Business Traveler USA – May 2026

Summary

Philippe Starck's whimsical, surprising creations continue to delight after more than 40 years — the May 2026 Business Traveler USA puts the designer on the cover and takes readers inside his world, from his 43 hotels to a floating creation in Tokyo Bay.

The cover story (p.50), titled "Fanty Land," tracks Starck's career from the Royalton and Delano hotels to his latest Baccarat property in Dubai, covering the 10,000-plus products he has designed. Airports and transit stations get the optical art treatment (p.58), examining how visual elements improve brand identity and passenger flow. A green-havens feature (p.68) profiles flourishing backyards and biodiverse architecture projects creating nature among skyscrapers. The Bright Ideas section covers Calgary as a day-off destination and Mexico's premier golf resort.

The Memos section covers the biggest travel motivations in 2026: 47 percent of travellers say health is now their primary motivation, and 25 percent of US business travellers now travel specifically for sports events. The Tried & Tested section reviews Raffles Sentosa Singapore, American Airlines Flagship Suite on Dallas-London, and LA's Korean Air Prestige Lounge.

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Content Guide

▸ Features

p.50 · Fanty Land
Inside the world of design genius Philippe Starck. The feature covers his philosophy that "design is 80 percent psychology and 20 percent architecture," with specific examples from his 43 hotel projects. Starck reveals that his smallest hotel room ever designed was 12 square metres at the Mama Shelter properties. Takeaway: Starck-designed hotels use three specific lighting zones per room — ambient, task, and accent — replicate this in your home office for better video-call lighting.

p.58 · Optical Art
Airports and transit stations are using visual elements to heighten brand identity and improve passenger usability. The feature examines wayfinding systems at Singapore Changi, London Heathrow, and Denver International. Takeaway: the Denver airport's colour-coded flooring system — blue for baggage claim, green for ground transport — was tested with colour-blind passengers; it uses both colour and texture for accessibility.

p.68 · Green Havens
Flourishing backyards, biodiverse architecture, and inspiring rejuvenation projects are creating green havens among skyscrapers. The feature profiles Singapore's green skyscrapers, Milan's Bosco Verticale, and a new park in downtown Los Angeles. Takeaway: the new "Vertical Forest" building in Milan reduced ambient temperature by 3 degrees Celsius within a 50-metre radius — a measurable business case for green architecture in urban office planning.

▸ Keynote

p.24 · Sam Chamberlain, Ponant Americas CEO
The CEO discusses Ponant's luxury expedition cruises and the growing market for polar business travel. Takeaway: Ponant's "Business on Ice" package at $12,000 per person includes a 10-day Antarctic voyage with a daily meeting room slot — bookings for the 2027-28 season opened in June 2026.

▸ Tried & Tested

p.67 · American Airlines Flagship Suite, Dallas to London
A review of American's flagship transatlantic product. The suite's privacy door and lie-flat seat are evaluated. Takeaway: seat 2A on the 777-300ER has the most direct aisle access and the largest footwell — book it at ticketing.

p.67 · Raffles Sentosa Singapore
The iconic Singapore property is reviewed from an American traveller's perspective. Takeaway: the Raffles Sentosa's "Colonial Experience" package includes a Singapore Sling-making class and a tour of the property's heritage wing — worth booking for client entertainment.

▸ Regulars

p.31 · A Day Off in Calgary, Canada
A 24-hour guide covering the Calgary Tower, the Stephen Avenue Walk dining district, and the new BMO Centre convention centre expansion. Takeaway: the Calgary C-Train from the airport to downtown costs $3.80 and runs every 10 minutes — the cheapest airport-to-city transit in any major Canadian city.

p.82 · Brigette Romanek: Luxe Locales
The interior designer shares her favourite travel outposts, from the Chateau Marmont in LA to the Connaught in London. Takeaway: Romanek always requests a room with a bathtub — she says it is the only place she can think clearly during back-to-back travel days.

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Editor's Take

The Philippe Starck cover is the issue's clear highlight — the access is genuine, the career-spanning interview covers his failures as well as his successes, and the "Fanty Land" framing is clever without being cutesy. The green-havens feature is a strong second feature. Weaknesses: the Optical Art piece is too brief for the complexity of its subject — wayfinding at airports is a deep field, and the article skims the surface. The Tried & Tested section includes only one airline review, which feels thin for a magazine that brands itself as a business travel title. The Passport interview with Brigette Romanek is essentially a name-drop list. Best suited for design-industry professionals and fans of Philippe Starck.

Strengths
• Philippe Starck cover story with specific project examples and honest quotes
• Green architecture feature with measurable temperature data
• Calgary day-off guide with transit pricing

Weaknesses
• Optical Art wayfinding feature is too short for its subject
• Tried & Tested section has only one airline review

Verdict: Selective read — Buy it for the Starck interview if you are a design professional; light on airline content for a travel magazine.