Thirty Years of Change, One Constant Vision: A Conversation with Howard Wolff

On a calm evening in London, I had the pleasure of speaking with Howard Wolff, the firm’s former Chief Marketing Officer, from his home in Hawaii. Our hour-long conversation spanned continents and decades as we reflected on his twenty-two year journey with WATG – what changed, what endured, and what shaped his legacy.

When Howard first joined the firm, in 1989, he was handed a recently completed typical corporate brochure featuring the senior leadership, all men. The image felt out of step with the late 1980s. To Howard, it didn’t reflect the world they were working in or the future he envisioned. From that moment, increasing diversity became a personal mission. By the time Howard left the company, women made up 48% of the professional staff, including managing directors of multiple offices and members of the Board of Directors, a transformation that he still finds deeply gratifying.

The firm had never had a dedicated marketing leader before, and Howard’s arrival was met with a mix of enthusiasm and resistance. Some welcomed the chance to be guided in strategic marketing; others were more skeptical. Jerry Allison and Don Goo were fans; Pete Wimberly and Greg Tong were doubters.

Rather than impose, Howard started by asking questions and aligning the internal stakeholder group. His focus was clear: Who are we? What do we do? And how do we distinguish ourselves? That foundational clarity would set the stage for everything that followed … including a recognition by senior leadership of the value and impact of strategic marketing. Ron Holecek, President and CEO for much of Howard’s tenure, was a big supporter and believer in the benefits of brand building.

One of Howard’s major contributions came during the firm’s 50th anniversary. Rather than celebrate the milestone with a traditional retrospective, he proposed a forward-looking research initiative and design competition amongst architecture students worldwide: “What Will Hotels Look Like 50 Years in the Future?” Partnering with George Berean and Jeremy Heyes, his goal was to position WATG as an innovative industry leader.

The marketing materials Howard created were written in the language of hoteliers and developers, addressing metrics that mattered to clients, like increasing RevPAR and improving both top-line and bottom-line performance through design. The research incorporated geographic market trends and commercial insights, eventually forming the foundation for what is now the firm’s successful Advisory service line.

Despite the changing landscape of marketing, from printed brochures to websites to integrated brand ecosystems, some things, we both noted, never change. Relationships. Trust. Respect. These core values, he said, remained at the heart of the business. As new tools emerged and global markets evolved, those timeless human skills only grew more important.

Howard also led the production of the firm’s first coffee-table book (and later two more) – endeavours that brought together his passion for storytelling, design, and photography. He didn’t just want to document the firm’s history; he wanted to capture what made each project unique. His love of visual storytelling shone through. He championed hiring top-tier photographers, often accompanying them on shoots and serving as art director on-site.

When his wife and young son could join him on business trips, they did. By the time his son was two years old, he had already been on over 100 flights. On one occasion, at the Four Seasons Newport Beach, a wardrobe drawer was transformed into a makeshift crib. When asked at age five about his favorite hotel, his son confidently named the Atlantis, Paradise Island.

Howard saw the business grow on a global scale. New offices opened around the world, including London, a key milestone. But it wasn’t all smooth sailing. During the Gulf War, the London office faced significant uncertainty. In those turbulent moments, long-term client relationships proved vital. One such partner was LEGO, a client that Howard describes as aligned in values and spirit, and an important source of work during challenging times.

Another proud chapter in his tenure was the establishment of Wimberly Interiors and its visual identity. Howard had long believed that interior design was fundamental to the guest experience. The market was demanding end-to-end service offerings, and the firm was now in a position to deliver.

Looking back, Howard is most proud of helping the firm see itself more clearly. He shaped how it communicated, internally and externally, and helped craft a narrative that resonated across cultures, markets, and time zones. More than anything, he left behind a culture of listening, a foundation of strategic thinking, and a legacy of inclusion.

As we wrapped up our conversation, it was clear that Howard’s impact extended well beyond the standard marketing mix of the time.

Among Howard’s accomplishments that continue to this day:

• Expanding the mindset of an American firm doing work outside the country to operating as a truly international design practice.
• Championing the expansion of service lines from architecture and planning to include landscape, interiors, and advisory services.
• Creating award-winning marketing materials that speak our clients’ language.
• Quantifying the value of good design, coining terms like “Return on Wow”.
• Carving our niche with a bulldozer. Expanding the definition of what we’re good at … from our roots in Hawaii designing three-star tropical resorts to “designing destinations”.
• Creating a strategy of pre-eminence.
• Pioneering concepts for hotels of the future, including in low-Earth orbit.

Howard helped build a global identity rooted in values, relationships, and forward-thinking strategy. And while much has changed over the past three decades, the heart of his contribution still beats at the center of the firm today.