From Hawaii to the World, WATG Reflects on 80 Years of Transformative Architecture and Design

Honoring the Past and Designing the Future, WATG Marks a Milestone Anniversary

Global architecture and design firm WATG is celebrating its eightieth year crafting bespoke design solutions across diverse contexts and cultures. Founded in 1945 in Honolulu, Hawaii, by Pete Wimberly, Jerry Allison, Greg Tong, and Don Goo, WATG has evolved into an international leader in luxury design, with expertise spanning advisory, master planning, architecture, landscape architecture, and Wimberly Interiors. Today, the firm delivers transformative projects from its offices in Honolulu, Los Angeles, Tustin, Dallas, New York, Atlantic City, London, Singapore, and Shanghai, leveraging a deep experience and an unwavering commitment to innovation.

Throughout its 80-year practice, WATG has consistently pushed the possibilities of design, integrating forward-thinking approaches to shape extraordinary places. From groundbreaking resorts and urban destinations to cultural landmarks and hospitality icons, the firm has played an integral role in crafting environments that inspire, endure, and elevate experiences.

With each of its projects, WATG researches local culture, history, and people to ensure its designs are uniquely tailored to their locale, delivering aesthetically compelling, highly functional, and purpose-driven spaces. Working closely with clients to elevate their vision, WATG carefully considers the lasting impact of projects to ensure their long-term success, both commercially and in their engagement with people and the planet. Since its founding in Hawaii, the firm has placed a premium on knowledge-sharing and mentorship. Coined “The WATG Way,” its unique hospitality-led design ethos is continuously refined and shared across studios and generations, fostering a legacy of learning and expertise while embracing fresh perspectives and innovation.

From its origins in Hawaii, the firm expanded internationally by the late 1950s, opened its first U.S. mainland office in California in 1981, and steadily grew its reach with offices in London (1990), Singapore (1997), and Shanghai (2018). This evolution also included the addition of Wimberly Interiors, the firm’s interior design studio, and the opening of a New York office (2011). More recently, WATG further expanded by acquiring SOSH Architects and establishing an Atlantic City office dedicated to gaming and entertainment. Now in its eightieth year, a new office in Dallas is opening to further service all time zones across the U.S.

David Moore, Chief Executive Officer, has been with WATG since 1989 and reflects on the firm’s anniversary: “There is so much to celebrate in our eightieth year. It is inspiring to think back on my early career with the firm, working with Pete Wimberly in Honolulu, and reflect on where we are today. I am proud that our dedication to excellence has remained steadfast, allowing us to build WATG into what it is today.”

WATG has completed many iconic projects throughout its storied history. From its first hospitality project in 1945, a renovation of The Royal Hawaiian Hotel – affectionately known as “The Pink Palace of the Pacific” – to the lavish, nature-inspired Shangri-La Garden Wing, a Singapore high-rise hotel that opened in 1973, WATG has built a legacy of creating bespoke hospitality experiences. Projects in the 21st century affirm and expand this legacy: the Emirates Palace in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, the restoration of the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express, Nobu Hotel Los Cabos, and the JW Marriott Jeju.

While hospitality design remains the cornerstone of its work, the firm’s distinguished ability to craft luxury experiences and provide expansive services uniquely positions it to contribute to diverse markets from project inception to completion. Its deep domain knowledge enables a nuanced understanding of guest experiences, allowing the firm to successfully translate its expertise into sectors such as residential, gaming, and entertainment.

Monica Cuervo, Managing Director of the Americas, who has been with WATG since 1993, says, “Imagination and passion are at the heart of everything we do. From when I first started in the old Newport Beach office, going on trips to Disneyland with Jerry Allison to sketch and study proportions, to the work we are doing now – creativity has always been deeply embedded in WATG’s culture. Everything from the past eighty years encapsulates that spirit, and I am excited to see how it continues.”

“It’s amazing to be where we are today, and while we are taking a moment to celebrate, we have our eyes on the future,” continues David Moore. “We are ambitious and focused on continuing to learn and grow, ensuring we are evolving for the next generation.”

Nobu Hotel Los Cabos, 2019. Courtesy WATG.

Additional information on WATG’s 80th anniversary is available at watg.com/watg80/.

About WATG

Founded in 1945 and celebrating its 80th anniversary this year (2025), WATG is one of the world’s leading design firms specializing in hospitality, entertainment and gaming, urban and mixed-use, branded residential, renovation and repurposing, and multifamily residential design. It is widely recognized within the industry, garnering accolades from AHEAD, the Gold Key Awards, and the World Architecture Festival (WAF). WATG’s interior design firm, Wimberly Interiors, launched in 2008 and is consistently ranked among the Top 20 in Interior Design magazine’s Hospitality Giants survey.

Since George “Pete” Wimberly founded the firm in Honolulu in 1945, WATG has grown to offer integrated design services, including Advisory, Planning, Architecture, Landscape Architecture, and Wimberly Interiors, for urban, tourism, and resort destinations. WATG and Wimberly Interiors operate offices in Honolulu, Tustin (California), Los Angeles, Dallas, Atlantic City, New York, London, Singapore, and Shanghai. It is best known for creating internationally acclaimed destinations in more than 170 countries across six continents.

Over the decades, WATG has designed more than 500 built projects on behalf of distinguished clients and brands, including Accor, Aspen Hospitality, Belmond, Blackstone Group, China Jinmao Group, China Merchant, Chimelong, Emaar, Four Seasons, Hilton Worldwide, Huafa Group, Hyatt Hotels Corporation, InterContinental Hotels Group, intu Properties, JLL, Kempinski, Keppel Land, Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group, Marassi, Marriott International, MGM Resorts International, Minor Hotels, Mont Choisy Group, New Century Tourism Group, RCD Hotels, R.D. Olson Development, The Red Sea Development Company, Rosewood Hotel Group, Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts, Suning, Viceroy Hotels & Resorts, and Walt Disney Parks and Resorts. Learn more about WATG and its 80th anniversary at watg.com/watg80/.