What Studio DADO does

Studio DADO is a privately held, boutique interior design firm headquartered in Coral Gables, Florida, founded in 2016 by four designers (now three active founding partners: Yohandel Ruiz, Jorge Mesa, and Javier Calle). The firm specializes in hospitality interior design with a primary focus on luxury cruise ships and, increasingly, luxury hotels and brand experiential spaces. Its design methodology, branded as "Form Follows Feeling," emphasizes empathy-driven, multisensory environments that prioritize emotional resonance over pure aesthetics, drawing on Miami-rooted, Latin-influenced creative sensibilities.

The firm's service portfolio spans five categories: restaurant interiors, guestrooms and suites, bars and lounges, public spaces, and spa and fitness facilities. Studio DADO has designed interiors for major cruise lines including Regent Seven Seas (Grandeur, Prestige, Splendor), Oceania Cruises (Vista, Allura, Insignia, Riviera), Norwegian Cruise Line (Prima, Viva), and American Cruise Line. Non-cruise work includes the Loews Ventana Canyon Resort repositioning in Nashville and the AP House Miami, a hybrid retail, showroom, workplace, and museum space for luxury watchmaker Audemars Piguet. The firm has received editorial recognition from Condé Nast Traveler, Architectural Digest, Travel + Leisure, and Cruise + Ferry Interiors Magazine.

Studio DADO operates as a project-based professional services consultancy with 11-50 employees. Revenue is derived from design fees and creative services for enterprise hospitality clients, acquired through direct relationships, industry reputation, and earned media. The firm has no disclosed institutional investors, parent company, or public funding, with ownership and management concentrated among the three active founding partners. The studio does not offer software products, APIs, or technology platforms, and does not disclose AI/ML capabilities.

Name

Studio DADO

Legal name

Studio DADO

Website

https://studiodado.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Studio DADO is a boutique Miami-based interior design firm founded in 2016 that specializes in luxury hospitality design, primarily for cruise ships (Regent Seven Seas, Oceania, Norwegian) and luxury hotels. Led by three founding partners, the firm provides project-based design services across suites, restaurants, public spaces, and brand environments.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Coral Gables

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Interior Design Services: Studio DADO generates revenue through professional interior design consulting services for hospitality clients. As a boutique design firm, they work on project-based engagements designing spaces for cruise ships, luxury hotels, and resorts. Revenue is derived from design fees, project consulting, and creative services for major hospitality brands including cruise lines and boutique hotel properties.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Studio DADO is a boutique interior design firm that provides professional interior design services for the hospitality sector, with a specialty in luxury cruise ship interiors. The studio designs guestrooms and suites, restaurants, bars and lounges, public spaces, and spa and fitness areas for cruise lines and luxury hotel brands. Engagements span concept visioning through installation, applying an empathy-driven 'Form Follows Feeling' methodology.

Product overview

Studio DADO is a boutique interior design firm specializing in hospitality design, particularly for cruise ships, luxury hotels, and restaurants. The firm does not offer a software product but provides design services across five main categories: Restaurant Interior Design (12+ restaurants), Guestrooms & Suites Interior Design (12+ accommodation projects), Bars & Lounges Interior Design (6 venues), Public Spaces Interior Design (6 public areas), and Spa & Fitness Interior Design (3 wellness spaces). The studio works with clients including Oceania Cruises, Regent Seven Seas, Norwegian Cruise Line, and Loews Hotels, designing immersive environments for vessels such as Oceania Vista, Oceania Allura, Regent Seven Seas Grandeur, Regent Seven Seas Prestige, and Norwegian Prima.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Restaurant Interior Design Design of immersive restaurant interiors across cruise ships and luxury hotels, covering specialty dining venues, casual restaurants, and high-end gastronomic environments for hospitality clients.
• Guestrooms & Suites Interior Design Design of guest rooms and suites for cruise ships and hotels, including signature suites such as the Grandeur Regent Suite, Prestige Regent Suite, Oceania Suite, Allura Vista Suite, Vista Penthouse Suite, Prestige Loft Suite, Riviera Penthouse Suite, and American Cruise Line Grand Suite.
• Bars & Lounges Interior Design Design of bar and lounge interiors for cruise ships and hotels, including signature lounges, comedy venues, observation decks, and themed drinking establishments within luxury hospitality environments.
• Public Spaces Interior Design Design of public spaces for cruise ships and hotels, including atriums, grand bars, libraries, and signature gathering areas that anchor the guest experience and brand storytelling.
• Spa & Fitness Interior Design Design of spa, wellness, and fitness environments for cruise ships, including treatment facilities, wellness centers, and pool deck areas that complete the guest experience offering.

Quantifiable outcome

• Three DADO-designed ships named to Condé Nast Traveler 2024 Hot List
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves2 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Hirsch Bedner Associates (HBA): One of the world's largest hospitality interior design firms, with a long-standing cruise ship interior design practice serving major cruise operators. HBA competes with Studio DADO for the same enterprise cruise and luxury hotel design mandates and represents the most direct scale competitor in the boutique-to-mid-market hospitality design segment.
• Tillberg Design of Sweden: A specialist cruise ship interior design firm with deep maritime expertise, designing suites, restaurants, and public spaces for major cruise operators. Tillberg is the closest direct peer to Studio DADO's cruise interior design practice, particularly across European cruise brands.
• Yabu Pushelberg: Toronto and New York-based luxury hospitality design firm known for Four Seasons, Edition, and other high-end hotel and residential projects. Yabu Pushelberg competes with Studio DADO for luxury hotel and experiential hospitality mandates where emotional resonance and craft-driven design are central to the brief.
• Tihany Design: Founded by Adam Tihany, a legendary hospitality and restaurant interior designer with a portfolio spanning luxury hotels and cruise ship restaurants. Tihany competes directly with Studio DADO in cruise dining venues and luxury hospitality interiors.
• AB Concept: Hong Kong-based luxury interior design firm with a strong hospitality practice across Asia and globally. AB Concept is comparable to Studio DADO as a boutique luxury hospitality designer pursuing international hotel and brand experience work.
• DiLeonardo: US-based hospitality interior design firm serving hotel and resort clients with branded and independent luxury properties. DiLeonardo competes with Studio DADO for similar hotel and resort interior design mandates.
• SMC Design: Cruise ship interior design firm with a portfolio spanning multiple major cruise operators. SMC Design competes with Studio DADO specifically in the cruise ship interior design market and represents a similar specialist boutique profile.
• ForrestPerkins: Hospitality interior design firm serving luxury hotel and resort clients globally, with deep expertise in branded hospitality environments. ForrestPerkins is comparable to Studio DADO in scale and target client base within the boutique luxury hotel design market.

Broad incumbents

• Rockwell Group: David Rockwell's hospitality-focused design firm with a broad portfolio across hotels, restaurants, theaters, and cruise ship interiors. Rockwell Group is a larger incumbent that overlaps with Studio DADO in luxury hospitality and cruise interior work.
• Wilson Associates: Established global hospitality design firm with a long history of luxury hotel and resort interior design. Wilson Associates is a broader incumbent competitor to Studio DADO across the luxury hospitality design landscape.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/studiodado/posts/?feedView=all
• Instagraminstagram.com/studiodado
• Xx.com/StudioDADO

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Studio DADO