Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1541144
ADA compliance, and operationsTurnout and scope Three concentrated days, a visible student presence, and a full trade component produced steady momentum from morning plenaries to late- afternoon side meetings. The density of decision-makers in one property yielded a decisive tempo and tangible next steps. Theme and expected outcome The year's aim was plain: progress agreements from handshake to term sheet. Attendees left with sequenced timelines, prioritized scopes for near-term renovations and selective new builds, and working relationships set for trials over the next two quarters. A celebratory close The window concluded with Bahamas Independence festivities, including a gala honoring community leadership. In Miami, the alignment was natural. The city's bond with the Caribbean is commercial as well as cultural, and the weekend made that case in elegant fashion. KRISTINA SCOTT, A MODERNIST VOICE WITH OWNER-MINDED DISCIPLINE Spotlight: KRISTINA SCOTT Kristina Scott is Senior Interior Designer, CH Design Studios, Houston. She's a highly anticipated speaker and panelist whose rooms attracted veteran owners and the sector's rising cohort. Scott stepped onto the NAB- HOOD stage and did what the best practitioners do. She took a com- plex industry and made it legible without flattening its nuance. Not simple. Legible. She designs for real guests' journeys and the operating calen- dars, and she keeps rate integrity in view. Her first line set the register for the conversation. "There's just something about the notion of being hospitable in general you get to kind of pour yourself into it a little bit more." Why hospitality design matters Scott locates hospitality at the intersection of human care and rigorous operations. She speaks in the dialect owners respect: arrival sequence that guides a guest toward revenue zones, light that invites dwell where spend increases, finishes and casegoods that keep their polish after two heavy seasons. The point is not pageantry; it is guest loyalty expressed in repeat stays, longer time-on-property, and healthier ADR. Mentorship and the early arc The backbone formed at Baylor, where studio deadlines met the realities of motherhood. She credits professor Anne Theriault for setting the bar and keeping it there. "She was always, always just in my corner and rooting for me... hindsight being 20/20, I'm so incredibly grateful." The maxim that governs her practice is unromantic and correct. "In the real world, we don't have an unlimited supply of time and money." Design that performs in the ledger and the lobby Scott reduces theory to decisions that endure on a busy Tuesday, not just opening night. Guest baths are a case study. "It's lighting 101. A woman doing her makeup needs light on either side, not just from the top. I never book a hotel for work travel without an LED mirror." She closes the operator's loop with equal exactitude. "LED mirrors are a must. They're cost-effective and elevate the entire bathroom experience...especially for women guests." Elsewhere, the material calculus is equally disciplined. Where stains would punish broadloom, she specifies LVT. Where upholstery would fatigue, she selects wood cases. Where a full replacement would waste dol- lars and time, she advocates detachable headboard cushions that refresh quickly and read as new. Bridging design and operations For Scott, drawings are not a finish line. "It's not a clean handoff. We're still involved after the drawings are done, after procurement, even after installation. Because we care about how the space lives and breathes once people move through it." Her post-occupancy cadence includes site checks and a six-month review that asks the only questions that matter. "Every good designer wants to know how guests are responding. Are they interacting with the space in the way we intended? Is the lighting working at the desk? Are the materials holding up?" Budget, schedule, and the right trade-offs She names the trade-offs without drama and turns them into advan- tage. Detachable headboard cushions accelerate refresh cycles. LVT boosts durability and cleaning efficiency. Thoughtful casegoods protect housekeeping throughput and presentation. With clients, her position is steady and generous. "I never like to look at it as a clear-cut severance… I want to be here as an added resource." Expanding the field As Scholarship Director for NEWH Houston, Scott widens the map for students who think "interior designer" is the only lane. "The average stu- dent thinks, 'I can only be an interior designer.' But there are so many other paths." She points to specifications, purchasing, ADA compliance, and manufacturer representation, so the pipeline delivers colleagues ready for preopening and beyond. WHY HER VOICE MATTERED THIS YEAR NABHOOD is built for outcomes that change balance sheets and careers. A designer who translates the design brief into guest behav- ior and operational lift is indispensable. Scott's youthfulness pairs with seasoned judgment. Her language stays exact. Her examples can be tested in the field. Her standard does not move. "Time, budg- et, and guest needs.those have to be just as important as good design. But none of it works unless you listen. Listen to your clients. Listen to your guests. And listen to the people who helped you get here." What to watch next The near horizon belongs to selective renovations and clear concepts. In rooms, quiet comfort that photo- graphs clean and works under load. In public spaces, light, seating, and sightlines that cultivate linger and lift check averages. Two or three signature cues per space, memorable without inflating cost per key. That is Scott's lane. Exactitude over noise. Spaces that feel right on day one and sustain rate when the calendar turns. B M & T ••• November/December 2025 ••• www.blackmeetingsandtourism.com 13