Applying Creative Skills at Design Hotels: My Social Media Internship
When I started my internship at Design Hotels GmbH in Berlin, I wasn’t sure how much creativity I would be able to express. After all, I was entering a corporate environment as a Social Media & Community Management Intern in their Digital Experience department. But as it turned out, this experience gave me a front-row seat to some of the most exciting and innovative work happening in the hospitality and design industries.
Design Hotels is an independent hotel management and business development company that represents a curated selection of over 300 independent hotels across the world. Known for its focus on cutting-edge design, architecture, and culturally-rooted hospitality experiences, the brand caters to travelers seeking unique and immersive stays in creative, design-driven environments.
One of my weekly responsibilities was selecting images from a vast media inventory to post on our Facebook page. While it may sound simple, this task required a keen eye for aesthetics. I had to choose images that represented each hotel’s unique story—its architecture, design, lighting, and ambiance—while ensuring the selected group of photos complemented one another. It felt like I was curating mini visual narratives for each post, ensuring they were both cohesive and engaging.
Another standout creative moment for me was during International Women’s Day. My supervisor had initially tasked a small group with creating a Spotify playlist to celebrate the occasion. I suggested we expand the scope by gathering song recommendations from women across the company. This led to an open call for submissions, resulting in a collaborative and diverse playlist which I led. I took extra care to curate the song order, spending hours deciding how best to blend the tracks, which I decided to do by energy level—starting with soft, calm tones and ending with upbeat, powerful anthems. It was one of those moments where I got to apply my passion for playlist curation to a corporate project, and the positive feedback from my colleagues was incredibly rewarding.
Another project that stands out was conducting competitor research for our Instagram strategy. I noticed that while Design Hotels emphasized architectural beauty, many of our competitors showcased people enjoying the spaces. I suggested we experiment with incorporating models into our posts, keeping the brand’s aesthetic while making the imagery more relatable. To my surprise, this idea was implemented and continues to be part of the company’s Instagram strategy to this day.
One of the more exciting projects I contributed to, albeit indirectly, was the planning of Design Hotels’ Arena event. This event brings together hotel owners from around the world for a few days of activities and discussions. I was fortunate enough to sit in on a meeting between the brand director and a local choir from Berlin called "A Song For You", where they discussed ideas for the event’s entertainment. Though I didn’t have direct input in most of the planning, I suggested adding modern hip-hop tracks to the choir’s repertoire—particularly songs by Little Simz and Kendrick Lamar. It was gratifying to hear later that both artists' songs were performed at the event, to great acclaim.
Though many of my tasks were focused on execution, like posting content and handling schedules, there were still plenty of opportunities to observe the creative process and contribute my own ideas. A particularly memorable experience was being part of the social media campaign for the launch of Directions Magazine No. 18: A New Hedonism. Although I wasn’t involved in creating the content, being the final step in the process—ensuring everything was posted on time and correctly—gave me valuable insight into how detailed and purposeful the creative process is. I also had the unique opportunity to hand-pack over 200 copies of the magazine with handwritten thank-you letters, sending them to influencers and hotel owners worldwide.
Overall, my time at Design Hotels gave me invaluable experience in social media management while immersing me in the creative industry. From curating playlists and images to learning how campaigns are built, I left the company feeling more certain than ever that this is the industry where I belong. It wasn’t just about the tasks I performed—it was about seeing the layers of creativity that go into every aspect of branding, marketing, and community engagement.
For more on my experience at Design Hotels and feedback from my supervisors, check out what they’re saying about our collaboration here.
