A panel of nine prominent judges considered more than 280 entries for these coveted awards, which recognize outstanding design worldwide for hospitality projects that were completed or renovated from March 1, 2013 through March 1, 2014.
“The record number of entries and the quality, creativity and functionality of the submissions all reflect the dynamism of this industry,” said Mary Scoviak, executive editor of Boutique Design magazine, which co-sponsors the Gold Key Awards alongside HOTELS magazine. “This year’s finalists redefined what outstanding design is all about.”
The 2014 Gold Key judges echoed that sentiment. “Just looking at some of the photos, I thought, ‘This is design at its best. I want to live in one of these projects,’” said judge Dana Kalczak, Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts’ vice president of design. According to John McMullen, Highgate Hotels’ senior vice president of construction, “What these projects proved again and again is that the right design, the right detail makes a project unforgettable.” Judge Ron Kollar, Tishman Hotel Corp.’s chief design officer, added, “This year’s finalists show that designers are writing and rewriting concepts until they say something new, and saying it with integrity. And, they’re telling their stories in ways that will still be relevant in years to come.”
Finalists will be recognized and winners will be revealed in each of this year’s 19 categories at the Gold Key Awards Gala, now a cocktail reception and dinner, from 6:30pm – 10:00pm on Monday, Nov. 10, at the Mandarin Oriental New York. Presented by Boutique Design magazine and HOTELS magazine, the ceremony will culminate with the naming of Designer of the Year.
The 34th Gold Key Award finalists are:
Best Eco or Socially Conscious Hotel
COMMUNE (Los Angeles): American Trade Hotel & Hall, Casco Viejo, Panama
Natalie Sheedy Interiors (Chicago); DelaRosa Studio (Chicago); Legat Architects (Chicago): Hyatt Place Chicago-South/University Medical Center, Chicago
Best Guest Room Luxury
HDC Interior Architecture + Design (Los Angeles): St. Regis New York, New York
Richmond International (London): The Langham, Chicago
Best Guest Room Midscale/Budget/Focused Service
Bill Rooney Studio, Inc. (New York): Residence Inn by Marriott Manhattan/Central Park, New York
EoA, Inc. (Coral Gables, Fla.): Lord Balfour Hotel, Miami Beach
Daroff Design (Philadelphia): Universal’s Cabana Bay Beach Resort, Orlando, Fla.
Best Guest Room Upscale
HBA/Hirsch Bedner Associates (Singapore): Grand Hyatt Shenyang, Liaoning, China
CBT Architects (Boston): Hotel George, Washington, D.C.
Best Hotel Budget/Focused Service
Ester Bruzkus Architekten [Berlin] with DesignAgency [Toronto] and WAF Architects [Berlin]: Generator Berlin Mitte
DesignAgency (Toronto): Generator Venice
Best Hotel Luxury
HOK (New York): Rosewood Abu Dhabi
HBA/Hirsch Bedner Associates (Atlanta): The St. Regis Abu Dhabi
Metex Design Group (Istanbul): Waldorf Astoria Jerusalem
Best Hotel Midscale
COMMUNE (Los Angeles): Ace Hotel Downtown Los Angeles
Stonehill & Taylor Architects (New York): NYLO New York City
Group One Partners (Boston): Residence Inn Downtown/Seaport, Boston
Best Hotel Upscale
G A Design International (London): Hilton Istanbul Bomonti Hotel & Conference Center, Istanbul
Looney & Associates (Dallas): Omni Nashville, Tennessee
White Jacket Pte. (Singapore): Naumi Hotel, Singapore
Best Lobby Luxury
concrete (Amsterdam): Hotel W Verbier, Switzerland
Tara Bernerd & Partners (London): Thompson Chicago
Meyer Davis Studio (New York): Paramount Hotel, New York
Best Lobby Midscale/Budget/Focused Service
Universal Design Studio (London): Ace Hotel London Shoreditch
Daroff Design (Philadelphia): Universal’s Cabana Bay Beach Resort, Orlando, Fla.
