2017 Gold Key Finalists Unveiled

Finalists have been announced for HX: The Hotel Experience’s 37th annual Gold Key Awards for Excellence in Hospitality Design, the industry’s oldest and most prestigious awards program, which is sponsored by Boutique Design magazine.

Photo above: Finalists in the 2017 Gold Key Awards for Excellence in Hospitality Design include the 1 Hotel Brooklyn Bridge. Photo: Courtesy of 1 Hotels

Winners in 21 categories will be announced at the Gold Key Awards Gala, to be held Nov. 13 at Gotham Hall, New York. The Designer of the Year will also be honored during this special evening. The gala is presented in conjunction with co-located trade fairs Boutique Design New York (BDNY) and HX: The Hotel Experience (formerly IHMRS), Nov. 12-13, at New York City’s Jacob K. Javits Convention Center.

Finalists for the 2017 Gold Key Awards for Excellence in Hospitality Design include:

BEST ECO CONSCIOUS OR SOCIALLY CONSCIOUS HOTEL

• INC Architecture & Design, New York; Marvel Architects, New York; 1 Hotel Brooklyn Bridge, New York
  Client: SH Group, New York
   
• Soneva, Bangkok; Habita Architects, Bangkok; Soneva Jani, Noonu Atoll, Maldives
  Client: Soneva, Bangkok
   

BEST LOBBY BUDGET/FOCUSED SERVICE

• DesignAgency, Toronto; Generator Rome
  Client: Generator Hostels, London
   
• Dialogue 38, Toronto; Walper Hotel, Kitchener, Ontario, Canada
  Client: Perimeter Development Corp., Kitchener, Ontario, Canada
   
• TruexCullins Architecture + Interior Design, Burlington, Vermont; Mountain Modern Motel, Jackson, Wyoming
  Clients: Crystal Creek Capital, Jackson Hole, Wyoming (owner); Yarrow Group (operator), Jackson Hotel, Wyoming
   
• Spacedge Designs, Singapore; Hotel Mono, Singapore
  Client: Eighteen M Pte Ltd., Singapore
   

BEST LOBBY MIDSCALE

• Anda Andrei Design LLC, New York; Bonetti Kozerski Studio, New York; Stonehill & Taylor, New York; The Asbury Hotel, New Jersey
  Clients: iStar, New York (owner); Salt Hotels LLC, Asbury Park (operator)
   
• Arcsine, Oakland, California; Dream Inn, Santa Cruz, California
  Clients: Ensemble Real Estate Solutions and Investments, Long Beach, California (owner); Woodside Hotels, Menlo Park, California (operator)
   
• Stonehill & Taylor, New York; MOXY New Orleans
  Client: Noble Investment Group, Atlanta (owner)
   
• Travis Walton Architecture, South Yarra, Victoria, Australia; Tribe Hotel- Perth, West Perth, Australia
  Client: Tribe Hotel Group, Perth, Australia
   

BEST LOBBY UPSCALE

• Beleco, Los Angeles; Gensler, Morristown, New Jersey; Kimpton Gray Hotel, Chicago
  Clients: KHP Capital Partners, San Francisco (owner); Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants (operator)
   
• Bill Rooney Studio, Inc., New York; St. Gregory Hotel, Independent Collection, Washington, D.C.
  Client: Hersha Hospitality Trust, Philadelphia
   
• JOHNSON NATHAN STROHE, Denver; The Perry Key West, Florida
  Clients: SIMV Hotel 1, LLC. (owner), Coral Gables, Florida; Hostmark Hospitality (operator), Schaumburg, Illinois
   
• Simeone Deary Design Group, Chicago; Detroit Foundation Hotel
  Client: Aparium Hotel Group, Chicago
   

BEST LOBBY LUXURY

• Hirsch Bedner Associates (HBA) Pte Ltd., Singapore; Four Seasons Hotel Kyoto
  Client: Berjaya Land Berhad, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
   
• Martin Brudnizki Design Studio, New York; The Beekman, New York
  Clients: GFI Development Co., New York (owner); Thompson Hotels, New York (operator)
   
• Wilson Associates, Dallas; Fairmont Quasar Istanbul
  Client: Fairmont ​Hotels & Resorts, Toronto
   

BEST GUEST ROOM BUDGET/FOCUSED SERVICE

• Dubbeldam Architecture + Design, Toronto; Jill Greaves Design Inc.; Walper Hotel, Kitchener, Ontario, Canada
  Client: Perimeter Development Corp., Kitchener, Ontario, Canada
   
