Island Lifestyle - Designing Triumph
AB Concept, one of Asia’s leading design and architectural studios, earned top honors at the 31st Annual Gold Key Awards, an international ceremony honoring innovators and excellence in hospitality design. Nominated for their work on the immaculate development of the W Retreat & Spa Bali property in Seminyak, the Hong Kong-based team was victorious in the “Best Guest Room” category, beating out some of the world’s best-known design firms, including Tony Chi and Associates and Rockwell, both from New York.
Winners were announced at a breakfast ceremony at the InterContinental Hotel, New York on Monday, the 14th of November. Finalists in the ten categories were selected from over 150 projects in 24 countries, including Australia, China, India, Japan and the United States.
AB Concept is no stranger to the Gold Key Awards. In 2009, the firm famously won two trophies, in the “Lobby/ Reception” category (for Shangri-La’s Far Eastern Plaza, Tainan, Taiwan), and in the “Casual Dining” section (for the Jen Café, Hotel Jen, Hong Kong).
“AB Concept has earned the top prize in three of the Gold Key Awards ten categories,” notes director and cofounder Ed Ng, who attended the awards ceremony. “This latest win not only shows our versatility, but also the practicality and functionality of our designs.” This latest victory made 2011 an award-winning year for AB Concept. In June, the company received the Best Design trophy in the “Hotels Over 200 Rooms” category at the International Hotel and Property Awards 2011. “These wins have special significance given that [the] W Bali marks AB Concept’s first resort project,” adds Ng.
The Gold Key Awards are sponsored by Interior Design and HOTELS magazines and coincide with the 96th annual International Hotel, Motel + Restaurant Show (IHMRS), which took place November 12-15th 2011 at New York’s Jacob K Javits Convention Center.
