When you try to research cosmopolitan Herbert Ypma on line, it is hard to find something else about him than the introductions to his world famous series of Hip Hotels Books on book sellers sites (or have a look at this transcript of a chat with him on USA Today). It is a Dutchman who has lived on several continents and who has visited, photographed and reviewed a myriad of hotels and possibly invented the already too much used and therefor maybe obsolete term “Hip Hotel” where HIP stands for Highly Individual Places.
I found is site Hip Hotels.com. Many nice views of hotels he visited, but yet no personal information.
I take it that he lives by the motto “a picture is worth a thousand words”…
Herbert is originally from Friesland! (of all places) and was in the 80’s very much into (yes what was everybody doing in those days) yes windsurfing!
He was quiet good actually (I know because I was doing the same in those days).
After those windsurfing days (in Australia) he started an interior design magazine in Sydney (very succesful).
That where he got into photography and interiors > hotels.