First Word: Picture this: Being part of a focused community

Bigger isn't always better, but it does get a lot more attention. Then, it's up to the audience to determine its value. In the world of hotel design, HOTEL DESIGN has emerged as a tool that supplies trends, fashion and inspiration for the thousands of creative geniuses who work hard every day to perfect their craft. We pay homage to these disciples of design by featuring them and their work in each issue. It's all about hotel design from the eyes of hotel designers. A nice niche to have.

The payoff has been good so far. This issue is a good barometer of that. At 152 pages, it's our largest issue in our three-year history. The road hasn't always been easy. As the kid sister to HOTEL & MOTEL MANAGEMENT, HOTEL DESIGN has had to earn its reputation by being different. In a crowded field with many quality competitors, we have chosen to focus on the power of photography. In our case, words are like window treatments–they can make or break the look, but they most often are not in the spotlight.

This issue is a good example of how important photography is in a magazine that focuses on hotel design. Don't you want to try to slide down the banister at the Wyndham Miami Airport Hotel and Executive Meeting Center? The high-energy look of the Art Video Bar and Lounge at the Sagamore Hotel is inspirational. From the dazzling beauty of the Four Seasons Hong Kong's lobby and the thought-provoking view from the hotel's Executive Club Lounge, pictures say it all.

We also have a responsibility to relay information that's relevant and easy to navigate. We've added some timely information tidbits, such as a "just the facts" page from our friends at Smith Travel Research. Please take the time to check our our top design firm survey (ranked on lodging fees earned). It begins on. If your firm isn't listed, drop me an e-mail at jhigley@questex.com, and I'll make sure you receive a questionnaire next year so you can be included.

What it all boils down to is that HOTEL DESIGN has become a part of the hotel-design community. The irony of that conclusion is that truthfully, it's not a large community, but a close-knit group of hard-working competitors who see each other at almost every turn, and probably wouldn't want it any other way. Like I said, bigger isn't always better.