Designer Robert McKinley has fashioned some of the most significant hospitality venues in recent years including The Hall, Ruschmeyer’s, Marion, Sant Ambroeus, GoldBar, and The Surf Lodge. His designs are notable for transporting the visitor to another place and time, creating a momentary escape from the present. With a background that includes fashion houses Giorgio Armani and Donna Karan, McKinley prides himself on the attention to detail and creating a seminal vocabulary unique to each property. He is so invested in the success of his designs that he co- founded GoldBar, Surf Lodge and Ruschmeyer’s.

As an artist, in April 2012, McKinley contributed to Transmission LA:AV Club, a month long celebration of the arts curated by Mike D of The Beastie Boys for The Geffen Contemporary at MoCA Los Angeles, underwritten by Mercedes Benz. Fellow artists included Mike Mills, Tom Sachs, Santigold, and Takeshi Murata. His work, celebrated for its whimsy and sophistication, has been featured in publications like Vogue, Vanity Fair, The New York Times, Elle Décor, Interior Design, Travel + Leisure, and many, many others. McKinley and his wife Katie live between homes in NYC and
Amagansett, Long Island.