HKS appoints Kevin Underwood
HKS Hospitality Group, recognised internationally for its creative design and collaborative approach, has announced the appointment of Kevin Underwood as Principal and Head of Master-planning & Design.
Underwood’s 30-year career in master-planning and landscape design has spanned award-winning hotel and resort projects, as well as major urban regeneration schemes around the world; this appointment will see him based in the firm’s London office.
Formerly Principal in charge of Hospitality at Edaw and then, following the company’s acquisition by Aecom, Global Leader of Leisure and Culture at Aecom, Underwood led the teams responsible for such notable designs as the seminal Heart of Doha/Msheireb project and Education City Doha. These projects included the world’s first qu’ranic garden and Disneyland Paris as well as a number of international developments for luxury hotel brands such as Four Seasons, Ritz-Carlton, Hyatt and Banyan Tree.
Underwood describes the opportunity to join HKS as a coming together of two compelling portfolios of experience within a shared approach towards creativity, innovation and a commitment to achieving measurable real estate returns for clients.
Commenting on Underwood’s appointment, Luis Zapiain, Director of HKS Hospitality, says: “We are delighted that Kevin has joined us because not only will his exceptional depth of master-planning experience complement the breadth of our architects’ work, we are also completely of one mind in our commitment to nurturing client relationships and exceeding expectations through collaborative working.”
Current and recent hotel and resort projects at HKS include: Esperanza, an Auberge Resort, Cabo San Lucas, Mexico; an Ananda Resort in India; Four Seasons Resort, Sharm el Sheik; several luxury projects in Costa Rica; and Crowne Plaza Ningbo in China. HKS holds offices across the USA and in London, with additional offices based in Abu Dhabi, Shanghai, Singapore and Mexico City.
