Aliya Khan, Vice President Global Design Strategies at Marriott International is an award-winning talent, and the driving force behind the disruptive and forward-thinking design approach for Marriott’s Lifestyle portfolio. In her role, Aliya helps to define the foundational elements of Aloft, AC Hotels, Autograph, Element, Le Meridien, Moxy, Renaissance, Tribute and Westin, distinguishing each with a clear design personality and focus.
Aliya began her career in hospitality design with the iconic W Hotels in 2003. Here she helped to expand the once domestic boutique brand into a global experience. In 2008, Aliya oversaw design efforts for the original prototype for Aloft, a select service design-led brand, that gave birth to a market where none had existed before. Now nearly 20 years later, she has led efforts to reinvent both of these brands to further reflect today’s changing culture.
Aliya also developed prominent design concepts for St. Regis, Le Meridien, and The Luxury Collection. Most notably, the award-winning renovation of the flagship St. Regis New York. While serving as Director of Renovations for the Luxury Brands, Aliya also led strategic development and execution of award-winning partner design suites for St. Regis, in conjunction with Bentley Motors in global gateway cities like New York, Istanbul and Dubai.
In 2015, Aliya took a break from the hotel industry to lead the design and development of NeueHouse, the collaborative workspace for entrepreneurs and creatives in both New York and Los Angeles. Her love of design and travel brought her back to the hotel industry in 2017. Aliya holds degrees in both Architecture and Industrial Design from the Pratt Institute. A true global nomad – when not on a plane, Aliya resides in her eighth city, Washington D.C.
Previously, Khan worked as director of renovations at Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide, where she oversees global renovations for the W, Le Méridien, St. Regis, and The Luxury Collection hotel brands. She also served as a consultant at Pentagram Design on projects that included The Smithsonian Museum, The National Building Museum, and The Clark Institute of Art. Before that role, she held architect positions at both Husnain Lotia and Shahab Ghani and Associates in Pakistan. Khan was also an adjunct professor at Indus Valley School or Art and Architecture in Pakistan.
