This award is exclusively for interior designers. Although we recognize the contributions of all members of the design team in creating award-winning projects, the Gold Key Award for Excellence in Hospitality Design is given only to the interior design firm(s) that worked on the project. We will recognize the names of the other firms such as additional interior designers and architects in the copy PROVIDED THAT the interior design firm submitting the entry lists them on the form.
All entries must provide a complete supplier list, detailed client information and photo release form if selected as a finalist. Submission MUST list ALL interior design firms who had a role in the project.
Please make sure the photography is relevant to the specific category. As an example, when submitting for a guestroom category, do not include public spaces, suites, function spaces, etc. Only the full hotel categories should include photos of the entire hotel, both interiors and exteriors. NOTE: Best Hotel Luxury, Upscale, Midscale, and Budget/Select Service categories must include photographs of the exterior, public spaces including the reception, lobby/gathering spaces, and food and beverage outlets (if applicable) as well as the guestrooms/suites. Shots of spas, function spaces and specialty areas such as nightclubs and outdoor function spaces are also highly encouraged.
Please make sure the entry fits the category. The judges reserve the right to change categories for a submission; the submitter will be notified in those cases. Our FAQs outline guideline definitions for each hotel sector or restaurant type, from budget/focused service to luxury and casual to fine dining, respectively. When submitting the same property in multiple categories, please ensure that all submissions are within the same sector—as in all are midscale or all are upscale categories.
ENTRY SUBMISSIONS
The project description, floorplan, and photographs are reviewed anonymously by the judges. NO images with watermarks, logos, or trademark will be accepted.
NAMING CONVENTION OF FILES
Do not include the name of the design firm in the file names. Please only include the project name (i.e.: Hotel California.jpg), location and/or the description of the document being uploaded (i.e.: Hotel California Angeles_Description.doc).
SUBMISSION GUIDELINES
All hospitality newbuilds, renovations and conversions completed from JULY 1, 2022 to JULY 28, 2023 are eligible for the 2023 competition. Each entry must be submitted using this official online entry form with the following:
- Completed official online entry form and the $275 entry fee. You may submit a project in more than one category. However, a separate, completed entry form and entry fee are required for each project submitted. Fees are non-refundable and must accompany each project. Projects submitted in a previous year are ineligible. Following the initial deadline of July 28, 2023, entry fees will increase to $275 per entry through a final deadline of August 9, 2023.
- A minimum 300-word Word document with a description of the project including the property’s official and complete name, its location (city and country), opening date for newbuilds; date of completion for renovations and conversions; room count for hotels or total covers for restaurants and a brief summary of the principal features, i.e. design intent, challenges, resources and budget (if available) and which aspects of the project demonstrate excellence and thought leadership in the concept and execution.
- Floorplan of the property (optional). File must be formatted as a jpg or PDF. Max file size is 10MB.
- List of all firms involved in the design/installation of the project including but not limited to: the project owner or developer (client); operator; the architect of record; purchasing agent; other interior design firms; including official and complete firm names and locations (city and country) for each. If multiple design firms participated in the project, ALL must be listed to ensure that the submission is eligible.
- Contact person for the interior design firm, including email and direct phone number.
- Minimum of eight (8) high resolution, 8x10” (or similar) at 300 dpi color photos of the interiors (with no people), with the project name and category included in the file name. Images that are not properly identified may not be considered. Each image should also have the name of the space—i.e., Hotel California Lobby. MAX FILE SIZE: 20MB for each image.
- Only images formatted as jpgs or tiffs (300 dpi or higher resolution) will be considered. You will not be able to submit any other types of photo files.
Finalists will be required to submit a completed source list, detailed owner information, photo release, and design team listing within two weeks of notification in September 2023.
BEFORE YOU APPLY:
- Prepare your 300 to 450-word project description (detailed requirements above) and have it ready in a .docx/Microsoft Word format for upload during the application process.
- Have your project shots (minimum of 8 required) ready to upload. You will also have the opportunity to include (2) additional shots – each file size 20MB max.
- Prepare floorplan of the property (optional). File must formatted as a jpg or PDF. Max file size is 10MB.
- Be prepared with contact information from other interior design firm(s), architecture firm(s), purchasing firm(s) and client(s).
*If you are selected as a 2023 finalist, the Gold Key team will follow-up with additional information in early September required for inclusion in Boutique Design magazine’s editorial coverage of the 2023 Gold Key Awards in its 2023/24 Winter Issue.
