WHITE PLAINS, NY, November 12, 2012…The International Hotel, Motel + Restaurant Show® (IHMRS) announced Grand Prize Winners of the 32nd annual Gold Key Awards for Excellence in Hospitality Design this morning.  Nearly 200 projects in 23 countries were considered for these coveted awards, which celebrate the design firms behind the most innovative hospitality properties completed or renovated within the past 18 months.


Winners were revealed at a breakfast ceremony at the Mandarin Oriental New York.  The Gold Key Awards are sponsored by Hospitality Style and HOTELS magazines and coincide with the 97th annual IHMRS, running through Tuesday, November 13 at New York City’s Jacob K. Javits Convention Center.

The 32nd annual Gold Key Awards winners are:

Guest Room
Architropolis/ELK Collective (Portland, OR) for Dream Hotel South Beach (Miami Beach, FL)

Guest Room – Midscale/Upscale
BBGM (New York, NY) for Melia Atlanta (Atlanta,  NY)

Lobby/Reception
One Plus Partnership Limited (Hong Kong) for Chongqing Mountain & City (Chongqing, China)

Lounge/Bar
Rockwell Group Europe (New York, NY) for W Lounge at W Paris - Opera (Paris, France)

Restaurants – Casual Dining
Studio Arthur Casas (New York, NY) for Alma Maria (Sao Paulo, Brazil)

Restaurants – Fine Dining
Bentel & Bentel Architects (Locust Valley, NY) for Le Bernardin (New York, NY)

Spa
Clodagh Design (New York, NY) for Miraval Life in Balance Spa with Clarins (Tucson, AZ)

Suite
CCD/Cheng Chung Design Ltd. (Hong Kong) for Lijiang Pullman Resort & Spa Hotel (China)

Best Hotel Design – Resort
Rottet Studio (Houston, TX) for The St. Regis Aspen Resort (Aspen, CO)

Best Hotel Design – Boutique
Rockwell Group Europe (New York, NY) for W Paris - Opera (Paris, France)

Best Hotel Design – Midscale/Upscale
Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group and Graven Images (Chicago, IL) for Radisson Blu Aqua Hotel (Chicago, IL)

Best Historic Renovation
HBA/Hirsch Bedner Associates (London, England) for Hotel Alfonso XIII (Seville, Spain)

Judges "So Cool" Recognition
Jordi Puig (Peru) for M/V Aria (Peru)
One Plus Partnership Limited (Hong Kong) for Aix Arome Café (Shenzhen, China)

Countries and territories represented among the 200 submissions were Bahamas, Brazil, Canada, China, Dominican Republic, France, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Italy, Malawi, Mauritius, Panama, Peru, Qatar, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, Thailand, Turkey, UAE, United Kingdom, and the United States.

Judges for the 2012 Gold Key Awards were Ed Bakos, Principal, The Rockwell Group; Ted Brumleve, Vice President of Architecture and Technical Services, Virgin Hotels; Ron Kollar, Chief Design Officer, Tishman; and George Scammell, Vice President Global Design, Wyndham.  Finalists were selected based on aesthetic appeal, practicality and functionality of design.

Highlighting the breakfast ceremony, Gold Key sponsors Hospitality Style and HOTELS magazines presented the 2012 Designer of the Year distinction to Pierre-Yves Rochon.  The 2011 opening of the Four Seasons London at Park Lane shows once again why Pierre-Yves Rochon is the master of modern luxury hotel design.  Since 1979, this Paris-based firm has mixed elements from the past, present and future into a fresh definition of the 5-star experience.

In addition, NEWH, Inc., the Hospitality Industry Network, presented its 8th annual Icon of Industry Award to Kohler Company President and Chairman Herbert V. Kohler, Jr.  A $5,000 scholarship in Herbert’s name was awarded to Stacey Sefcik, a student currently enrolled at the Savannah College of Art and Design.

The 97th annual International Hotel, Motel + Restaurant Show runs through Tuesday, November 13, 2012, at New York City’s Jacob K. Javits Convention Center.  Following a full-day of conference and networking activities on Saturday, November 10, the IHMRS features three full days of exhibits from Sunday, November 11, through Tuesday, November 13.  The market presents nearly 700 exhibitors and attracts some 25,000 industry professionals.  It is co-located with Boutique Design New York (BDNY), featuring 250 manufacturers, designers and representatives of furniture, lighting, wall coverings, fabric, seating, accessories, artwork, carpet and flooring, materials, bath and spa, and tabletop.  BDNY runs through 4pm, Monday, November 12.

IHMRS is sponsored by the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AH&LA), the Hotel Association of New York City, Inc. (HANYC), and the New York State Hospitality & Tourism Association (NYSH&TA), and is managed by GLM.

For attendee information, contact GLM Customer Relations at (800) 272-SHOW, or by email, at [email protected].   Additional information is available online, at www.ihmrs.com.