What LW Design Group does

LW Design Group is a privately held, hospitality-focused architecture and interior design firm founded in Dubai in 1999 by Jesper Godsk and Colin Doyle. The firm operates four global studios — Dubai (headquarters), Hong Kong, São Paulo (since 2015), and Aarhus, Denmark (since 2021) — employing 80+ architects and interior designers who deliver end-to-end services from concept through construction documentation and on-site delivery. Its practice is dedicated exclusively to the hospitality sector, encompassing luxury and lifestyle hotels, resorts, restaurants, bars, F&B outlets, mixed-use developments, and high-end residential projects, with a portfolio of more than 300 completed hospitality assets spanning 100s of hotels and over 300 restaurants and bars.

The firm serves enterprise clients across all major global hospitality brand families, including Marriott, Hyatt, Hilton, IHG, Accor, Mandarin Oriental, Four Seasons, Jumeirah, Shangri-La, Rotana, and Ritz-Carlton, as well as regional developers such as Nakheel, Emaar, Yas Holding, Mirage Leisure and Development, and Kerzner International. Revenue is generated through bespoke, project-based professional services fees negotiated per engagement, with no proprietary technology platform or productised offering disclosed. Distribution is exclusively B2B direct enterprise engagement via RFP processes and established client relationships; the firm does not sell to consumers.

The company is privately held with ownership concentrated among founders and senior partners (Jesper Godsk, Colin Doyle, Andrew Harms, Pooja Shah-Mulani, Cristina Wakamatsu, Jimmy Hansen, and Rachel Kidd). It has received multiple industry accolades, including CID Awards Interior Design Firm of the Year in 2019 and 2020, a Lifetime Achievement Award for the founder in 2019, and repeated recognition in CID Power 50, Identity id50, and Property News International Masters of Design rankings through 2026.

Name

LW Design Group

Legal name

LW DESIGN GROUP FZ-LLC

Website

https://lw.co

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

LW Design Group is a hospitality-focused architecture and interior design firm founded in Dubai in 1999, operating four global studios (Dubai, Hong Kong, São Paulo, Aarhus) and serving major hotel operators and developers across 300+ completed projects worldwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Dubai

HQ country

United Arab Emirates

HQ region

Middle East

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Architecture and Interior Design Services: LW Design Group generates revenue through project-based fees for architecture and interior design services on hospitality and high-end residential projects. Revenue is derived from bespoke design contracts with hotel operators, developers, and branded property owners, encompassing concept development, FF&E specification, and design oversight through to completion.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

LW Design Group is a hospitality-focused architecture and interior design firm that delivers end-to-end design solutions for hotels, resorts, restaurants, bars, and high-end residential developments. The firm operates through two integrated service lines — Interior Design and Architecture — executed by a multi-disciplinary team of 80+ architects and designers across four global studios in Dubai, Hong Kong, São Paulo, and Aarhus, Denmark. Projects span concept development, FF&E specification, construction documentation, and on-site delivery for major hotel operators and developers worldwide.

Product overview

LW Design Group is a hospitality-focused architecture and interior design firm established in 1999, offering two integrated core services: Interior Design and Architecture. The firm specializes exclusively in the hospitality sector, delivering end-to-end design solutions for hotels and resorts, restaurants and bars, and residential projects. The company operates four international studios (Dubai, Hong Kong, São Paulo, and Aarhus, Denmark) and has completed over 300 hospitality projects worldwide, working with major hotel operators and brands including Marriott, Hilton, Hyatt, IHG, Accor, Mandarin Oriental, Four Seasons, Jumeirah Group, and Raffles.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Interior Design Services Comprehensive interior design services for hospitality venues including hotels, resorts, restaurants, bars, and high-end residential projects, featuring distinctive design concepts that integrate indoor-outdoor living and cultural storytelling. The service spans concept development, FF&E specification, and on-site delivery for enterprise clients.
• Architecture Services Full-scope architectural design services spanning hotels, mixed-use developments, and luxury residential villas, delivering projects from concept through construction documentation and on-site delivery for hotel operators and real estate developers.

Quantifiable outcome

• 300+ hospitality projects completed from the ground up since 1999
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers18 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered key and minor.

