Property Report joined members of the media for a conversation with Paloma Urquijo Zobel de Ayala, Creative Director of Ayala Land, Inc., who shared how creativity, collaboration, and purpose are shaping the company’s evolving approach to property development and hospitality.
Recently appointed to her expanded role in October 2025, Zobel de Ayala now leads creative direction across Ayala Land’s key business groups—Hospitality, Premium, Estates, and Leisure Estates—after previously serving as Creative Director of Ayala Land Hospitality since 2023.
Creativity with purpose
Before joining Ayala Land, Zobel de Ayala built a creative career that blended design, culture, and community. A graduate of Parsons School of Design and Imperial College London, she founded PIOPIO, a lifestyle brand celebrating Filipino craftsmanship, and co-founded Kalye Artisano, an artisan village in Palawan that integrates creativity, sustainability, and local collaboration.
These experiences shaped her belief that creativity must begin with intent. “At the end of the day, creativity for me is all about collaboration,” she said. “But it starts with strategy and branding—understanding what image we want to project, what story we’re trying to tell, and most importantly, why we’re doing it.”
Now at the helm of Ayala Land’s creative vision, she bridges design and business strategy across multiple disciplines—ensuring that every project, from hotels and resorts to estates and leisure destinations, reflects a unified brand of thoughtful, Filipino-inspired living.
Design that builds connection
For Zobel de Ayala, good design connects people to place. “We can be given a brief, but what I really want the teams to think about is the meaning behind what they’re doing,” she shared. “That’s how projects gain soul and personality.”
She explained that this principle applies across Ayala Land’s diverse business segments. “What the market craves now is community—a sense of belonging,” she said. “In hospitality, people want to feel the space and learn about the locale they’re in. In residential, they want to be part of a community of like-minded people who share the same design philosophies. With design, we hope to allow people to feel certain things.”
Her focus, she added, is on sparking curiosity and showing people something they haven’t experienced before. “It always goes back to our values: putting the customer first and creating quality products in every category,” she said. “Design should never be compromised because of cost.”
A culture of collaboration
Zobel de Ayala views creativity as both a mindset and a discipline. “I see challenges as opportunities. I wake up excited because there are always creative solutions,” she said. “I’m happy that the company now sees the value in creativity—that it’s at the center of the conversation.”
For her, creativity is also about people. “I want to make sure our teams love what they do and that there are stronger synergies across the Ayala Land portfolio,” she shared. “With hospitality at the heart, the rest will follow.”
Ultimately, she hopes to keep creating spaces that inspire and endure. “Competition keeps us on our toes, but at the end of the day, I just want to create places and experiences that people love.”
SEDA ABREEZA
Among the first projects under Paloma Urquijo Zobel de Ayala’s creative direction, the Seda Abreeza renovation in Davao City highlights how design, teamwork, and Filipino sensibility can redefine the guest experience.
Highlights:
• 181 guest rooms and suites redesigned with refined interiors and upgraded amenities
• Contemporary Filipino touches reflecting Davao’s vibrant local culture
• Enhanced guest experience through thoughtful layouts, materials, and finishes
• Modern facilities: Club Lounge, gym, indoor pool, and The Dining Hall
• Prime location across Abreeza Mall, 20 minutes from Davao International Airport
• Collaborative design process bringing together architects, designers, and operations teams under Ayala Land’s creative vision
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