Interview: NYLO Brings Design Hotels to the Masses

The business model for NYLO Hotels was created to answer the demand for affordable design hotels with cool party spaces and creative local food and beverage, especially in second-tier markets across America. Michael Mueller, founder and CEO of NYLO, was instrumental in the growth of Starwood Hotels from its inception in 1994 through 2004. He oversaw the acquisition of the Westin and Sheraton flags, making Starwood one of the largest hotel groups worldwide almost overnight, before helping engineer the W Hotels phenomenon. By 1998, Mueller was Starwood's SVP of acquisition/development for Europe, Africa & the Middle East. In 2004, Mueller moved out on his own to launch NYLO Hotels from scratch, designed around the all-pervasive enthusiasm for New York-style loft design, hence the name, and the general shift toward more attuned lifestyle design in everything from residential real estate to Apple and Chipotle. During those years, the boutique hotel craze was barnstorming the