2025 Hospitality Design (HD) Awards Official Rules
After familiarizing yourself with the rules of the contest, you can begin the process to upload your HD Awards project entry by creating a login. Once you create a login you will be presented with part 1 of the entry form to certify you have read the rules page. Click here to submit your HD Project entry.
Overview
The 21st annual HD Awards (the “Contest”) projects competition is an independently judged awards program recognizing the interior design of hospitality spaces across 30 project categories.
Categories
1. Hotel (luxury)
2. Hotel Public Spaces (luxury)
3. Hotel (upscale)
4. Hotel Public Spaces (upscale)
5. Hotel (midscale)
6. Hotel Public Spaces (midscale)
7. Hotel (budget/select service)
8. Hotel Public Spaces (budget/select service)
9. Hotel (lifestyle)
10. Hotel Public Spaces (lifestyle)
11. Hotel Guestrooms (this includes all segments: midscale, budget/select service, luxury, upscale, and lifestyle)
12. Hotel Suites (this includes all segments: midscale, budget/select service, luxury, upscale, and lifestyle)
13. Small Hotel (projects that are 50 rooms and under)
14. Restaurant (upscale)
15. Restaurant (casual and cafés/coffee shops)
16. Bar, Club, + Lounge
17. Resort
18. Restorations, Transformations, + Conversions
19. Wellness + Wellbeing
20. Sustainable Project
21. Student Project
22. Visual Identity
23. Hybrid Spaces (the project must incorporate an element of hospitality. Examples include a retail store with a café component or a hotel with a coworking space)
24: Lodges + Camps
25: Event Spaces
26. Open: Beyond Hospitality + Other (for hospitality projects or spaces that don’t fit in the above categories)
27. New Brand Launch (for hospitality concepts that have at least one location opened within our timeframe and have one or more in the works)
28. Branded Residences (for residential properties associated with a hotel brand)
29. Landscape + Outdoor Spaces (for hospitality projects)
30. Transportation (for a range of transportation projects, including cruise ships, river cruises, trains, yachts, and more)
CATEGORY SPECIFIC NOTES
ALL CATEGORIES
Photos of the entire project must be submitted. Entries should also include images showing walkthrough of the space, if applicable.
Restorations, Transformations, + Conversions
The category includes a repositioning of a classic property or historic building, an adaptive reuse, significant renovations to an existing property, and a conversion from flag to flag (or deflagging).
Wellness + Wellbeing
The category includes spas (hotel/day), fitness facilities, and other wellness/self-care amenities.
Sustainable
The project description must include what makes the project sustainable. Failure to do so will result in disqualification.
Visual Identity
This category showcases the brand or project’s identity, through branding material, visuals, or artwork. Photos that display logos or the project's name DO NOT have to be blurred.
Hybrid Spaces
To submit to this category, the project must incorporate an element of hospitality whether it's in an F&B outpost or the addition of guestrooms, etc. Examples include a retail store with a café component or a hotel with a coworking space.
Open: Beyond Hospitality + Other
This category is reserved for any project that goes beyond hospitality and does not qualify for any other categories. Be specific in your description as to why the entry deserves special consideration. Past entries have included senior living facilities, wineries, theaters, installations, and poolside areas.
New Brand Launch
This category includes hotel, restaurant, or hospitality brands or concepts that have launched within our timeframe (December 2023 to February 2025). To be considered in this category, the debut project must be opened with one or more in the works.
Branded Residences
This category is for residential properties associated with a hotel brand
Landscape + Outdoor Spaces
This category recognizes the design of outdoor spaces in hospitality and hospitality-related projects
Transportation
This category recognizes the excellence in design in a range of transportation projects, including cruise ships, river cruises, trains, yachts, and more. It must sail or ride commercially (personal vessels are not eligible).
To enter, each entrant must submit a completed entry form to upload project photos and a description, including objective, size, budget, and any other pertinent design information, NOT to exceed 500 words.
