Global hospitality continues to evolve as travellers increasingly favour experiential destinations over conventional, standardised accommodation. Across major markets, design has moved from being a sup porting visual layer to the central value driver that informs guest experience, brand loyalty, and long-term revenue generation. In this landscape, interiors must be purposeful and memorable, balancing visual appeal with functionality so that the environments they create resonate long after a guest has checked out.
This idea sits at the core of the work of Grace Soh, Managing Director at David Grace Designs International (DGDI). The interior designer’s influence is visible throughout the $1.2 billion City of Dreams Sri Lanka resort, developed by John Keells Properties (JKP), from the drop-off zones and lobbies to the main ballroom, meeting rooms, sky lounge, restrooms, and other public areas. Outdoors, her firm has worked on the infinity pool and dining spaces. Several of the food and beverage outlets, including the steakhouse and wine bar, were fully conceptualised and designed by DGDI. Guest rooms and suites similarly benefit from the firm’s attention to cohesiveness and clarity.
For Soh, investments in interior design have always been intentional. Her background spans hospitality and healthcare, two sectors she views as more interconnected than many assume. The design principles that make healing environments more productive, she explained in a conversation with Echelon, often elevate guest experiences and influence a desire to return. In an ultra-luxury offering, especially one targeting high-value global travellers, these design strategies carry greater weight, contributing not only to the hospitality sector but to the broader economy.
A Long-Term Collaboration That Shaped a Brand
Soh’s successes with John Keells Holdings (JKH), the parent company behind Cinnamon Hotels & Resorts, is the result of a collaboration that spans nearly two decades. The relationship began with a competitive tender for the refurbishment of the Cinnamon Grand Hotel’s new wing, formerly the Hotel Lanka Oberoi in Colombo.
DGDI secured the project with a proposal centred on the Atrium, which Soh said stood out due to meeting the “spatial, functional, and experiential requirements of the brief”.
This success led to further involvement in the upper-level guestrooms surrounding this zone. Despite limited budgets and compressed time lines, the team produced a refreshed product identity that marked the emergence of a new brand direction for Cinnamon Hotels & Resorts. This repositioning established a contemporary, guest-centric design language that lifted the property’s visibility in the market and contributed to the narrative of the Cinnamon brand as it is known today.
The collaboration continued over the years, including projects at Cinnamon Grand, Cinnamon Lakeside, and several stages of soft refurbishments and F&B enhancements. By the time Cinnamon Life, branded as part of the larger City of Dreams Sri Lanka development, entered its final stages, DGDI had become aligned with JKH’s design ambitions, operational requirements, and long-term strategies.
Design-Led Tourism and Sri Lanka’s Competitive Edge
Sri Lanka’s need to differentiate itself in the global tourism market is a recurring theme in industry discussions. The country competes with a range of tropical destinations that offer similar climates, landscapes, and broad holiday experiences, so Soh’s insights reflect a belief that design is central to differentiation. Thoughtful interiors not only elevate the perception of a destination but help define the identity of entire hospitality ecosystems.
At the foundation of her design philosophy is a principle she calls up over the course of every project: “sense of place.” If a project is in Beijing, she said, local culture must be woven into the environment; if it is in Colombo, the same approach applies. Her team applies this rule consistently, using local materials, craftsmanship, and cultural references to create an emotional and contextual connection between guests and their surroundings. This gives spaces authenticity and grounds them in the identity of the destination.
Balancing Sense of Place with Operational Excellence
This strategy extends beyond aesthetics. Design supports operations, enhances staff workflow, and strengthens the consistency of service delivery, and these elements contribute to guests’ overall perception of a property. Soh emphasised that good workflow is essential for service effectiveness, cost savings, and guest satisfaction, and the guiding intention behind such decisions is simple: guests should leave wanting to return. This idea has been present throughout DGDI’s work with JKH, informing layouts, circulation systems, and the placement of functional elements in both front-of-house and back-of house settings.
Luxury accommodations in particular benefit from environments that balance comfort with wellbeing. For Soh, natural light, durable yet culturally relevant materials, and intuitive spatial flow contribute both to the guest experience and to the property’s long-term value. These considerations are tied to operational longevity, maintenance needs, and ROI. Guest facing “touch and feel” elements receive higher attention, she noted, while service areas prioritise durability and function.
