Tihany Design, the multidisciplinary interior design studio renowned for its ever-evolving concentration in luxury hospitality and travel, has announced the sale of the firm by Founder & CEO Adam D. Tihany, to his partner Alessia Genova. The anticipated move culminates their 15-year collaboration, with the last four in partnership.
With the transfer of ownership, Genova has assumed full management of the NYC- based atelier, its satellite associates in Rome and retention of its clients.
In taking the helm, Genova directs an exciting pipeline of new projects ranging from hotels to golf clubs, including three in Italy, leading and deepening the studio’s commitment to curated excellence. Her strategic priorities centre on the continuous investment in her 20-member team and renewal of talent, client engagement that emulates their values and vision, and seamlessly integrating the service and artistic aspects of design.
Genova’s career progressed through the ranks at Tihany Design, where she began as a junior designer at the firm in 2007, and advanced through successive promotions to become Tihany’s first-ever partner in 2020. A native Italian, Genova is a graduate of Politecnico di Milano.
With his departure, Tihany culminates an illustrious path-paving career and continues to lecture at universities and conferences around the world. He will remain a consultant to Tihany Design and attend to his independent enterprise, Tihany Product Design.
“For years, I felt Alessia was destined for this critical role in fortifying Tihany Design for years to come,” said Tihany. “With her European and Italian sensibility, discipline and passion for the creative process, I have every confidence that she will future-proof our legacy with a fresh point of view.”
“I am honoured to earn this opportunity to carry the baton of my mentor, Adam, with an immense sense of responsibility for all that he invested to make Tihany Design one of our industry’s greatest success stories,” said Genova. “My team and I stand on his shoulders. He pioneered the premise of design as fundamental to hospitality, not merely an aesthetic component of it, and raised the bar to make design a pillar of premium travel, lifestyle and dining experiences.”
Founded in 1978 by Tihany, one of the world’s preeminent hospitality designers, his namesake studio has earned an esteemed roster of clients and distinctive projects, including luxury brands, iconic properties and Michelin-star chefs. Built on the philosophy of “custom design as the stunning solution to a problem,” Tihany Design tailors each body of work to the client’s corner with inviting, modern relevance, timeless allure, personalisation, craftsmanship, authentic sense of place, and art a cornerstone of a venue’s identity.
