Philippe Starck Wins Five Star Diamond Award as World's Best Designer

Legendary designer Philippe Starck has many reasons to smile, and it was not just the kisses he received from the reigning Miss America and Miss Universe at the recent International Star Diamond Awards in Berlin where he accepted a Lifetime Achievement Award. Starck announced the formation of a powerhouse global partnership with Prince Faisal F. Al Saud to roll out a new global brand,'Starck Hotels' that he says will make guests "more sexy".

The culmination of a life long dream to "make a place where people are more awesome, are more sexy, are more smart, more sparkling ... " Starck is already working with His Highness scouting locations in gateway cities including New York, London, Paris, Dubai and Hong Kong.

The American Academy of Hospitality Sciences is renowned worldwide for awarding excellence in the global travel and luxury services sector. Each year the Academy bestows its coveted International Star Diamond Award exclusively on deserving individuals and five star establishments that are deemed to be at the pinnacle of quality by its prestigious Board of Trustees. The International Star Diamond Award is the most prestigious emblem of achievement and true quality; an award many strive for, but few obtain.

The Academy, based in New York City, is directed by Mr. Joseph Cinque and governed by an international Board