• TruexCullins Architecture + Interior Design, Burlington, Vermont; Mountain Modern Motel, Jackson, Wyoming
  Clients: Crystal Creek Capital, Jackson Hole, Wyoming (owner); Yarrow Group (operator), Jackson Hole, Wyoming
   
• Spacedge Designs, Singapore; Hotel Mono, Singapore
  Client: Eighteen M Pte Ltd., Singapore
   

BEST GUEST ROOM MIDSCALE

• Anda Andrei Design LLC, New York; Bonetti Kozerski Studio, New York; Stonehill & Taylor, New York; The Asbury Hotel, New Jersey
  Clients: iStar, New York (owner); Salt Hotels LLC, Asbury Park (operator)
   
• JN+A/HVS Design, Rockville, Maryland; Hotel Zero Degrees Danbury, Connecticut
  Clients: RMS Companies, Stamford, Connecticut (owner/operator); Greenwich Hospitality Group, Greenwich, Connecticut (operator)
   
• Travis Walton Architecture, South Yarra, Victoria, Australia; Tribe Hotel- Perth, West Perth, Australia
  Client: Tribe Hotel Group, Perth, Australia
   

BEST GUEST ROOM UPSCALE

• DESIGN360unlimited, Santa Monica, California; Hyatt Centric Waikiki Beach, Honolulu
  Client: The Chartres Lodging Group/Kokua Hospitality, San Francisco, California
   
• Michaelis Boyd Associates, London; The Principal Manchester, England
  Client: Starwood Capital Group, Greenwich, Connecticut (owner); Principal Hotel Company, Harrogate, North Yorkshire, England (operator)
   
• Rockwell Group, New York; EMC2, Autograph Collection, Chicago
  Client: SMASHotels, Lincolnshire, Illinois
   
• Simeone Deary Design Group, Chicago; Detroit Foundation Hotel
  Client: Aparium Hotel Group, Chicago
   
• Wimberly Interiors, New York; Hotel 50 Bowery, a Joie de Vivre Hotel, New York
  Client: Two Roads Hospitality, New York
   

BEST GUEST ROOM LUXURY

• Champalimaud, New York; Four Seasons Jakarta
  Client: Four Seasons Jakarta
   
• Hirsch Bedner Associates (HBA) Pte Ltd., Singapore; Four Seasons Hotel Kyoto
  Client: Berjaya Land Berhad, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
   
• INC Architecture & Design, New York; 1 Hotel Brooklyn Bridge, New York
  Client: SH Group, New York
   
• Universal Design Studio, London; At Six, Stockholm
  Client: Nordic PM, Naska, Sweden
   

BEST SUITE

• II BY IV DESIGN, Toronto; Crystal Mozart, Los Angeles
  Client: Genting Hong Kong (owner); Crystal Cruises, Los Angeles (operator)
   
• Busta Studio, Tappan, New York; W South Beach, Miami Beach, Florida
  Client: Tristar Capital, Los Angeles
   
• Hirsch Bedner Associates (HBA) Pte Ltd., Singapore; Four Seasons Hotel Kyoto
  Client: Berjaya Land Berhad, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
   

BEST NIGHTCLUB/LOUNGE

• blocHaus, Chicago; Apogee Lounge at Dana Hotel & Spa, Chicago
  Client: ACME Hotel Company/Rebel Hospitality, Chicago
   
• FFD Inc., Miami, Florida; Ora Nightclub, Miami Beach, Florida
  Client: Ora Hospitality, Miami
   
• Rockwell Group, New York; Avenue at Dream Hollywood, Los Angeles
  Client: Dream Hotel Group, New York
   
• Rockwell Group, New York; Nightingale Plaza, West Hollywood, California
  Client: sbe, Los Angeles
   
• Studio Munge, Toronto; Rebel, Toronto
  Client: INK Entertainment, Toronto
   

BEST EMERGING HOTEL CONCEPT

• Quadrum Global, New York; Arlo Hotels, New York
  Designer for inaugural property: AvroKO, New York
   
• Hilton, McLean, Virginia; TRU by Hilton, McLean, Virginia
  Designer for inaugural property: FRCH Design Worldwide, Cincinnati, Ohio
   
