CINCINNATI—Finalists have been announced for the 39th annual Gold Key Awards for Excellence in Hospitality Design, the industry’s oldest and most prestigious awards program for hospitality interiors, sponsored by Boutique Design magazine. The 2019 Gold Key judges selected these standout projects from a highly competitive field of more than 430 submissions from design firms around the world.
Winners in 23 categories, as well as the Judges’ So Cool award winner and the Designer of the Year, will be honored at the Gold Key Awards Gala to be held November 11 at Cipriani Midtown in Manhattan. The gala is presented in conjunction with co-located trade fairs Boutique Design New York (BDNY) and HX: The Hotel Experience, November 10 to 11, at New York City’s Jacob K. Javits Convention Center. Both winners and finalists will be profiled in the December issue of Boutique Design.
The Gold Key Awards program recognizes the most influential and innovative design work in the international hospitality industry. To be eligible, new construction, conversion or renovation projects must have been completed from July 1, 2018 to July 1, 2019. Finalists and winners are determined by a jury of industry leaders from the operations, development and investment sectors of hospitality.
Finalists for Best Eco or Socially Conscious Hotel
Design Firm: AvroKO, New York
Project: Eaton Hong Kong
Client: The Great Eagle Group, Hong Kong;
Purchasing Firm: The Great Eagle Group, Hong Kong
Design Firm: Hirsch Bedner Associates (HBA), Singapore
Project: Fairmont Maldives Sirru Fen Fushi, Shaviyani Atoll, Republic of Maldives
Clients: SC Capital, Singapore;
Architect: SCSY Studio, Singapore;
Purchasing Firm: Cairncross Martin Co. Ltd., Bangkok
Design Firm: Looney & Associates, Dallas
Project: The Lodge at Gulf State Park, a Hilton Hotel, Gulf Shores, Alabama
Clients: State of Alabama and Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources by and through the University of Alabama Center for Economic Development, Tuscaloosa, Alabama;
Architect: Lake Flato, San Antonio, Texas (design architect); Rabun Architects, Atlanta (architect of record);
Purchasing Firm: Bray Whaler International, Centennial, Colorado
Judges for the 39th Gold Key Awards
- Andrew Alford, Chief Creative Officer, Graduate Hotels;
- Mary Beth Cutshall, Senior Vice President and Chief Business Development Officer, Hospitality Ventures Management Group; Managing Partner, Amara Capital
- Gary Dollens, Global Head Design/Product & Brand Development, Hyatt Hotels Corp.
- Michael Doneff, Chief Marketing Officer, ThinkFoodGroup
- Verena Haller, Chief Design Officer, The Standard Hotels
- Carl Hren, Senior Vice President of Development, Concord Hospitality Enterprises
- Aliya Khan, Vice President, Global Design Strategies, Marriott International
- Damon Lawrence, Cofounder, Homage Hospitality
- Michael Medzigian, Chairman and Managing Partner, Watermark Capital Partners, LLC
- Mitch Patel, President and CEO, Vision Hospitality Group
- Thomas Prins, Principal, TQP Capital Partners, LLC
- Scott Rosenberg, President, Jonathan Nehmer + Associates
- Jay Stein, CEO, Dream Hotel Group
- Larry Traxler, Senior Vice President Global Design, Hilton
- Simon Turner, Managing Member, Alpha Lodging Partners, LLC
- Gary Womack, Managing Principal, Acumen Development Partners
