting project. We're doing, um, a really beautiful new, uh, this is a branded residential tower that we're doing in Miami and. For baccarat, which is really amazing because it's it's the, the hotel in New York is so beautiful visual and CA design several years ago, and this will be the next baccarat property.
Um, but it's bringing that sense of, uh, French crystal craft. That's just amazing precision world. Um, and, and finding out how that. Works and the tropics in Miami and what makes that beautiful, irrelevant there. That's a very fun project.
Dan Ryan: That's an exciting one because I have to say that backer out in New York.
I think that's one of my favorite, definitely [00:36:00] top three favorite hotel experiences. I didn't work on it in any way, shape or form, but I've done staycations there a bunch of times and it is just amazing just from. Obviously the built environment, the aesthetic, but also just the people that work there care in such a incredible way.
Uh, I love it.
Um,
Will Meyer: uh, another project that I w we absolutely love that just opened as well is the new, uh, Obera Terrio, which is in Riviera Maya.
Um, just opened in the new year. Yeah. Um, the photography is just coming back from it. It's, it's truly special. We worked with Kemper hires as a creative director of a bearish, and I think, um, it's, it's something truly special. It doesn't look like anything and Mexico or the rest of the world for that matter.
Um, [00:37:00] and in our earlier discussions of how residential becomes relative. And a heightened the ethical way and design. This is a true example of that that's that comes together in this really beautiful, comfortable, unique setting there on the Riviera Maya coast.
Dan Ryan: And what do you think is the most unique, um, experience or, or, or moment within that hotel?
Like what, what excites you the most about that?
Will Meyer: Um, you know, upon entry, you, you beat, you enter into this almost a village of structures, um, with, uh, kind of joined by this water feature that you walk along this prominent and off of that prominent and surrounded by water. You have these beautifully designed structures that become the spa, the wellness center, the, you know, all the amenities are sort of, [00:38:00] uh, spokes off of that.
Prominent. And then you move across the mangroves. Um, the, the, just to go back, the entire building is set within this beautiful carpet of, of mangroves. And we, um, the developers were able to, um, work with the government to preserve, um, you know, like 90% of the mangroves or some, some percentage like that.
This building is a very light footprint on top of that carpet of green. So you're, you're, you're hovering above these, these, these bang groves and the buildings sort of have this light, um, impact on that. Within the buildings we create this rich palette of materiality that, um, speaks to that sort of sense of home that I was talking about before. Um, beautiful textiles, beautiful. Um, I would say really moody stones and woods and, um, and [00:39:00] textures that create a really comfortable, unique.
Dan Ryan: I think, I think what's, uh, really cool to hear you talk about from background New York, which you didn't work on. Um, now you're doing the background in Miami, but that background New York is, uh, for me personally, it's like an, an exquisite toolbox.
Of a hotel experience, not just from the design, but also the people. And it's, it's very unique. And then to hear you really, and see you light up so much to talk about this, uh, Terrio, uh, oh, bearish down in Riviera Maya. It's interesting because that, as you're describing the Ontario, which I, I don't have familiarity with, but just hearing you describe it.
It's so. Completely different from Bakker out in New York. And there's a unifying thread through that of Kemper. And it's amazing. Like if you think about how different those two experiences are and that height, how he is a thread between both of them, and that just is a Testament to just [00:40:00] not doing the same thing over and over and always reinvent.
Will Meyer: Yeah. You know, it's, it's creatives like temper, um, that we did the one hotel with that we working on with, you know, on a bearish properties now. And, and now with, you know, toady Machado as the creative director at, um, that Starwood what they were working on, the BlackRock residences, which is, you know, not only are we making a blocker up for.
You know, south Florida, but it's also not hotel it's residences. So we're, we're interpreting that, um, that idea, you know, into a much more residential kind of setting, but, you know, filled with amenities. So it becomes, um, an example of another thing that I think is really interesting, that I'd love to, to bring up is, is with branded residences.
Um, You see the world of hospitality, [00:41:00] um, really coming together and these residential buildings where, um, hotel resort experience is, um, is, is saturating and taking over the way people live. And I think that's, that's an interesting kind of turning of the dial again, where you, um, we're finding that we're creating.
Experiential hospitality environments for people to live in. And it's, um, it's a good, um, example of how these worlds are becoming more and more entwined in this really interesting.
Dan Ryan: Well, it's also interesting. If you go back to your origin story of starting out in residential, and now it's almost like going full circle and you've been in this, um, hospitality laboratory for so long with origin and residential, and now coming back full circle.
And I think it's also interesting how Bacharach as a brand [00:42:00] for the crystal and all the things that that stands for. They've done such an incredible job of creating. Hotel experience, which is to me, hotels and brands, it's it? It can be if done, well, the, the most completely immersive experience for a brand, right?
, so we'll, um, go back to a time when you were a got first-year architecture student. Okay. Gray is the fifth year he's he's old. He's the, the wise Sage there. You're the young 18 year old freshmen.
And then you want to go back into that space time continuum, right? You are able to transport back in time to your infant and you right now is standing in front of your 18 year old self. What kind of advice do you give yourself?
Will Meyer: I would say to keep my mind open [00:43:00] and try to bind, uh, the niche where the world.
Appreciates what you do and when you find it, go for it.
Dan Ryan: I love it.
Well, Hey, thank you very much. Uh, before we wrap, how, how can people connect with you?
Will Meyer: So I would love to hear from anyone out there who's listing, um, uh, go on by our davis.com there's info at, by our Davis.
Um, or you can email me@willmeyeratmeyerdavis.com. Awesome.
Dan Ryan: Well, well, I just want to say thank you very much for your time. This has just been a wonderful conversation. Thank you.
Will Meyer: Thank you as well. Dan, I love talking to you and, um, and let's do it again sometime we will.
Dan Ryan: And I just also want to thank our listeners.
I hope this talk has evolved your view on how we deliver hospitality and make sure that everyone feels cared for, um, in our world. So if you did, if this did change your thinking, please share it with a friend and thank you everyone. We'll see you next time. Thank [00:44:00] you. Alright, well, thanks man.