Best Lobby Upscale
dash design (New York): The Lexington Hotel, New York
nemaworkshop (New York): W Mexico City
HBA/Hirsch Bedner Associates (Singapore): Grand Hyatt Hotel Shenyang, Liaoning, China
Best Nightclub/Lounge
YWS Design & Architecture (Las Vegas): Hakkasan, Las Vegas
Jeffrey Beers International (New York): Moon Club, Paradise Island, Bahamas
Ramsgard Architectural Design (Skaneateles, New York): The Gig, Verona, New York
Rockwell Group (New York): TAO Downtown, New York
Best Resort
BLINK Design Group (Singapore and regional offices): Regent Bali, Indonesia
YANG/Yangbangsheng & Associates Group (Shenzhen, China): Haitang Bay No. 9 Resort, Sanya, Hainan, China
Wilson Assoc. (Dallas): Sofitel Nusa Dua, Bali, Indonesia
Best Restaurant Casual Dining
AvroKO [New York]: General Assembly, New York
Rockwell Group (New York): Five50 Pizza Bar, Las Vegas
Aria Group Architects (Oak Park, Ill.): Nando’s Flame-Grilled Chicken, Toronto
Schoos Design (West Hollywood, Calif.): Puesto, San Diego, Calif.
Best Restaurant Fine Dining
Meyer Davis Studio (New York): St. Cecilia, Atlanta
Studio Mapos (New York): Sopra, New York
Meyer Davis Studio (New York): The Wayfarer, New York
Best Spa
HBA/Hirsch Bedner Associates (Singapore): Grand Hyatt Hotel Shenyang, Liaoning, China
Rockwell Group (New York): Awii Spa at Andaz Maui at Wailea, Hawaii
HBA/Hirsch Bedner Associates (Atlanta): Baku Flame Towers Fairmont Hotel, ESPA, Azerbaijan
Best Suite
HOK (New York): The Jewel Suite by Martin Katz, The New York Palace, New York
Robert Angell Design International (London): Lime Wood, Lyndhurst, New Forest, UK
TAL Studio (Las Vegas): Four Seasons Resort Lana’i at Manele Bay, Las Vegas
II by IV Design (Toronto): Crystal Serenity Penthouse, Crystal Cruises, Los Angeles
Best Timeshare/Fractional Ownership
Indidesign (Los Angeles): Hokulani Waikiki by Hilton Grand Vacations Club, Honolulu
Studio Gaia (New York): Ritz-Carlton Herzliya, Israel
Judges’ “So Cool” Award
Meg Sharpe Interior Designs (New York); Stonehill & Taylor Architects (New York): Diamond Horseshoe at the Paramount Hotel, New York
JOI-Design Interior Architects (Hamburg): Hotel-Kompetenz-Zentrum, Oberschleißheim, Germany
Stonehill & Taylor Architects (New York): The Nomad Hotel Rooftop Event Spaces, New York
Marriott Global Design Strategies (Bethesda, Md.): Marriott Hotels Design Strategy, Marriott International, Bethesda, Md.
Judges for the 2014 Gold Key Awards were:
Alan Philips, Chief Marketing Officer, Morgans Hotel Group
Dana Kalczak, Vice President of Design, Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts
Danette Opaczewski, Chief Operating Officer, Ian Schrager Co.
John D. McMullen, Senior Vice President of Construction, Highgate Hotels
Lora Spran, Interior Designer, Walt Disney Imagineering (WDI)–Interiors
R. Tyler Morse, Chief Executive Officer and Managing Partner, MCR Development
Ron Kollar, Chief Design Officer, Tishman Hotel & Realty LP
Serena Rakhlin, Vice President, Hotel Development and Acquisitions, Americas, Trump Hotel Collection
Trisha Wilson, Chairman, Trisha Wilson Global
Finalists were selected based on excellence in: concept, execution, innovation and “wow factor.”
The 34th Gold Key Awards coincide with the fifth annual Boutique Design New York (BDNY) trade fair, serving hospitality design professionals, and the 99th IHMRS, held concurrently at New York’s Jacob K. Javits Convention Center.
Tickets for the Gold Key Awards Gala (cocktail reception and dinner) are available now for $375 and can be purchased as part of IHMRS/BDNY trade fair registration or as an event ticket only. More Gold Key information is available at bdny.com and ihmrs.com.
ABOUT IHMRS
The 99th annual International Hotel, Motel + Restaurant Show will run Nov. 8-11, 2014, at New York City’s Jacob K. Javits Center. Following a full day of conference and networking activities on Saturday, Nov. 8, IHMRS will feature three full days of exhibits from Sunday, Nov. 9, through Tuesday, Nov. 11. The market will present 650 exhibitors and attract more than 16,000 industry professionals.
IHMRS is sponsored by the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AH&LA); the Hotel Association of New York City, Inc. (HANYC); and the New York State Hospitality & Tourism Association (NYSH&TA), and is managed by Hospitality Media Group (HMG).
Additional IHMRS 2014 information is available online, at ihmrs.com.
