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AHEAD Asia 2018
15 March 2018
2018 Awards
A Singaporean warehouse conversion, a Tokyo boutique instilled with Japanese craftsmanship, and an art-infused escape in Australian wine country. Winners at AHEAD Asia 2018 showcased the most innovative, ambitious and acclaimed hotels the region has to offer. In a colourful ceremony held on 15 March at the newly opened, André Fu-designed Andaz Singapore, winners were announced to a room full of industry leaders, innovators and commentators. The projects were judged on the excellence of their aesthetics, guest experience and commercial viability by a panel of hoteliers, architects, interior designers and industry experts.
Winner profiles can be found here.
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RH
Global Headline SponsorRH Contract provides a business-to-business partnership like no other in the industry. With our multi-category product assortment, unparalleled product design and curation capabilities, uniquely integrated interior design approach, the benefits of RH’s purchasing power, and our global supply chain and logistics scale, RH Contract has proven to be a unique, valuable project partner.
Visit siteSleeper
Organised ByLasvit
Trophy SponsorThe brand Lasvit, founded in 2007 by Leon Jakimič, sheds new light on Bohemian glass and takes it into the next millennium. Lasvit combines the authenticity of glass craft with innovative technologies and creative craftsmanship. In a few short years, Lasvit has established itself as the authority delivering bespoke lighting sculptures and art installations made from hand-blown glass.
Collaborations with renowned designers and artists produce also unique glass collections. Nendo, Ross Lovegrove, Daniel Libeskind, Maarten Baas, Czech legends René Roubíček and Bořek Šípek are among those who choose Lasvit in order to embody their unconventional artistic vision, endow it with the precision and mastery of our glassmakers, and produce impressive creative oeuvre. This is a manifesto of Lasvit’s uncompromising mission: To transform glass into breathtaking light and design experiences.
Visit siteTop Hotel Projects
Powered ByTOPHOTELPROJECTS is the heart of a global community of suppliers and decision-makers which initiates and supports the communication relating to building, design, furnishing, and operation of hotels.
We are a German research firm covering global hotel constructions, that over a decade branched out into hospitality events, media, and hotel design.
No other company comes close in supporting the hotel industry by efficiently combining different business areas into one integrated solution.
Ever since the hotel industry veteran Rolf W. Schmidt founded the company in 2009, our core activity is building the world’s most comprehensive directory of:
We took the complex, ever-evolving global hospitality industry and introduced it to our German sense of efficiency and sheer hard work.
Our research team of some 25 experienced professionals spends 1,800 hours a month researching hotel projects around the world.
Our database has been 10 years in the making, during which we gathered information on over 24,000 hotel projects and 120,000 related companies. Currently, our database has information on more than 6,500 ongoing hotel projects worldwide – important details included.
TOPHOTELPROJECTS today represents an exhaustive, ever-growing network of professionals from all major sectors of the hospitality industry: owners, developers, investors, brands, operators, architects, designers, and suppliers.
In 2019, TOPHOTELPROJECTS and Sleeper Media signed a strategic partnership with mutual co-investment. This partnership combines digital expertise and in-depth data of TOPHOTELPROJECTS with Sleeper Media’s leading hospitality offerings. It is all about synergy and a win for all sectors of the industry.
Visit siteKaldewei
Global SponsorKALDEWEI – your worldwide partner for iconic bathroom solutions shaped from superior steel enamel. KALDEWEI’s extensive range of bathtubs, shower surfaces, and washbasins are ideally suited to the demands of the hospitality industry delivering an increased level of health and wellbeing awareness for your hotel. The smooth, non-porous glass surface not only gives you security against germs and dirt but is also the material of the future. KALDEWEI steel enamel is made of 100% natural materials and is 100% recyclable, so it’s good for your guests and the planet too.
To learn more visit KALDEWEI.com
Visit siteLaufen
Global SponsorFounded in 1892 in Switzerland, LAUFEN has become one of the world's leading companies for sanitary ceramics. Today LAUFEN Bathrooms provided integrated bathroom concepts with high-quality products, ranging from sanitary ceramics to bathtubs and shower trays, furniture, faucets, and accessories.
Visit siteVilleroy&Boch
Global SponsorVilleroy & Boch, formed in 1748, is a leading ceramics manufacturer steeped in European culture and history, and one of the biggest international premium brands in the areas of bathrooms and wellness.
Villeroy & Boch offers the finest and most innovative bathroom products and furnishing concepts for both private customers and property developers. The company is a pioneer in the realm of ceramic product design and innovation. Villeroy & Boch beautiful, high-quality products are hallmarks of French design flair and German engineering efficiency.
Visit siteRoca
Global SponsorDesigning and manufacturing everything in bathrooms.
