AHEAD AMERICAS
AHEAD Americas revealed the region’s best new hospitality projects on 10 June, as part of an online ceremony held in association with Global Founder Sponsor Grohe. Taking the form of a four-part ceremony broadcast throughout the day, featuring the reveal of winners along with a series of headto-head conversation pieces between judges, the programme recognised outstanding experiences and designs across 14 categories including those for Resort, Restaurant, Conversion and the prestigious AHEAD Americas Hotel of the Year accolade. Santa Monica Proper Hotel was this year’s big winner, taking home the Hotel of the Year prize as well as the Guestroom and Lobby & Public Spaces trophies. “Every furnishing is a piece of art – it is truly out of the ordinary,” commented one judge on the Kelly Wearstler-designed property.
Elsewhere, Hawaii’s Mauna Lani – part of a US$100 million revitalisation project – was triumphant in the Renovation & Restoration category; the charming 16key Menhaden – a riverside boutique in Greenport – was named best Newbuild; and Grupo Habita’s Escondido Oaxaca – a reimagined 19th century Mexican residence fused with an adjacent brutalist tower – beat of stiff competition in the Conversion category, with judges praising the project’s “simplicity and warmth”, proclaiming it “a breath of fresh air for the hospitality world”. All four sections of the AHEAD Americas 2020 ceremony are available to watch online, where you can view the head-to-head panels in full, and hear what judges thought about the wider shortlist, the trends that defined the year, and what the hospitality industry might look like in a post-Covid world.
www.aheadawards.com