• Tribe Hotel Group; Tribe Hotels, West Perth, Australia
  Designer for inaugural property: Travis Walton Architecture, South Yarra, Victoria, Australia

BEST RESORT

• Paulina Morán Design, Cancún, Mexico, Jorge Borja / Grupo BV, Cancún, Mexico; Chablé, Chocholá, Mexico
  Clients: Consorcio Altavista S.A. de C.V., Mexico City (owner); Hamak Hotels, Cancún (operator)
   
• Avenue Interior Design, Los Angeles; SUBU Design Architecture, Los Angeles; La Serena Villas, Palm Springs, California
  Client: Lars Viklund and Kelly Viklund, Manhattan Beach, California
   
• EDG Interior Architecture + Design, Novato, California; Delawie, San Diego, California; Andaz Scottsdale, Arizona
  Client: Chelsea Hospitality Partners LLC, San Diego, California
   

BEST RESTAURANT CASUAL DINING

• BCV Architects, San Francisco, California; Elite Café, San Francisco, California
  Client: Sidecar Hospitality, San Francisco, California
   
• Bergmeyer Associates, Inc., Boston; Ruka Restobar at The Godfrey Hotel, Boston
  Client: COJE Management Group, Corp., North Reading, Massachusetts
   
• Conran and Partners, London; Rüya at the Grosvenor House Hotel, Dubai
  Clients: Umut Özkanca, Istanbul (owner); d.ream Group, Istanbul (operator)
   
• EoA, Inc., Coral Gables, Florida; Bird & Bone at The Confidante Miami Beach, Florida
  Clients: Geolo Capital, San Francisco, California (owner); The Confidante Miami Beach, Florida (operator)
   

BEST RESTAURANT FINE DINING

• AvroKO, New York; SingleThread at SingleThread Farms, Healdsburg, California
  Client: UPVentures LLC, New York
   
• Dawson Design Associates, Seattle; Dirty Habit at Kimpton Hotel Monaco Washington D.C.
  Client: Pebblebrook Hotel Trust, Bethesda, Maryland
   
• Parts and Labor Design, New York; Steadfast at Kimpton Gray Hotel, Chicago
  Clients: KHP Capital Partners, San Francisco, California (owner); The Fifty/50 Restaurant Group, Chicago (operator)
   
• Rockwell Group, New York; The Albert at EMC2, Autograph Collection, Chicago
  Client: SMASHotels, Lincolnshire, Illinois
   
• Steve Hermann Design, Montecito, California; Somerset, Santa Barbara, California
  Client: Somerset, Santa Barbara, California
   

BEST SPECIALTY DESIGN

• Stonehill & Taylor, New York; Ooh-La-La!, New York
  Client: HMG LLC, Cincinnati, Ohio
   
• Studio Munge, Toronto; The Vale Garden Residence at The William Vale, New York
  Client: Espresso Hospitality Group, New York
   
• +tongtong Inc., Toronto; The Drake Commissary at The Drake Hotel, Toronto
  Client: Drake Hotel Properties, Toronto
   
• Virserius Studio, New York/Paris; The Experience Floor at Hotel BLOOM!, Brussels
  Client: Pandox Hotels, Stockholm
   

JUDGES’ SO COOL

• Clodagh Design, New York; Public Restroom at EAST, Miami
  Client: Swire Hotels, Hong Kong
   
• ESG Architecture & Design, Minneapolis; Renaissance Marriott Minneapolis--The Depot, Minnesota
  Client: CSM Corp., Minneapolis, Minnesota
   
• J. Banks Design, Hilton Head, South Carolina; 4240, Denver; Lake Flato, San Antonio, Texas; Moreland Village, Bluffton, South Carolina
  Client: Montage Hotels & Resorts, Laguna Beach, California
   
• Muza Lab, London; Palacio Arquitectos, Lima, Peru; Belmond Andean Explorer, Cuzco, Peru
  Client: Belmond Ltd., London
   

BEST HOTEL BUDGET/FOCUSED SERVICE

• DesignAgency, Toronto; Generator Rome
  Client: Generator Hostels, London
   
• Dubbeldam Architecture + Design, Toronto; Jill Greaves Design Inc., Toronto; Dialogue 38, Toronto; Walper Hotel, Kitchener, Ontario, Canada
  Client: Perimeter Development Corp., Kitchener, Ontario, Canada
   
