Boutique Design - December 2017 - 6

By MARy SCoVIAk, ExECuTIVE EDIToR

mASTerS OF reALITY
THIS yEAR'S juDGING for the 37th annual Gold Key
Awards for Excellence Hospitality Design felt more like
a dinner party with friends than a jackets-on, iPads-atthe-ready work session. The 13 industry experts who
came together in New York last August to assess the
nearly 400 submissions clearly showed up to do more
than check boxes on ballots. They had a lot to say about
the good, the bad and meh of design, and the projects
under scrutiny provided the perfect stepping off point
for that conversation.
If there was one thing that stood out, it's that true
excellence is as much about the "how" as the wow.
As always, bad photography, derivative concepts or
just plain sloppiness (as in including lounge shots in a
submission for a best guest room category) knocked
some hopefuls out of the running. But it was the projects that failed to demonstrate mastery of design
fundamentals that ranked as the biggest losers. Judges
bemoaned interiors that "were just lined up like an
IKEA store," had an "Alice in Wonderland" effect from
FF&E not scaled to fit the spatial volume or completely
missed the mark on sightlines ( from "Where am I
supposed to look?" to "Too bright. I need sunglasses to
navigate the layout!").
Although their filters for aesthetics and concepts
were diverse, they had a shared passion for successful
design R&D. Beauty without brains was a complete
non-starter. What got these judges to champion a
project were clever ideas such easy, under-bed storage
solutions, a bedside sconce with an arm the guest could
adjust to the perfect angle or a witty carpet pattern
whose lines doubled as subliminal wayfinding indicators. They also appreciated big-statement innovation,
whether finding ways to make the numbers work for a
conversion/adaptive reuse that determinedly moved
forward in Detroit as the city was declaring bankruptcy
or a New York newbuild that involved people who live
and work nearby to ensure that the hotel would go
beyond looking local and put down roots as valued
"resident" of the community.
The bottom line is that great design isn't just about
what's on view. It's about how spaces smell (obvious
fragrances got hammered); how they sound and how

6

boutiquedesign.com december 2017

they feel and function. It also requires connection-
with the client's vision, the guest's expectations and the
neighborhood's vibe. Whether trend-setting or timeless,
the winning projects detailed in the feature that starts
on page 20 prove that great ideas have to be backed up
with great execution.
Thanks to the 2017 Gold Key judges for that valuable
lesson:
* Maki Bara, president & co-founder, The Chartres
Lodging Group LLC
* Gary Dollens, global head design/product & brand
development, Hyatt Hotels Corp.
* Timothy Griffin, director of North America, The
Hoxton & Ennismore
* Nigel Hatcher, vice president, design & project
management, luxury brands, Marriott Intl.
* Diana Kessler, creative director, Kessler Collection
Design Studio
* Guy Lindsey, senior vice president, design &
construction, Park Hotels & Resorts
* Michael Medzigian, chairman and managing
partner, Watermark Capital Partners, LLC
* Jonathan Nehmer, chairman and founder, Jonathan
Nehmer + Associates, Inc.
* Jay Pecotte, senior director project development,
hotels & casinos - Americas, Hard Rock Intl.
* Sangeetha Ramkumar, global design director,
InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG)
* Jeanne Starling, director of design development,
MGM Resorts Design & Development
* Larry Traxler, senior vice president - global design,
Hilton
* Thomas Trout, vice president, architecture and
design, Dream Hotel Group LLC

EDITORIAL
Executive Editor
mary Scoviak
mary.scoviak@stmediagroup.com
Editor
matthew Hall
matthew.hall@stmediagroup.com
Art Director
Kelly Farrar
kelly.farrar@stmediagroup.com
Senior Editor
christina Green
christina.green@stmediagroup.com
Assistant Editor
Sarah chaplin
sarah.chaplin@stmediagroup.com
Contributing Editor
Oriana Lerner
oriana.lerner@stmediagroup.com
Editorial Intern
elizabeth duccilli
liz.duccilli@stmediagroup.com

SALES
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(212) 404-6936
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CORPORATE
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Tedd Swormstedt
Senior VP, Boutique Design Group,
ST Media Group
President, Hospitality Media Group
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mark Kissling
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Boutique Design - December 2017

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