International architecture studio AW2 have won the Asia Hotel Design of the Year award for their work on Phum Baitang resort in Siem Reap, Cambodia.
The Paris-based firm won the top prize at the Asia Hotel Design Awards, which were held today (10 March) at The South Beach hotel in Singapore, with over 400 industry figures from the region in attendance.
Phum Baitang – which was also named the Resort of the Year – is formed of 45 spacious, stilted wooden villas traditionally built on eight acres of lush gardens and paddy fields in a village-like cluster.
An old farm house has been restored as a lounge, and a stone spa temple – featuring seven treatment rooms, a sauna and a yoga pavilion – echoes the design of the neighbouring world heritage temples of Angkor Wat.
The spa, created by hospitality consultants Zannier Hotels, won the Asian Hotel Design award for spa and wellness.
The Cigar & Cocktail Bar @ Phum Baitang, also designed by Zannier, won the award for best bar.
Prizes at the ceremony were handed out to architects and designers in 11 categories.
The Rosewood Beijing in China, designed by Melbourne-based BAR Studio, was particularly successful, collecting awards for best lobby, lounge and public areas; best bedrooms and bathrooms; best suite; and best restaurant.
The 22-storey, 283-guestroom hotel, which is built from bluestone, is inspired by traditional Chinese paintings and is designed to look like a mountain profile. The other winning design studios were Tonkin Zulaikha Greer, who were awarded the urban architecture prize for The Old Clare Hotel in Sydney, and Hirsch Bedner Associates, who won best event space for their VIP Function Room at The Ritz-Carlton Macau.
Adrian Zecha – the Indonesian hotelier who founded Aman Resorts – won the Outstanding Contribution Award.
Over 130 entries were received from 60 projects in twelve different countries and the final winners were decided by a panel of architects and hospitality industry professionals.
Launched by
Sleeper Magazine, the Asia Hotel Design Awards is part of Singapore Design Week.
A sister award ceremony for European hotel designers took place in November 2015 in London. The top prize went to Les Bains, a Parisian hotel created inside a 19th century bathhouse once frequented by Marcel Proust.