JUDGING CRITERIA
The entries will be judged according to the following criteria:
- Concept (The overall design narrative)
- Execution (The expertise with which the design vision is brought to life)
- Innovation (What is new or interesting about this work)
- Overall WOW factor (Why this is best in class)
The judges shall first examine all the entries submitted by the participants online, and assign a score for each of the criteria listed above on a scale of 1-5 (with 1 being the lowest and 5 being the highest). Finalists will be named by the judges based on the cumulative results of the online judging results and an in-person judging session. The 3-5 highest cumulative scoring entries in each category (depending on volume of entries) shall be named finalists, with the top-scoring entry or entries named as winner(s) in each category.
PRIZES
There are no monetary prizes. Selected winners and finalists will be honored at the Gold Key Awards gala on November 13, 2023 in New York in conjunction with BDNY and featured in the Winter 2023/24 issue of Boutique Design magazine.
Liability for breach of third-party rights
Any infringement of third-party rights, including patent, trademark, copyright or other right is the exclusive responsibility of the Awards entrant. By submitting an entry, you (a) represent and warrant that you own the exclusive rights and/or have obtained all necessary third-party consents to submit all content, including any images, photography, logos or multimedia, for consideration, (b) grant Sponsor and its designees, licensees or affiliates a fully paid, worldwide license to use, distribute, display, reproduce, publish, republish and create derivative works of the entry in any media now or hereafter known, including but not limited to, print or digital publication in Boutique Design magazine and (c) agree to indemnify, defend and hold harmless Sponsor and its partners, affiliates, subsidiaries, advertising agencies, agents and their employees, officers, directors, and representatives from any and all third-party claims arising from the entry and use of any such images submitted in connection with the competition.
By participating, participants release and agree to hold harmless Sponsor, its parents, subsidiaries, affiliates, advertising and promotion agencies and all of their respective directors, officers, employees, representatives and agents from any and all liability for any injury, loss or damage of any kind to persons (including, without limitation, death) or property, arising directly or indirectly, in whole or in part, from or in connection with the acceptance, possession, use or misuse of any prize, participation in this competition, or any competition-related activity. NOTWITHSTANDING THE FOREGOING, IN THE EVENT THAT THE PRECEDING RELEASE IS DETERMINED BY A COURT OF COMPETENT JURISDICTION TO BE INVALID OR VOID FOR ANY REASON, THE PARTICIPANT AGREES THAT, BY ENTERING THE COMPETITION, (I) ANY CLAIMS, JUDGMENTS AND AWARDS SHALL BE LIMITED TO ACTUAL OUT-OF-POCKET COSTS INCURRED, BUT IN NO EVENT ATTORNEYS’ FEES; AND (II) UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES WILL ANY PARTICIPANT BE PERMITTED TO OBTAIN ANY AWARD FOR, AND PARTICIPANT HEREBY WAIVES ALL RIGHTS TO CLAIM, ANY OTHER DAMAGES, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, PUNITIVE, INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES.
DISPUTES
Except where prohibited by law: (a) As a condition of participating in this competition, you agree that any and all disputes which cannot be resolved between you and Sponsor, claims and causes of action arising out of or connected with this competition, or any prizes awarded, or the determination of winners shall be resolved individually, without resort to any form of class action exclusively by arbitration pursuant to the commercial arbitration rules of the American Arbitration Association, then effective; (b) Further, in any such dispute, under no circumstances will you be permitted to obtain awards for, and you hereby waive all rights to claim punitive, incidental or consequential damages, or any other damages, including attorneys' fees, other than your actual out-of-pocket expenses (e.g., costs associated with entering this competition), and you further waive all rights to have damages multiplied or increased; and (c) The arbitration shall be conducted in the State of New York, in the City of New York, County of New York, and judgment on the arbitration award may be entered into any court having jurisdiction thereof.
GOVERNING LAW
By entering, participants agree that all issues and questions concerning the construction, validity, interpretation and enforceability of these Official Rules, or the rights and obligations of participants and Sponsor in connection with the competition, shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the substantive laws of the State of New York without regard to its conflicts of law provisions.
WINNERS LIST
To view the Winners list, please visit goldkeyawards.com. Winners will be announced on or about November 2023.
CONTEST SPONSOR
The sponsor of the Awards is Emerald X, LLC, 31910 Del Obispo, Suite 200, San Juan Capistrano, CA 92675 (“Sponsor”). Decisions by the judges are final.