• Marriott InternationalkeyStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 July 2026LW Design designed the interiors of W Riyadh – KAFD, marking W Hotels' debut in Saudi Arabia. The 210-room urban hotel in King Abdullah Financial District features interiors referencing Saudi heritage through Najdi textiles, Al Sadu weaving patterns, and art by Saudi artist Abdulnasser Gharem.
• Petrie PRminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 9 April 2025LW Design appointed Petrie PR as its public relations agency for the Asia region, responsible for managing media relations and increasing brand visibility across APAC markets.
• NakheelkeyStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 January 2025Nakheel, a member of Dubai Holding Real Estate, partnered with LW Design Group as one of six architecture firms to design 10 bespoke Beach Collection villas at Palm Jebel Ali. The 5-to-6 bedroom villas range from 7,300 to 8,500 square feet on prime beachfront locations with panoramic Gulf views, featuring 10 distinct architectural styles.
• Yas Holding (Taraf)keyStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 November 2024Yas Holding's real estate division Taraf launched W Residences Abu Dhabi – Al Maryah Island in collaboration with Marriott International and LW Design Group for interiors. This marked the second W Residences project for LW in the UAE within the same month.
• MAD ArchitectskeyStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 March 2024LW Design Group partnered with MAD Architects for the W Residences Dubai – Jumeirah Lake Towers project. LW handled interiors while MAD Architects led the architectural design, with Mirage Leisure and Development delivering the project.
• Mirage Leisure and DevelopmentminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 March 2024Mirage Leisure and Development is set to deliver the W Residences Dubai – Jumeirah Lake Towers project, with LW Design providing interiors and MAD Architects providing architectural design.
• Eric KusterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLW Design collaborated with Eric Kuster, who designed the original Chic Nonna in Lecce, Italy, to adapt the concept for the DIFC location. The 'there is no place like home' motto ensures guests experience the same sense of familiarity as the original restaurant.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Rockwell Group: Rockwell Group is a New York-based multi-disciplinary architecture and design firm with strong hospitality, restaurant, and entertainment interiors credentials, including projects for operators like Nobu, Marriott, and major entertainment groups. Its combination of architecture + interior design and hotels/restaurants focus parallels LW Design Group's integrated service model.
• BLINK Design Group: BLINK Design Group is an Asia-based hospitality interior design firm with offices in Bangkok, Singapore, Dubai, and beyond, working with brands such as Marriott, Hilton, and IHG. Its geographic footprint and luxury hospitality focus put it in direct competition with LW Design Group, particularly across Asia and the Middle East.
• AvroKO: AvroKO is a hospitality-focused design firm with integrated architecture, interior design, and brand experience services for hotels, restaurants, and bars. Like LW Design Group, it combines multiple design disciplines under one team and serves enterprise B2B hospitality clients in the luxury and lifestyle space.
• Wilson Associates: Wilson Associates is a global luxury hospitality interior design firm with deep relationships across major hotel brands and developers. It competes directly with LW Design Group for hotel, resort, and branded residence projects, particularly in the Middle East and Asia where both firms have presence.
• Savile Row (formerly Design Wilkes): Savile Row is a hospitality-focused interior design firm with established operator relationships across the Middle East and Asia. It competes directly with LW Design Group for hotel, F&B, and residential projects with regional developers and global hotel operators.
• Yabu Pushelberg: Yabu Pushelberg is a Toronto-based luxury design studio known for high-end hotel interiors with operators such as Four Seasons, Mandarin Oriental, and Edition, as well as branded residences. The firm competes with LW Design Group for similar luxury hospitality clients and shares the boutique multi-disciplinary architecture + interior design positioning.
• Hirsch Bedner Associates (HBA): HBA is one of the world's largest hospitality interior design firms, operating globally with offices across Asia, Middle East, Europe and the Americas. It directly competes with LW Design Group for luxury and lifestyle hotel projects with major operators including Marriott, Hilton, Hyatt, and IHG, and serves the same enterprise B2B brand-channel model.
• Champalimaud Design: Champalimaud Design is a New York-based luxury hospitality and residential interior design firm serving operators such as Four Seasons, Mandarin Oriental, and Waldorf Astoria. Its boutique positioning, brand-led design approach, and high-end hotel client roster make it a direct comparable to LW Design Group.

Broad incumbents

• Gensler: Gensler is the world's largest architecture and design firm, with a substantial hospitality practice and global studio network. While it operates across all real estate sectors rather than specializing in hospitality, it competes with LW Design Group for luxury hotel and mixed-use development commissions from major operators and developers.
• Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM): SOM is a global architecture, engineering, and urban design firm with a hospitality and mixed-use portfolio spanning major hotel and resort projects. While broader than LW Design Group's boutique hospitality focus, it competes for large-scale hotel and mixed-use commissions with the same developers and operators.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/lwdesigngroup

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 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 LW Design Group