Soh commented that certain design features sometimes require a degree of persuasion. When her team believes a specific element is necessary despite budget constraints, they push for it. However, healthy negotiations are possible only when a strong, trusting relationship exists between designers and their clients.
Visitors emerge from the Drop Off into Cinnamon Life’s Hotel Lobby. David Grace Designs International contributed to the design of both
Healthcare Lessons That Influence Hospitality
Much of Soh’s guiding philosophy was established during her years at Bent Severin & Associates, where she was offered her first hospital project without any prior health care design experience. Rather than approaching it with typical clinical assumptions, she leaned on hospitality principles and an understanding of human behaviour. Her own negative impressions of hospital environments, such as feelings of coldness, fear, and hopelessness, became the foundation for the transformation she aimed to create, leading to the development of Khoo Teck Puat Hospital in Singapore. Today, the hospital is recognised for its bio philic design and human-centric experience.
The interior of a Skyline Suite at Cinnamon Life, crafted entirely by David Grace Designs International
This experience also informed her understanding of how well-designed environments can improve staff performance, engagement, and productivity. A pleasant and inspiring environment encourages staff to deliver their roles with more intention and care, whether in healthcare or hospitality. While hotels do not treat patients, their operations rely heavily on the performance of service staff, making productivity a central factor in guest satisfaction. In this sense, she said, the lessons drawn from healthcare translate seamlessly into the hospitality context.
Designing for Behaviour, Engagement, and Revenue
Within JKH properties, the design of common areas, restaurants, and leisure spaces is approached with clear intent. Identifying the target market informs the development of each concept, ensuring that every outlet fills a gap in the market and aligns with the needs and preferences of the intended clientele. Storytelling, pricing, and a distinctive atmosphere come together to create experiences that encourage engagement, longer stays, and additional spending, applying to bars, spas, retail out lets, dining venues, and more.
Guests may recline in the Sky Lobby on Level 24 before heading to one of many venues featuring DGDI’s design work, including the Sky Lounge and the Business Center / Banquet Showroom
Soh connects this directly to modern guest expectations.
“Instagrammable moments” have become a standard feature rather than a trend, which she considers fundamental to any interior. Each space should offer at least one feature, she said, that naturally invites sharing. This not only enhances the guest experience but also supports marketing efforts, allowing design to extend its influence into how a property is perceived online and how travellers make decisions.
One of the signature arrival points at Cinnamon Life at City of Dreams. It forms part of a landmark project by John Keells Holdings, created with the involvement of several global design partners, including David Grace Designs International.
Working Within Budgets While Protecting Design Integrity
While design can elevate a property’s market position, financial metrics remain central to decision-making. While clients are protective of data on revenue performance, occupancy, and guest satisfaction, Soh said her team takes their cue from the budgets clients set to meet those targets.
Recent work, such as the renovation of the Cheers Pub at the Cinnamon Grand completed in December 2024, is an example of this interplay between cost considerations and design ambitions. Projects like these demonstrate the ongoing effort to keep properties fresh, relevant, and competitive, even as guest expectations evolve.
Creating a Cohesive Destination at Cinnamon Life
Cinnamon Life at the City of Dreams Sri Lanka required a design approach capable of bringing together a diverse set of spaces without losing the unified identity of the overall development. Soh described the process as one of translating the design brief and target market of each area into distinct yet connected experiences. Each space needed its own character, appealing to different visitor preferences but also enabling returning guests to have varied experiences with each visit.
This ability to balance distinction and cohesion is central to the success of large-scale hospitality destinations, Soh believes. For City of Dreams Sri Lanka, it reinforces the idea of the development not merely as a place to stay but as a destination in itself. To visitors, it is a place where design invites repeat exploration.
What Guests Want Today
Across markets, travellers are increasingly conscious of authenticity, sustainability, and their connection to the places they visit. For Soh, sustainability and local craftsmanship have always been integral to her design approach, but they hold greater significance today. Guests want environments that are meaningful, she said, rooted in their context, and mindful of environmental impact. These expectations align with global tourism trends and highlight the importance of design in shaping Sri Lanka’s competitive identity.
Guests, like patients, want to be indulged. This is the human experience, Soh said, and thoughtful design has the power to turn a single visit into a lasting memory that keeps them coming back.