'Put Away Your iPhone' and Other Travel Lessons From a Leading Hotel Designer

Bill Bensley isn’t your typical hotel designer: "Everything I do has one purpose: to learn something new," he told us.

Designer Bill Bensley took the stage at the Skift Asia Forum in Bangkok, a city he's lived in since 1984. He discussed his career in hotel design, his creative philosophy, and inspirations, among other topics, with Skift founder and CEO Rafat Ali.

Bensley, who has been described as the “Willy Wonka of Design,” founded his studio in 1990 and has designed more than 200 properties worldwide, including Shinta Mani Wild – an award-winning jungle camp in Cambodia.

"Respect Mother Nature has a