Roca began life as a family business manufacturing cast iron radiators at a factory in Gavà, near Barcelona in 1917. Over the years, the portfolio gradually expanded and by 1929, Roca entered the bathroom environment for the first time. With an attentive focus on social changes, Roca has since been pioneering when tackling issues surrounding sustainability, design, and technology, and remains at the forefront of these innovations today. Today, Roca reaches over 170 countries, supplied by 76 production plants with more than 20,000 employees worldwide. After one hundred years, Roca is still proud to call itself a family business.
Visit siteAkula
Global SponsorAkula, a leading manufacturer of marine-grade outdoor furniture has established itself as a trusted partner for the world’s leading hospitality and cruise operators, offering an extensive range of solutions designed to meet the unique needs of these demanding environments.
With a unique dual focus on custom manufacturing and quick-ship capabilities, Akula stands out. This approach allows them to provide personalised solutions that cater to specific design and functionality requirements while running a quick-ship program that ensures timely delivery to meet tight project timelines. This makes Akula a preferred choice for clients who require bespoke designs and efficiency.
Engineered to withstand the rigors of outdoor environments, Akula's products are built to last. Every piece is manufactured to endure extreme conditions, including UV exposure, seawater, chlorinated water, and fluctuating temperatures, with minimal maintenance required. This commitment to durability ensures that Akula’s furniture not only enhances outdoor spaces but also offers long-term value.
Akula's global footprint, with offices in the UK, USA, UAE, and Hong Kong, underscores its worldwide reach and ability to serve clients across the globe. This international presence facilitates a deep understanding of market needs and ensures that Akula is not just a name but a global standard in outdoor furniture.
Akula’s success is rooted in its dedication to quality, innovation, and customer service. By continuously pushing the boundaries of design and technology, Akula remains at the forefront of the outdoor furniture industry, delivering solutions that are as robust as they are elegant.
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Music ConsultantPreciosa
Event SponsorPreciosa Lighting elevates the heritage of Bohemian crystal through contemporary lighting designs since 1724. The company is built on centuries of tradition and the unique art of master glassmakers from Crystal Valley. We honour this heritage and craftsmanship by creating innovative lighting products that stand the test of time.
Our lighting styles range from individual luxury lighting to dynamic and interactive installations. As a global company, Preciosa cooperates with designers worldwide to create exclusive lights that reflect our spirit. Our historic chandeliers and contemporary projects can be found in hotels, resorts, fine restaurants, luxury residences, cultural institutions and on board yachts and cruise ships in locations as varied as New York, Hong Kong, Singapore, Dubai, Moscow or London.
Preciosa Lighting can create unrivaled emotional experiences by combining the traditional art form of chandelier craftsmanship with cutting-edge technology. This knowledge is what drives our intention to unveil the symbolic as well as the aesthetic power of decorative lighting. It led us to create Preciosa’s Signature Designs which are highlighted by countless customization possibilities to perfectly fit the owner’s desires.
Signature Designs are authentic, timeless, and celebrate design. We are inspired by the allure of crystal combined with light. Creative craftsmanship is evident through the versatility of each light; customizable for space and its uses. Preciosa’s advanced use of technology is seen in every element of the design. They present contemporary styles with a timeless quality.
Visit siteFOH
Event SponsorEstablished in 2002, FOH® is a women-owned global foodservice and hospitality company that manufactures smart, savvy, commercial-grade products including plateware, drinkware, flatware, hotel amenities, and more. Driven by innovation, FOH® is dedicated to delivering that WOW experience that restaurants and hotels crave, all while maintaining a competitive price. All products are fully customizable, and many are also created using sustainable, eco-friendly materials, such as straws and plates made from biodegradable paper and wood and BPA-free drinkware. FOH® has two established brands: Front of the House®, focused on tabletop and buffet solutions, and room360®, which offers hotel products. Check out our collections today at
Visit siteSophstone
Event SponsorBorn in 2017 under the creative direction of Gil Saul, SOPHSTONE speaks to a niche clientele
which values individuality over current trends. Driven more by creativity than profits,
SOPHSTONE remains steadfastly independent. A family-owned boutique manufacturer,
providing the flexibility required to incorporate age-old techniques and old-world craftsmanship
absent in a market saturated by global brands.
Within the picturesque surroundings of the Malang Region of East Java, Indonesia, Gil borrows
inspiration, not from concrete and steel, but rather the harmony of living within nature. There is a
realization that tradition, craftsmanship, and innovation can coexist. Overcoming the familiar and
continually producing recognizable, ambitious, and culturally relevant luxury. The SOPHSTONE
brand is proudly manufactured entirely in-house, creating exclusive, original designs of
uncompromising quality.
