Boutique Design - December 2019 - 6

2019 GOLD KEY JUDGES

ANDREW
ALFORD
ANDREW
ALFORD
CREATIVE

MARY BETH
CUTSHALL
HOSPITALITY
VENTURES
MANAGEMENT
GROUP; AMARA
CAPITAL

GARY DOLLENS
HYATT
HOTELS CORP.

MICHAEL
DONEFF
THINKFOOD
GROUP

VERENA
HALLER
THE STANDARD
HOTELS

CARL HREN
CONCORD
HOSPITALITY
ENTERPRISES

ALIYA KHAN
MARRIOTT
INTERNATIONAL

DAMON
LAWRENCE
HOMAGE
HOSPITALITY

MICHAEL
MEDZIGIAN
WATERMARK
CAPITAL
PARTNERS, LLC

MITCH PATEL
VISION
HOSPITALITY
GROUP

THOMAS PRINS
TQP CAPITAL
PARTNERS, LLC

SCOTT
ROSENBERG
JN+A/HVS
DESIGN

JAY STEIN
DREAM HOTEL
GROUP

LARRY
TRAXLER
HILTON

SIMON TURNER
ALPHA LODGING
PARTNERS, LLC

KINGPIN SUITE, PALMS CASINO RESORT, LAS VEGAS, DESIGNED BY ROCKWELL GROUP

2019 GOLD KEY AWARDS

SOCIAL CIRCLES
HOTELS ARE CHANGING the ways people interact.
They're more than beds and breakfasts. They're basically
lifestyle neighborhoods that go beyond the expected
"connecting guests and locals" marketing pitch to
providing spaces for musicians to practice (and perform);
a VIP culinary experience where star chefs and patrons
cook together; or a resort workshop where travelers and
area athletes can fix their bikes. Need a sweat sesh?
Connected guestrooms with their own private lounge for
groups or families? A patio, firepit or "backyard" party
place? A pop-up meeting room? Sure, no problem.
It's up to designers to magic up solutions that elevate
hotels into aspirational hubs for real-world connections
and escapist fantasies. The nearly 450 projects entered in
this year's Gold Key Awards for Excellence in Hospitality
Design competition showcased just how much "wand
power" studios around the world are wielding to bring
people together. To be considered, work had to be
completed from July 1, 2018 to July 1, 2019. The 16 judges
6

boutiquedesign.com DECEMBER 2019

for the 39th annual competition evaluated the entries on
concept, innovation, execution and the "wow" factor
before selecting the finalists and winners profiled in this
special report.
Since all projects are submitted anonymously and
judges recuse themselves if they have an interest in a
project, their decisions are all about the work, not the
mythos. So, expect to see some giants, start-ups, big
brands and tiny cafes. Formal is fine-so is crayon-bright
playfulness. Texture is a superstar, as in high-touch velvet,
artisanal woven fabrics and lots of curved surfaces (especially metallic or illuminated options). The one thing the
best-in-class projects all share: design that is warm,
embraces functionally driven forms and is, above all, very
human. "Cold" was synonymous with "next."
Read on to see how the design world is promoting
the hospitality industry's social influence.
By Mary Scoviak, Oriana Lerner, AnnMarie Martin,
Alicia Hoisington and Amanda McCorquodale

GARY
WOMACK
ACUMEN
DEVELOPMENT
PARTNERS

NIKOLAS KOENIG (KINGPIN SUITE);
COURTESY OF ANDREW ALFORD
CREATIVE (ALFORD); COURTESY OF
HOSPITALITY VENTURES MANAGEMENT GROUP (CUTSHALL); COURTESY OF HYATT HOTELS (DOLLENS);
COURTESY THINKFOODGROUP
(DONEFF); COURTESY OF THE STANDARD HOTELS (HALLER); COURTESY OF CONCORD HOSPITALITY
(HREN); COURTESY OF MARRIOTT
INTERNATIONAL (KHAN); TOMMII
MICHELLE (LAWRENCE); COURTESY
OF WATERMARK CAPITAL PARTNERS
(MEDZIGIAN); COURTESY OF VISION
HOSPITALITY GROUP (PATEL); COURTESY OF TQP CAPITAL PARTNERS
(PRINS); COURTESY OF JN+A/HVS
DESIGN (ROSENBERG); COURTESY
OF DREAM HOTEL GROUP (STEIN);
COURTESY OF HILTON (TRAXLER);
COURTESY OF ALPHA LODGING
PARTNERS (TURNER); COURTESY OF
ACUMEN DEVELOPMENT PARTNERS
(WOMACK)
http://www.boutiquedesign.com
Boutique Design - December 2019

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