ELDER & ASH

Working with our affiliate design studio, Elder & Ash, we strive to fully articulate the story of your property through design. EA partners, Rob Blood and Megan Kennedy, are also deeply involved in other aspects of the development process and have the advantage of viewing the design process and outcome through the lens of hotel operators. This leads to a great balance of form and function at Lark properties.

Our Design and Development Philosophy:

When we are developing hotels we take a very close look at the overall market and the specific neighborhood where the property is located. We look at the history of the building, the past identities, the current use. We feel that connection to neighborhood, to history and to people; the grit and the beauty, is what fuels a memorable experience. We imagine what is going to happen next in that market and try to figure out what void we will be filling. Eventually our process unveils a unique identity tale for the individual location and we move from there to creating a design direction, brand touchpoints and a service culture that will be complementary to the story. Every aspect of the hotel needs to come back to and relate to this—this is what makes people connect to and feel about an experience rather than just appreciate a comfortable bed or fast wireless internet. It is what separates our hotels from generic big box hotels. We think it’s one of the things that gives us soul.