HOTELS WE COVET
YOO COLLECTION - RIO JANEIRO
With a singular vision to enrich lives with extraordinary living
spaces, the group brings its unique design-led philosophy to ho-
tels, real estate, furnishings, energy and capital. This worldwide
renowned luxury hotel brand, the YOO Collection, brings to-
gether the most distinct Creative Directors and the notorious
YOO Studio with some of the world’s most sublime destinations
and flawless yet personal service.
In a world in which daily routines are getting more and more
tiring and repetitive, interior design is conquering an increasing
importance in people’s lives, since it gives a house a totally new
dimension. They are no longer a mere physical space in which we
eat and sleep. Our homes are our most sacred retreats, in which
we are free to express ourselves through the decoration and inte-
rior design. The same happens when choosing the hotel for the
holidays or even a conference.
The comfort is no longer the only thing we look for in a hotel.
Of course, it is important. But nowadays, the most renowned
hotels in the world get distinguished also because of their unique
interior design and exquisite pieces of decoration. The interior
designer, the signature and the concept imprinted in the decora-
tion are all key factors that make one hotel distinct and so special
among an immense sea of competitors.
An excellent example of this prominence is the recent Yoo2 Rio
de Janeiro, designed by the YOO Studio in London. And who is
YOO? With more than 80 projects from all around the world
since 1999, YOO Worldwide is a collaboration between Philippe
Starck and John Hitchcox “to bring a unique and innovative ap-
proach to designing branded developments in the international
property market.” – states John Hitchcox. YOO’s founder and
CEO love for design and property is in fact in his blood, consid-
ering that his grandfather was already a property developer, and
his father and sister are architects.
“While travelling the world I spotted a unique business opportu-
nity within the property industry: to bring New York-style loft
living to London. Hence, I co-founded the Manhattan Loft Cor-
poration.” – the designer explains.
As a brand, YOO has won a reputation for ‘place-making’ and
unlocked a whole new mindset as to what and where a “home”
could be. The Manhattan Loft Corp grew into a hugely successful
business, revolutionising the British landscape, and challenging
the traditional definition, as to what was a viable, and most im-
portantly, desirable ‘home’. By the late nineties, John Hitchcox
was craving a global challenge – that circulated around his pas-
sion for working with designer Philippe Starck - YOO was born.
Yoo Collection Hotel, Rio de Janeiro