No product created by the human hand will ever be without flaws, yet the human touch is vital to
SOPHSTONE’s philosophy of unrivaled craftsmanship. There is beauty within the subtle flaws of
imperfection and warmth in the human touch. At the same time, SOPHSTONE has standards
and practices throughout its manufacturing process that are as rigorous as any you’ll find in any
industry. The perfect balance between modernity and tradition.
Over the years, SOPHSTONE has been honored to be the chosen product in commercial
projects throughout the Americas and abroad. Ranging from hotels, resorts, restaurants,
schools, airports, and more. Whether it is a small independent location or a large scale
corporate project, SOPHSTONE is there to meet and exceed all expectations, on time and on
budget
Visit siteTuuci
Event SponsorFor nearly a quarter-century, TUUCI has revolutionized outdoor spaces with durable, innovative shade platforms featuring nautically inspired designs. Founded by Dougan Clarke in 1997, The Ultimate Umbrella Company, Inc., (simply known as “TUUCI”), was born from seaside roots in Miami, Florida where Dougan began his career as a marine outfitter for high-performance yachts.
With a keen eye on design and a passion for form and function, Dougan applied his craftsmanship to the shade industry to create TUUCI’s unique brand of marine-grade, shade architecture. Today, TUUCI’s distinctive shade designs and furnishings may be experienced around the world and are sought by leading design professionals within the architectural and residential design community.
TUUCI’s primary manufacturing campus is in Miami, Florida, and serves as the company’s global headquarters. The organization maintains two additional, wholly-owned manufacturing centers in Northern Europe and Southeast Asia providing localized customer service including fully integrated internal sales teams and distribution support across each continent.
TUUCI’s sense of community is a cornerstone of the company’s foundation, providing charitable outreach across a host of environmental and humanitarian concerns. The company’s broad mission is to provide sustainable comfort and accessibility around the world.
Visit siteGessi
Event SponsorFor 30 years Gessi has been designing and creating concepts to enhance the use and benefits of water with the commitment to realise the aspirations of style, personalisation, physical and mental wellbeing of individuals in the most private of living spaces. Creating a new sector, the Private Wellness sector, Gessi has transformed places that were previously utilitarian into environments capable of exciting and regenerating those who live in them on a daily basis.
Created in a zero impact green park, the company's creations bring a message of beauty, love of nature, attention and safety for the user into the homes of those who choose them. The serenity and passion with which they are made, engraved in each object, give a positive vibration to whoever uses and enjoys them.
A global reference for lifestyle, innovation, design and sustainability, the Gessi collections furnish the world's most beautiful hotels, public spaces, yachts and private homes.
Visit siteOrientop
Event SponsorSince 1995, Orientop Limited, specializes in the business of decorative architectural glass and thrive on exploring its creative potential to produce stunning glass. Having over 25 years’ experience for laminated glass production, we remain keenly attuned on keeping close to the architecture and interior design.
Orientop always desperate for collecting the latest materials with the best quality to satisfy customers’ needs. Not only pursuing and developing extraordinary and innovative glass technology, but also aim for unique masterpiece of glassworks for various customer groups and all of our production and fabrication is complying with International Standard.
Starting from the procurement of raw glass material, to tempering and heat soak process, and all the way to the strict management and control. We provide comprehensive one-stop production which assures the best quality of all glass product we produce. To ensuring every product is manufactured in good condition and delivered timely, quality assurance is implemented in strict compliance, we consistently strive to offer a top-level complete solution to our customers.
Two factories were set up which located in China Xinhui and China Taishan to become more efficient, productivity and capable to serve the public with the enhancement of the demand for glazing products. We are an eco-friendly business with technologies to promote sustainable building materials, and always strive to become an organization with green certification.
Our subsidiary company, Orientop Building Material Limited, has embarked on key partnerships to further expand our capabilities. We have partnered with DOWSIL™, the global leader in high performance sealing solutions. Additionally, we have formed a partnership with Kuraray to become the distributor of their high-performance products and advanced interlayer solutions throughout Southern and Western China, responsible for the trading of PVB interlayer and SentryGlas® Interlayer.
From the initial stages of conceptualisation and design, to the production and installation phases of a project, Orientop is thrilled to be with DOWSIL™ and Kuraray every step of the way to create a unique and unrivalled masterpiece for the customers.
Visit siteBlue Badge Access Awards
Supporting PartnerThe Awards were first launched at the House of Lords in 2016 to recognise, celebrate and reward accessibility across hotels, restaurants and other public venues worldwide.
The judges focus on style, thoughtful design, innovation and liberty that delivers exceptional accessibility. The aim is to encourage hospitality industry bosses, architects and designers worldwide to consider ways in which they can address the current and future needs of disabled guests.
Visit siteBette
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