MLG Architects

What MLG Architects does

MLG Architects is a privately held, New York-based architectural firm founded in 2009 by Mario R. La Guardia and Kevin D. Brown, specializing in hospitality, entertainment, master planning, interior architecture, programming, due-diligence, feasibility, zoning analysis, and historic renovation services. Its core product is full-service architectural design for hotels, casinos, resorts, mixed-use complexes, and tribal land developments, with no proprietary software platform — deliverables are conventional architectural services supported by standard industry tools and the firm's specialized expertise in fast-track casino retrofits, historic preservation tax credit structuring, and multi-phase master planning.

The firm generates revenue through professional services fees structured as a percentage of hard construction costs or fixed project-based engagements, with active engagements typically ranging from $30 million to over $300 million in construction value. Its client base is enterprise-only and includes major hotel operators and brands (Marriott, Hilton, Hyatt, St. Regis, Mandarin Oriental, Peninsula, Fairmont, Sofitel), tribal nations and gaming operators (Oneida Indian Nation, Mohegan Tribe, Kerzner International, Caesars, Hard Rock, Sun International), REITs and lodging trusts (Host Hotels, Apple REIT, RLJ Lodging, LaSalle, FelCor), sovereign wealth funds (Qatar Investment Authority, Katara Hospitality), and real estate developers (Related Companies, Cappelli Organization, Colgate-Palmolive).

Go-to-market is exclusively direct enterprise sales led by the founding principals and a dedicated Managing Director of Business Development & Client Relations (Michael W. LaGuardia), engaging ownership groups, hotel operators, tribal nations, and developers through personal relationships, the firm's project portfolio, industry awards, and affiliations such as the Urban Land Institute and NEWH. There is no channel partner, reseller, or marketplace distribution. The firm maintains a single headquarters at 350 7th Avenue in New York and operates across the U.S., Middle East (UAE), Europe (Hungary), and the Caribbean (Sint Maarten).

Name

MLG Architects

Legal name

MLG Architects

Website

https://mlgarchitects.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

MLG Architects is a privately held New York-based architectural firm founded in 2009, providing hospitality, casino, master planning, interior architecture, and historic renovation services to enterprise clients including major hotel brands, tribal nations, gaming operators, REITs, and sovereign wealth funds.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Architectural Services

NAICS

Architectural Services (54131), Interior Design Services (54141), Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services (5413)

akta.pro primary industry

Architectural Design Services (BPAHAKAA)

Keywords

• Architectural design services
• Hospitality architecture
• Master planning services
• Historic renovation
• Interior architecture

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

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

Revenue model

1. Architectural and Design Services: MLG Architects generates revenue through professional services fees for architectural design, master planning, interior architecture, programming, due-diligence studies, feasibility studies, zoning analysis, and adaptive reuse projects. Fees are typically structured as a percentage of construction costs or fixed project-based engagements for large-scale hospitality, casino, resort, and mixed-use developments.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

MLG Architects is a full-service architectural firm that provides architectural design, master planning, interior architecture, and programming services for hotels, casinos, resorts, and large mixed-use complexes. The firm serves hospitality operators, tribal nations, gaming companies, REITs, and real estate developers with project mandates spanning new construction, renovation, repositioning, adaptive reuse, and feasibility studies. Architectural fees are typically structured as a percentage of construction costs or as fixed project-based engagements.

Product overview

MLG Architects is a full-service architectural firm founded in 2009 in New York City, specializing in hospitality, entertainment, master planning, and historic renovation services. The firm offers an integrated suite of design services including Architectural Design Services, Master Planning, Interior Architecture, Programming & Planning, Historic Renovation & Adaptive Reuse, Hospitality Design, and Casino & Entertainment Design. Their portfolio spans hotel renovations, casino resorts, boutique hotels, and large-scale mixed-use developments, with notable projects including The Tower at Turning Stone Resort Casino, The St. Regis New York, JW Marriott Essex House, Mohegan Sun Phase I, and the Marriott Syracuse Downtown. The firm has completed over $5 billion in hard construction costs across hotels, casinos, and large mixed-use complexes.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Architectural Design Services Full-service architectural design for hotels, casinos, resorts, and mixed-use complexes including hospitality, entertainment, and residential projects. Engaged by hotel chains, tribal nations, REITs, and real estate developers for new construction and renovation mandates.
• Master Planning Large-scale urban and site planning services for resort, hospitality, and mixed-use developments, including entitlement approvals and community design guidelines.
• Interior Architecture Interior design services for hotels, casinos, and resorts including guestroom design, public space renovation, and amenity programming.
• Programming & Planning Strategic space programming and planning services including feasibility studies, zoning analysis, and due-diligence assessments for hospitality and entertainment developments.
• Historic Renovation & Adaptive Reuse Specialized renovation services for landmarked and historic properties including adaptive reuse of existing structures for modern hospitality use.
• Hospitality Design Specialized design services for hotels, resorts, and boutique hospitality properties including brand standard development and prototype design.
• Casino & Entertainment Design Design and master planning for casino complexes and entertainment venues including gaming facilities, event centers, and resort entertainment programming.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over $5 billion in hard construction costs completed across hospitality, casino, and mixed-use projects
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers56 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 indicators14 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• WATG (Wimberly Allison Tong & Goo): Global hospitality architecture firm specializing in hotels, resorts, and mixed-use developments with extensive work for luxury and branded hotel operators worldwide. Highly comparable to MLG in target clients, project types, and high-end hospitality focus.
• Hirsch Bedner Associates (HBA): World-leading hospitality interior design firm serving luxury hotel brands and resort operators globally. Directly competes with MLG's interior architecture practice for hotel guestroom, public space, and amenity design commissions.
• Rockwell Group: Architecture and design firm with deep hospitality, entertainment, and themed-environment expertise; former employer of MLG co-founder Kevin Brown at the Project Manager level. Competes for the same hotel, resort, and entertainment venue mandates.
• AvroKO: Boutique hospitality design studio focused on hotels, restaurants, and bars for boutique and lifestyle operators. Comparable in scale and niche luxury hospitality focus, with similar clientele in the boutique and lifestyle segment.
• ForrestPerkins: Hospitality-focused interior design and architecture firm serving hotel owners, operators, and developers. Directly competes for luxury hotel renovation and repositioning commissions at the same scale and client profile as MLG.
• Wimberly Interiors: Hospitality interior design firm under the WATG umbrella focused on hotel interiors. Directly comparable to MLG's interior architecture service line and competes for the same luxury hotel interior design mandates.

Broad incumbents

• HKS Architects: Large diversified global architecture firm with a significant hospitality and resort practice. Competes with MLG for hotel, casino, and mixed-use design at a larger scale and broader geographic footprint.
• Gensler: Global design and architecture firm with substantial hospitality practice serving hotels, resorts, and entertainment venues worldwide. Competes for mixed-use, hotel, and resort design at significantly larger scale than MLG.
• Callison (Arcadis): Global architecture and design firm with deep hospitality, retail, and mixed-use expertise as part of Arcadis. Competes for hospitality and large mixed-use master planning at enterprise scale.

Regional players

• Cooper Carry: U.S.-based architecture firm with hospitality and mixed-use practice. Comparable in project types though primarily serving U.S. markets with broader practice areas than MLG's hospitality specialization.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/mlg-architects
• Instagraminstagram.com/mlgarchitects

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 MLG Architects