• Studio HBA (Hirsch Bedner Associates) Santa Monica, California; Gwynne Pugh Urban Studio, Santa Monica, California; AXIS/GFA Architecture + Design, Los Angeles; Hampton Inn & Suites Santa Monica, California
  Client: OTO Development, Spartanburg, South Carolina
   
• Spacedge Designs, Singapore; Hotel Mono, Singapore
  Client: Eighteen M Pte Ltd., Singapore
   

BEST HOTEL MIDSCALE

• Bunkhouse Group, Austin; Lake | Flato Architects, San Antonio, Texas; Hotel San Cristóbal Baja, Todos Santos, Baja California Sur, Mexico
  Client: Mira Companies

• concrete, Amsterdam; Sheppard Robson, London (in collaboration with concrete); citizenM Tower of London
  Client: citizenM, Amsterdam
   
• KKAD, Chester, New Jersey; Hotel Phillips Kansas City, Curio Collection by Hilton, Missouri
  Client: Arbor Lodging Partners, Chicago
   
• Aparium Hotel Group, Chicago; Plume, Cincinnati; Hotel Covington, Kentucky
  Clients: The Salyers Group, Covington, Kentucky (owner); Aparium Hotel Group, Chicago (operator)
   
• SERA Architects, Portland; AC Hotel Portland Downtown, Oregon
  Clients: McWhinney, Denver (owner); Sage Hospitality, Denver (owner/operator)

BEST HOTEL UPSCALE

• Beleco, Los Angeles; Gensler, Morristown, New Jersey; Kimpton Gray Hotel, Chicago
  Clients: KHP Capital Partners, San Francisco (owner); Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants (operator)
   
• Michaelis Boyd Associates, London; 3DReid, Manchester, England; The Principal Manchester, England
  Clients: Starwood Capital Group, Greenwich, Connecticut (owner); Principal Hotel Company, Harrogate, North Yorkshire, England (operator)
   
• Rockwell Group, New York; Killefer Flammang Architects, Los Angeles; Dream Hollywood, Los Angeles
  Client: Dream Hotel Group, New York
   
• Simeone Deary Design Group, Chicago; McIntosh Poris Associates, Detroit; Detroit Foundation Hotel
  Client: Aparium Hotel Group, Chicago
   

BEST HOTEL LUXURY

• Hirsch Bedner Associates (HBA) Pte Ltd., Singapore; Kume Sekkei, Hanoi/Tokyo; Four Seasons Hotel Kyoto
  Client: Berjaya Land Berhad, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
   
• Kobi Karp Architecture & Interior Design, Inc., Miami; Richard Meier & Partners Architects LLP, New York; Joseph Dirand, Paris; Four Seasons Hotel at The Surf Club, Surfside, Florida
  Client: Fort Partners, Fort Lauderdale, Florida
   
• Patrick Sutton, Baltimore, Maryland; Beatty Harvey Coco, Baltimore, Maryland; Sagamore Pendry, Baltimore, Maryland
  Client: Sagamore Development, Baltimore, Maryland

Additional project details can be found on http://www.bdny.com/goldkey.

The Gold Key Awards program recognizes 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 May 1, 2016 to July 6, 2017. Finalists and winners are determined by a jury of industry leaders from the design, operations, development and investment sectors of hospitality.

Judges for this year’s Gold Key Awards include: Maki Bara, The Chartres Lodging Group, LLC; Gary Dollens, Hyatt Hotels Corp.; Timothy Griffin, The Hoxton & Ennismore; Nigel Hatcher, Marriott Intl.; Diana Kessler, Kessler Collection Design Studio; Guy Lindsey, Park Hotels & Resorts; Michael Medzigian, Watermark Capital Partners, LLC; Jonathan Nehmer, Jonathan Nehmer + Associates, Inc.; Jay Pecotte, Hard Rock Intl.; Sangeetha Ramkumar, InterContinental Hotels Group; Jeanne Lynne Starling, MGM Resorts Intl. – Design; Larry Traxler, Hilton; Thomas Trout, Dream Hotel Group, LLC.

“Each of the nearly 400 submissions entered in the 2017 Gold Key Awards for Excellence in Hospitality had something unique and thought-provoking to say about what makes for a great guest experience,” said Mary Scoviak, executive editor, Boutique Design. “That led to a great discussion by this year’s expert judges about how much that’s raising the bar in all sectors of hospitality design. The best-in-class work they voted to showcase in this year’s list of finalists demonstrates that any style, any concept, and any project can be a game changer.”