The most creative and innovative hospitality design work in 21 categories and Designer of the Year Wanda Hotel Design Institute, Beijing were recognized at the Nov. 14 gala that capped off Boutique Design New York (BDNY) and HX: The Hotel Experience.
Cincinnati, OH, December 1, 2016 – Winners of the 36th annual Gold Key Awards for Excellence in Hospitality Design were unveiled at a gala on Nov. 14 at the Waldorf Astoria New York. The event was held in conjunction with Boutique Design New York (BDNY) and HX: The Hotel Experience, formerly the International Hotel, Motel + Restaurant Show (IHMRS), co-located at New York City’s Jacob K. Javits Convention Center.
The gala also honored Wanda Hotel Design Institute, Beijing as Designer of the Year.
The 2016 Gold Key Awards for Excellence in Hospitality Design winners are:
Best Eco-Conscious or Socially Conscious Hotel • Deture Culsign, Architecture + Interiors, Chicago; Treehouse Suite at Playa Viva, Juluchuca, Mexico
Best Lobby Budget/Focused Service • Varrodesign, Budapest; Science Hotel Szeged, Hungary
Best Lobby Midscale • Amanda Sullivan Studio Architecture, New York; Hotel Indigo Lower East Side, New York • The Vanguard Theory, Honolulu; The Surfjack Hotel & Swim Club, Honolulu
Best Lobby Upscale • ASET/AOMA, Mexico City; Mister Important Design, Oakland, California; Starwood Global Brand Design Team, New York; W Punta de Mita, Mexico
Best Lobby Luxury • Arquitectura de Interiores, Guadalajara, Mexico; The Cape, a Thompson Hotel, San José del Cabo, Mexico
Best Guest Room Budget/Focused Service • MAPOS LLC, New York; Hotel Shocard, New York
Best Guest Room Midscale • Simeone Deary Design Group, Chicago; The Charmant, LaCrosse, Wisconsin
Best Guest Room Upscale • Wanda Hotel Design Institute, Beijing; Doubletree Resort by Hilton Xishuangbanna, Jinghong, China
Best Guest Room Luxury • Wanda Hotel Design Institute, Beijing; Wanda Reign Hotel Chengdu, China
Best Suite • Anderson/Miller Ltd., Chicago; Villa One at One&Only Palmilla, San José del Cabo, Mexico
Best Nightclub/Lounge • Wanda Hotel Design Institute, Beijing; Club Reign at Wanda Reign Hotel Shanghai, China
Best New Hotel Brand or New Soft Brand • Marriott International Global Design, Bethesda, Maryland; MOXY Hotels North America
Best Restaurant Casual Dining • McCARTAN, New York; District on the Bloc at Sheraton Grand Los Angeles
Best Restaurant Fine Dining • Conran and Partners, London; German Gymnasium, London
Best Special Feature • ASET/AOMA, Mexico City; Mister Important Design, Oakland, California; Starwood Global Brand Design Team, New York; W Punta de Mita, Mexico
Judges’ So Cool • FRCH Design Worldwide, Cincinnati; TRU by Hilton Prototype, Memphis, Tennessee • YWS Design & Architecture, Las Vegas; Topgolf at MGM Grand Las Vegas
Best Resort • HKS Inc., Dallas; Esperanza, Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
Best Hotel Budget/Focused Service • DesignAgency, Toronto; Generator Amsterdam • MAPOS LLC, New York; Hotel Shocard, New York
Best Hotel Midscale • Curioso, Chicago; Hotel Indigo El Paso Downtown, El Paso, Texas
Best Hotel Upscale • Wanda Hotel Design Institute, Beijing; Doubletree Resort by Hilton Xishuangbanna Jinghong, China
Best Hotel Luxury • Wanda Hotel Design Institute, Beijing; Wanda Reign Hotel Chengdu, China
Sponsored by Boutique Design, the awards recognize the most influential and innovative design work in the hospitality industry. To be eligible, new construction, conversion or renovation work must have been completed from June 1, 2015 to July 1, 2016. Winners and finalists were determined by a renowned panel of judges from the hospitality design, operations, development and investment sectors.
Judges for the 36th annual Gold Key Awards included: Edwin Hendriksen, senior vice president development & investments – North America, citizenM hotels; Lori Horvath, senior vice president, project and development services, hotels & hospitality, Jones Lang LaSalle; John McMullen, senior vice president of construction, Highgate Hotels; Michael Medzigian, chairman and managing partner, Watermark Capital Partners LLC; Jagruti Panwala, president/ceo, Wealth Protection Strategies, Asian American Hotel Owners Association (AAHOA) secretary 2016-2017, AAHOA female director at large Eastern Region; Dane Patunoff, director, development & construction, KHP Capital Partners; Jay Pecotte, senior director, project development, hotels & casinos – Americas, Hard Rock International; Thomas Prins, managing director and principal, Benchmark Hospitality International; and Larry Traxler, senior vice president – global design, Hilton Worldwide.
Prior to the awards ceremony, NEWH, the professional network of the hospitality industry, presented its 12th annual ICON of Industry award to Ultra Glas Inc.’s Jane Skeeter during the gala. Tyson Baker, an interior design student at Maryville University and recipient of the $7,500 NEWH ICON of Industry scholarship, was also honored during the event.
The 37th annual Gold Key Awards for Excellence in Hospitality Design will begin accepting submissions in May 2016. Complete submission guidelines, eligibility requirements and an official entry form will be available at bdny.com and thehotelexperience.us.
