USA

Antonio Cuellar is a luxury hotel photographer trusted by the world’s leading hospitality brands, with offices in Miami, New York and Los Angeles and shoots throughout the USA and Canada. From the lobby lounge of the Fairmont Empress in Victoria to the design-driven hotels of Miami Beach and the restaurants of Los Angeles, Antonio Cuellar pairs architectural precision with a warm, editorial sense of lifestyle.

A brand-approved hospitality photographer in the USA

Antonio Cuellar is a brand-approved photographer for the world’s leading hotel groups:

• Accor: Fairmont Hotels & Resorts, Emblems Collection and Raffles Hotels & Resorts
• Marriott International: the Marriott family of brands
• Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group
• Hilton Hotels & Resorts
• IHG: InterContinental Hotels & Resorts
• Hyatt Hotels
• Wyndham Hotels & Resorts

Antonio Cuellar is one of only seven photographers worldwide approved to shoot Fairmont Hotels and the Emblems Collection by Accor, and one of only three approved to photograph Mandarin Oriental Hotels. For American and Canadian properties, that means imagery delivered to brand standards from the first frame, with no learning curve for the hotel’s marketing team. Read more about Antonio Cuellar and his background in hospitality photography.

Hotel photography vs. resort photography

Hotel photography centers on architecture and interiors: guestrooms, suites, lobbies, meeting spaces and spas. Resort photography builds on that foundation with more lifestyle imagery, such as couples at the pool, guests on horseback at Sea Island or breakfast served in bed. Antonio Cuellar plans each shoot around which of those stories a property needs to tell, and adapts his style to fit the brand rather than imposing his own. He shares more on lighting, planning and shot lists on his professional photographer blog.

Interiors, architecture and people

Great hospitality imagery balances the room with the moment. Antonio Cuellar’s architecture and interiors photographyis complemented by genuine lifestyle photography: afternoon tea by a sunlit window, a bartender at work, a suite that feels lived-in and luxurious. Antonio Cuellar often produces shoots with his own team and is equally comfortable collaborating with a production company’s stylists, makeup artists and digital techs. See examples in his hospitality advertising campaigns.

Restaurant and bar photography in the USA

Hotel restaurants and bars often drive as much revenue as the rooms. Antonio Cuellar’s food and beverage photographyincludes Wolfgang Puck’s Spago at the Four Seasons Resort Hualalai in Hawaii, L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon in Miami, Barton G in Miami and Los Angeles, and The Mexican in Dallas. He works with food stylists on commercial productions and directly with chefs on smaller shoots.

Aerial photography

Antonio Cuellar is a fully insured, licensed drone operator, flying under the FAA’s commercial drone rules, and can add aerial perspectives of resort grounds, rooftops and coastlines anywhere in the country.

Recognition

Luxury Hoteliers Magazine recognized Antonio Cuellar as a top hospitality photographer, and he serves as a judge for the Luxury Travel Guide awards. His architectural work has been featured in Architectural Digest, Dezeen and Interior Design Magazine, and the American Society of Media Photographers named him among its Best of 2013. Antonio Cuellar also teaches an architectural photography workshop as faculty at Maine Media Workshops.

Photographing hotels in major US cities

Antonio Cuellar travels regularly to every major US market. For city-specific work, see his pages for a hotel photographer in New York, Los Angeles, Las Vegas and Miami. Properties outside the US can be found on his Mexico & Caribbean, Europe and Middle East & Asia pages.

FAQ

1. What does a hotel and hospitality photographer do?

A hospitality photographer creates the images hotels, resorts and restaurants use to sell their experience: guestrooms, suites, lobbies, spas, pools, dining and the people enjoying them. Antonio Cuellar plans each shoot around the property’s marketing goals and its brand guidelines, so the images work across websites, booking platforms, social media and advertising.

2. Which hotel brands has Antonio Cuellar worked with?

Antonio Cuellar is a brand-approved photographer for Accor (Fairmont, Emblems Collection and Raffles), Marriott brands, Mandarin Oriental, Hilton, InterContinental Hotels, Hyatt and Wyndham. He is one of only seven photographers worldwide approved to shoot Fairmont and the Emblems Collection, and one of only three approved for Mandarin Oriental.

3. Why does it matter that a hotel photographer is brand-approved?

Major hotel groups set detailed photography standards for composition, lighting, styling and retouching. A brand-approved photographer like Antonio Cuellar already works to those standards, which reduces re shoots, speeds up brand approval and keeps a property’s images consistent with the rest of the portfolio.

4. Does Antonio Cuellar travel for hotel shoots across the USA and Canada?

Yes. With offices in Miami, New York and Los Angeles, Antonio Cuellar photographs hotels, resorts and restaurants throughout the USA and Canada, including New York, Washington, DC, Las Vegas, California, Hawaii, Georgia, the Carolinas, Utah, British Columbia and Alberta.

5. How much does luxury hotel photography cost?

Cost depends on the number of shoot days, the mix of architectural, lifestyle and food photography, whether models and stylists are needed, travel and image usage. Antonio Cuellar provides a custom quote after reviewing the property and its shot list — contact him with your dates and scope.

6. How many images can be photographed in one day?

High-end hotel interiors take time to light and style properly. A typical full day of luxury interiors photography produces around 7 to 10 finished images, compared with the 15 or so per hour common in real estate photography. Lifestyle and food setups vary depending on complexity.

7. What is the difference between hotel photography and resort photography?

Hotel photography focuses on architecture and interiors: rooms, suites, lobbies, meeting spaces and spas. Resort photography adds more lifestyle imagery on top of the architectural work, showing guests at the pool, on the beach, at the spa or enjoying activities on property.

8. Can a hotel shoot include models and lifestyle photography?

Yes. Antonio Cuellar directs both professional and non-professional models and can produce lifestyle shoots with his own team, or collaborate with a production company and its stylists, makeup artists and digital techs.

9. Does Antonio Cuellar photograph hotel restaurants, bars and food?

Yes. His food and beverage photographyincludes Wolfgang Puck’s Spago at the Four Seasons Resort Hualalai, L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon in Miami and Barton G in Miami and Los Angeles. He works with food stylists on commercial productions and directly with chefs on smaller shoots.

10. Does Antonio Cuellar offer drone and aerial photography?

Yes. Antonio Cuellar is a fully insured, licensed drone operator, so aerial views of resort grounds, rooftops, pools and coastlines can be captured during the same production as the interiors and lifestyle work.