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Philippe Starck's 'yoo' Launches a Hotel Group, Yo

From left: John Hitchcox, Marcel Wanders, Philippe Starck

Yoo, a design and investment company co-founded by developer John Hitchcox and much-hyped designer extraordinaire Philippe Starck — which we believe is pronounced like "you" and not, like, your stoner cousins drawn out "yo" greeting — is launching a hotel group of its very own.

Apparently, the company won an architectural competition to design a new hotel in Split, Croatia, and after designing the 110-room hotel on the Adriatic Sea (the first five star resort and spa in the city), the company — which, right now, primarily does residential projects — announced a new focus on hospitality.

Several yoo designers have already done hotel projects: The JIA Hotel in Hong Kong was designed by yoo, and The Mondrian South Beach, "the work of yoo's newest design partner Marcel Wanders," are examples — from here, yoo plans to partner with hospitality groups to "design hotels in the brand's signature style with the dramatic lobbies, whimsical accessories and unique lighting already found in yoo's residential work."

Philippe Starck: conquering the hotel design world, one quirky piece of room decor at a time.