2016 GOLD K E Y AWAR DS BEST HOTEL LUXURY "FIVE STARS ACROSS THE BOARD" -JAGRUTI PANWALA WINNER WANDA REIGN HOTEL CHENGDU CHINA Wanda Hotel Design Institute (Wanda HDI), Beijing INSPIRATION Take the process of fusing luxe and local in hotel design to a whole new level. "This hotel acts as a cultural carrier, recording and presenting the most exceptional aspects of life in Chengdu," says Jeff Ning, senior vice president, Dalian Wanda Commercial Properties and leader of the design team at Wanda HDI. "It could even be called a museum-style hotel, since it seeks to fully document the city and its charms." IDEATION 98 The design team said it purposefully sought to break away from boutiquedesign.com DECEMBER 2016 the convention within much of the Chinese hotel industry of churning out copies of Western design styles. "Local elements blend seamlessly with traditional craftsmanship and art to emerge as a unique tribute to the union of Chinese and Western cultures in a luxurious setting," says Ning. INNOVATION A lobby that doubles as a time machine. "Guests entering the sky lobby on the hotel's 41st floor can walk across that space and encounter large French windows that offer a jaw-dropping view of the surrounding city in all its vitality," says Ning. "But when they look back into the space, they see a giant jade hand-carved mural depicting the city's landscape as it was long ago. WEIMIN CAI DESIGNERhttp://www.boutiquedesign.com