Luxury Cruising Podcast: Come Explore the World In Style

Creating Luxury Experiences with Kevin Kennon | Ep71

Kevin Kennon · June 8, 2026

Entrepreneur · Wellness · Leadershipin

Interview with Kevin Kennon

Creating Luxury Experiences with Kevin Kennon | Ep71

Podcast: Luxury Cruising Podcast: Come Explore the World In Style

June 8, 2026 · 24 min

What does luxury really mean in an era where travelers increasingly value experiences over possessions? In this episode of Luxury Cruising, Dr. Krystal Sodaitis welcomes Kevin Kennon for a thought-provoking conversation about the evolving definition of luxury travel. Kevin…

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Creating Luxury Experiences with Kevin Kennon | Ep71

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Luxury Cruising Podcast: Come Explore the World In Style

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Key topicsGood Bones — Why the Best Return Is in the Building Already StandingKevin Kennon has spent 40 years putting buildings up and taking old ones apart, including the conversion of the American Express Building in Tribeca and the rebuild of Macy's Herald Square. Most developers price a site as if the structure on it were a cost to clear, when the frame, floors and shell are often the most valuable thing in the deal. He walks through how he reads an existing building for what it can carry, where reuse beats new construction on cost and timeline, and where it does not. Listeners leave able to look at an older property and tell whether the return sits in the land or in what is already standing.Own Worst Client — Why the Best Projects Start When You Stop Taking CommissionsAfter 40 years taking commissions from other people, Kevin Kennon founded Beyond Zero DDC and became the client he used to work for. He argues that the work practitioners are proudest of only happens when they carry the risk themselves, and that waiting to be hired quietly caps what a firm can ever build. He covers what changed once he was raising the money, picking the sites and answering to investors: slower decisions, harder trade-offs, and far fewer compromises written into someone else's brief. Listeners leave with a clear view of what a practice gives up by staying on the commission model, and what it takes to fund a first project of their own.How to Build Zero-Carbon Where There Is No Power GridKevin Kennon builds at zero carbon on sites with no power line, no water main and no road, as founder of Beyond Zero DDC and after 40 years on projects as large as the 1.5 million square foot Barclays North American headquarters. A remote site removes the usual escape route: there is no grid to buy clean power from, so the building has to make and store its own. He explains what that forces, from off-grid generation and local materials to the trade-offs between what gets shipped in and what gets built on site. Listeners leave knowing which of those choices transfer to ordinary projects on the grid, and which only work when there is nowhere to plug in.View all topics →

About Kevin Kennon

Award-Winning Architect and Sustainable Design Visionary

40+ Years of architectural practice40+ Design awards20+ Iconic buildings1.5M sq ft Barclays North American Headquarters

Kevin Kennon is an internationally renowned architect with more than 40 years of experience designing landmark cultural, commercial, and hospitality projects around the world. Known for combining design ambition with deep human insight, he brings a humanity-first philosophy to architecture — creating spaces that do more than impress visually; they shape how people feel, connect, recover, and remember an experience.

As Founder and CEO of Beyond Zero DDC Inc., Kevin is leading the development of a new model of luxury hospitality: zero-carbon wilderness resorts designed around intimacy, wellbeing, adventure, and safety. Rather than treating sustainability as a marketing layer, Kevin approaches it as a natural consequence of building responsibly in remote environments — while placing the guest experience at the center of every design decision.

His portfolio includes the 1.5 million square foot Barclays North American Headquarters, the Rodin Museum in Seoul, multiple award-winning Bloomingdale’s stores, and leadership of United Architects, a finalist in the World Trade Center design competition. His work has been featured in the permanent collection of MoMA, New York, and he has received more than 40 international design awards.

Kevin’s expertise spans architecture, adaptive reuse, urban development, hospitality design, and high-level real estate advisory.

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About this episode

What does luxury really mean in an era where travelers increasingly value experiences over possessions?

In this episode of Luxury Cruising, Dr. Krystal Sodaitis welcomesKevin Kennonfor a thought-provoking conversation about the evolving definition of luxury travel. Kevin discusses how modern luxury is shifting away from excess and toward personalized service, authentic experiences, meaningful human connections, and immersive environments that help travelers reconnect with themselves and the world around them.

The discussion explores Kevin’s latest venture, Beyond Zero, a luxury wilderness hospitality concept designed to blend ultra-high-end accommodations with conservation, sustainability, and transformative guest experiences. Inspired by the intimacy and service model of luxury yachts, Kevin explains how his team is developing private wilderness retreats that prioritize both privacy and social connection while preserving the natural landscapes surrounding them.

Listeners will hear insights into the psychology of luxury, how architecture influences human experience, why personalized service remains the foundation of hospitality, and how future luxury travel experiences may combine cutting-edge technology with deeply human interactions. Whether you’re passionate about luxury cruising, hospitality design, eco-tourism, or the future of travel, this episode offers a fascinating look inside the minds shaping tomorrow’s luxury experiences.

Episode Highlights:

✨ Defining luxury in today’s experience-driven travel landscape

🏨 Why exceptional service remains the foundation of luxury hospitality

🌍 The shift from luxury possessions to authentic experiences

🏞️ Creating luxury wilderness resorts focused on privacy and transformation

🌱 Conservation-first hospitality and sustainable development principles

🏗️ How architecture can improve quality of life and guest experiences

🧭 The growing desire for authentic, screen-free travel experiences

🤝 Why human connection is still the most important element of hospitality

🚤 How luxury yacht experiences inspired Kevin’s hospitality model

🏕️ Designing immersive wilderness experiences without sacrificing comfort

🎨 Using local artisans and designers to create authentic destinations

🤖 The role AI may play in personalizing future guest experiences

🧳 Why travel remains one of the most powerful tools for personal growth

🧤 Kevin’s definition of luxury: “It fits you like a well-made glove.”

About the Guest:

Kevin Kennon is an architect, developer, and hospitality innovator with decades of experience leading major architectural projects around the world. As the founder of Beyond Zero Development Company, he is focused on creating a new category of luxury wilderness hospitality that combines conservation, sustainability, advanced technology, and deeply personalized guest experiences.

Kevin’s work spans hospitality, retail, mixed-use developments, museums, skyscrapers, and innovative architectural projects designed to improve the way people experience the built environment.

Media Profile: https://www.guestsonair.com/profile/kevin-kennon

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevinkennonarchitect/

Twitter: https://x.com/@PKevinKennon

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pkk2418/?hl=en

Website: https://www.kdcaia.com/

About the Host:

Dr. Krystal Sodaitis is a pediatrician, executive, and life coach for neurodiverse physicians—and the passionate host behind Luxury Cruising. She brings expert insight and honest excitement to every interview, helping curious travelers elevate their adventures at sea.

📍 Website: luxurycruising.net

📧 Email: luxurycruisingpodcast@gmail.com

🔗 LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/krystalsodaitis

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Guest: Kevin Kennon