Sandra Cardona

Founder & Creative Director @ Culturista Living

About

Founder of Culturista Living, a curated lifestyle store inspired by hotels, travel, design, and the art of living. After two decades shaping luxury spaces around the world, I launched this venture to bring timeless, design-forward pieces into the everyday. Culturista Living reflects a belief that thoughtful objects can shape how we live, host, travel, and feel at home.

Country

United States

City

North Miami Beach

Industry

Retail

Skill

Budget Preparation, Budget Compliance, Building Inspections, Tenant Relations, Tenant Improvement, Real Estate Development Projects, Annual Budgeting, Design Guidelines, Vendor Management, Capital Improvement, Stakeholder Management, Team Motivation, Design Thinking, Delivery Of Projects, Adaptive Reuse, Organization Skills, Full Cycle, Problem Solving, Capital Projects, Conflict

Experience

Founder & Creative Director

Culturista Living

2024-12 - Present · 1 yr 10 mos

Miami, Florida, United States

Curating a modern lifestyle brand inspired by global design, hospitality, and intentional living. Lead brand vision and execution across product curation, creative direction, digital presence, and operational strategy—overseeing all facets of development from concept to launch.

SVP Hotel Development & Construction

Turnberry

2022-10 - 2024-3 · 1 yr 6 mos

Miami, Florida, United States

Led pre-development and early-stage execution of luxury hospitality projects, including: - St. Regis Hotel & Branded Residences (Nashville, TN) - Grand Hyatt Convention Center Hotel (Miami Beach, FL) Directed schematic design approvals, feasibility studies, and consultant selection. Managed budget assessments, cost alignment, and contractor coordination.

President

Base Development

2020-7 - 2022-6 · 2 yrs

New York

Independent real estate development and consulting firm specializing in luxury hospitality, mixed-use, and urban planning projects. Datumzero Rwanda – Vision City (Kigali, Rwanda): Advised on master planning and hospitality inclusion within large-scale city development. Palmas Del Mar – Puerto Rico: Led luxury residential predevelopment, zoning evaluations, and feasibility assessments. Consulted on land development strategies, investment planning, and hospitality-driven growth.

Vice President of Development and Capital Planning

Hersha Hospitality Trust

2013-6 - 2020-6 · 7 yrs 1 mo

Oversaw $800M+ in hospitality capital projects, including luxury repositioning and ground-up developments. Built and led an in-house project management team overseeing annual capital projects ranging from $20M – $150M. Spearheaded strategic repositioning of Ritz-Carlton, Autograph Collection, and Hyatt properties. Managed budgeting, contractor selection, and asset performance-driven reinvestments.

Senior Director, Development and Capital Planning

HERSHA HOSPITALITY TRUST

2011-8 - 2013-6 · 1 yr 11 mos

New York, NY

Established an in-house project management team to oversee capital projects. Directed large-scale renovations and ground-up development pipelines.

Design & Development Leadership (Consolidated Past Roles)

Various Firms

2001-2 - 2011-8 · 10 yrs 7 mos

New York City Metropolitan Area

Leadership roles in design execution, brand integration, and project management for luxury hospitality and mixed-use projects. Design Director, Datumzero Design Office – Led concept development and execution for hospitality, spa, and branded residences. Design Director, Richardson Sadeki – Boutique luxury hospitality and interior architecture leadership. Project Architect, Gene Kaufman Architect – Managed ground-up and adaptive reuse hotel developments.