Clint Nagata’s strong placemaking sensibilities revived the Regent brand

When Regent Phu Quoc opened in 2022, people started taking notice for two key reasons. The first was to figure out where Phu Quoc was — it is the largest of 105 islands in Vietnam’s Unesco-recognised Kien Giang Biosphere Reserve. The second was all accolades heaped onto the first Southeast Asian resort opened under the Regent Hotels & Resorts brand since IHG Hotels & Resorts acquired it in 2018. 

Travel+Leisure magazine hailed the hotel as “reclaiming its birthright” in reference to the glory days of the brand founded by legendary hotelier Robert Burns in the 70s before it lost its lustre and sense of identity through subsequent decades of pass-the-parcel among different hotel brands. Conde Nast Traveller mentioned, “The message is clear. Regent has (re-)entered the chat.”  

Luxury and soul

The hotel’s charm is in no small part due to the design by Blink Design Group. Clint Nagata founded the architecture and design studio in 2006. The studio is known for producing sensitively designed hotels such as Fullerton Hotel Ocean Park in Hong Kong, JW Marriott Khao Lak, and Roku Kyoto — the debut property of Hilton’s luxurious LXR Hotels & Resorts brand in 2018. 

“Our objective for the Regent Phu Quoc was to create a luxury resort experience infused with the soul and culture of Phu Quoc,” Nagata shares. He does this through placemaking, or creating a “sense of place”— what he describes as “showcasing the culture of a location in its instinctive way that connects the hotel magically with its environs.” 

In Regent Phu Quoc, you can find Bovi truss structures modelled after local Vietnamese houses, as well as lacquer work made with delicate duck eggshell inlays famous in Vietnam. These expressive elements are tempered with clean lines and a tone-on-tone palette, so the atmosphere remains peaceful.

Likewise, Roku Kyoto’s abundant craftwork tells a story of the area’s history as the home of eminent Edo Period artist Hon’ami Koetsu, who also ran an artist village here. Lithe timber columns frame the Takagamine Mountain, bamboo artwork features in the restaurant Tenjin, and guestrooms exude calm with washi paper framed in wooden lattices. 

Telling stories 

This year, Nagata’s fans can pilgrim to three new hotels — Six Senses Kyoto, Banyan Tree Dongguan Songshan Lake, and Huvafen Fushi Maldives. “We infused contemporary magic from ancient Lingnan culture via poetry, natural landscapes, and artisanal works,” Nagata highlighted of the hotel in a scenic area near Guangdong’s Silicon Valley. 

Visiting the Minnan village, he found exquisite panels and carved screens, which he has reinterpreted in the hotel as sumptuous wall and ceiling panels and intricate lattice screens. 

Clearly, much work goes into crafting each hotel’s spatial story. Nagata agrees, “We don't want to go into a location without doing our homework first, which covers the years of history, customs and traditions, and the surrounding natural environment.” This allows him to create unique properties. 

“Each location, each city, is a unique spot that warrants an exclusive architectural and design interpretation. They have to be thought thoroughly from scratch, from a fresh perspective,” says Nagata.  

“The placemaking sensibilities have always been there (from WATG), but they have evolved to something else much deeper, much more refined in a way,” Nagata says about creating his own brand of aesthetics. Perhaps his background also helps him bridge western and cultural nuances.

Nagata, who is half-Japanese and half-Hawaiian, grew up in Honolulu to what he describes as an entirely western upbringing before moving to Bangkok to establish the Blink Design Group.   

First impressions 

In his processes, Nagata leaves no space untouched. He highlights an area that is often overlooked but vital in crafting a great hotel — the arrival sequence. “A first impression is important, and that starts with a wow experience or one that hopefully will be embedded in the memory of guests for years to come.” 

When one arrives at Regent Phu Quoc, “you are sent up this staircase to where there’s a wonderful glass sculpture by Lasvit inspired by sea life. As you turn right, you look at the entire resort over a reflecting pool, to experience an immediate sense of calm,” he articulates.  

It is the opposite in the newly opened Six Senses Kyoto. “It’s a small plot, so we try to create a very intimate experience through a series of courtyards,” Nagata shares. Given that Regent Phu Quoc and Roku Kyoto were designed remotely due to the COVID-19 pandemic (he visited the hotels only after they were completed), one can be sure that Nagata’s future work, with the architect’s consistent on-site attention, will tell even richer stories of time and place.