Principal – Tihany Design
Alessia Genova, distinguished for her exceptional talent and leadership at the NYC boutique atelier, Tihany Design, is a visionary professional who has earned the trust and respect of an ever- evolving industry.
Genova’s career progressed through the ranks at Tihany Design, where she began as a junior designer in 2007, and advanced through successive promotions to become Tihany’s first-ever partner in 2020. In 2024, Genova officially took the helm as the new and sole owner of Tihany Design. She was named one of the “12 People to Watch in 2022” by Conde Nast Traveller. A native Italian, Genova is a graduate of Politecnico di Milano. As Principal, Alessia embraces her role to elevate the luxury hospitality & lifestyle experience with sensational custom interiors, helming projects for prestigious hotels/resorts, restaurants, private clubs, ultra-luxury estates, and cruise ships.
Throughout her career at Tihany Design, she has been pivotal in the success of some of the most iconic properties globally, including The Beverly Hills Hotel, The Breakers resort in Palm Beach, The Four Seasons Dubai DIFC, The Joule in Dallas, the Grand Wailea Maui, The Mandarin Oriental Istanbul, and The Oberoi New Delhi. Similarly Genova has been leading innovative design concepts for Holland America Line and ultra-luxury Seabourn vessels, with his latest venture, the Seabourn Venture & Pursuit, ushering in a new era in premium expedition cruise travel. No less than a genuine Italian food enthusiast, she frequently collaborates with renowned chefs such as Daniel Boulud, Thomas Keller, and Richard Ekkebus to create their signature restaurant interiors with inviting, modern relevance. However, with her focus simultaneously on the present and the horizon, Alessia considers hospitality design a domain without borders, logically and thematically extending to premium retail and residential pursuits.
Her mission to conceive stunning, one-of-a-kind spaces that enchant the senses ultimately achieves each venue’s most captivating and engaging potential. Clients value Alessia as a passionate yet calm tour de force, whose design expertise intertwines a global perspective, fresh creative outlook, and artistic agility. She pilots the “story” for each project with skilled concept & presentation development, executed with an infusion of style and connoisseurship. Built on the philosophy of “custom design as the stunning solution to a problem,” Tihany Design tailors each body of work to the client’s corner with inviting, modern relevance, timeless allure, personalization, craftsmanship, authentic sense of place, and art as a cornerstone of a venue’s identity.
“Sharing the baton, I believe the spirit of quality and the merit of accomplishment never rests on laurels, but the will to raise the bar on ourselves.” “Design is like cooking. You can follow a recipe, but it’s the extra ingredients — the passion, dedication, and a little madness — that bring the dream to life.”