No more than 15 images may be uploaded that best represent the project. This may include a floorplan image in .jpg format.
Open to U.S. and international projects.
Entries become the property of Hospitality Design magazine and will not be returned.
*Failure to fill required fields may result in disqualification.
These Official Rules describe the manner in which the Contest will be conducted. Please read these Official Rules carefully as they contain important information about how the Contest will be conducted, including eligibility to enter, deadline dates for entry, and rules regarding Contest submissions
Term
The Contest begins November 20th, 2024 at 12:01 am Pacific Time ("PT") and ends February 10th, 2025 at 11:59 pm PT (the “Entry Deadline”). All entries must be received by the Entry Deadline.
Entry Requirements
Open to interior design firms, architecture firms, and owner/operators of the hospitality space. All projects must have been completed and opened between December 1, 2023 and February 2025 or else they may not be entered in this Contest. A project may be entered in more than one category except for the Student Project category, which may not be entered in any other category. Please submit a separate entry form for each category entered. Entries must be anonymous. If signage in photos shows the name of the project, please remove it. Any photos with signage bearing names will be disqualified. Names of the project, interior design firm, architecture firm, management company, or owner should NOT be used in the project description or on images. Please click here to enter, upload your submission photos (and description), and pay the entry fees. Entries become the property of Sponsor and will not be returned.
Employees of Sponsor and each of its affiliates, subsidiaries and agents, and their immediate family members (spouse, parent, child, sibling and their respective spouses, regardless of where they live) or persons living in the same households of such individuals, whether or not related, are not eligible to enter. Entrants must be at least 18 years of age as of the date of entry.
CONTEST IS VOID WHERE PROHIBITED.
Entry Fees
$295 for the first entry and $195 for each additional category entered or additional project entered. Entries in the Student Project category, however, are $40. No refunds of entry fees will be issued.
Each entry must be the work or property of the Contest entrant, or submitted by a firm authorized to represent the architect, designer, or property. By entering the Contest, entrant represents, acknowledges, and warrants that the submitted images are the property of the submitter, that the images do not infringe on the copyrights, trademarks, moral rights, rights of privacy/publicity or intellectual property rights of any person or entity, and that no other party has any right, title, claim or interest in the images.
Judges and Judging Criteria
Contest judging will take place in March 2025. A panel of hospitality industry professionals not affiliated with the Sponsor will evaluate entries on the bases of creativity, practicality, and function. In addition, awards may be given by the judges to any project or component of a project not included within the categories. These special Judges’ Awards will be entirely at the judges’ discretion. Project awards will be given to the interior designer, architect, and owner of winning and finalist projects.
Prizes
There are no monetary prizes. Selected winners and finalists will be honored at a celebratory evening on May 6th, 2025 at the Bellagio Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas during HD Expo + Conference and featured in the May/June issue of Hospitality Design magazine and online at hospitalitydesign.com and hospitalitydesignawards.com.
Terms and Conditions
Where permitted by law, the winner grants (and agrees to confirm said grant in writing upon the request of the Sponsor) to Sponsor, and those acting pursuant to Sponsor’s direction or control, the right to print, publish, broadcast and use, worldwide in any media now known or hereafter developed, including but not limited to the Internet, at any time or times, the winner's entry, name, portrait, picture, voice, likeness and biographical information for advertising, trade and promotional purposes without additional consideration and without notice, review or approval. Further, winner will be required to complete, sign, and return an Affidavit of Eligibility, a Liability Release, a Publicity Release (where lawful), and provide evidence of identity and age with a valid state or federally issued identification (i.e. driver’s license or passport), all within fourteen (14) days of prize notification. If said documents are not returned timely, or if prize or prize notification is returned as non-deliverable, or if a winner is found not to have complied with these Official Rules, declines the prize for any reason, or is ineligible for any reason, the prize will be forfeited and may be awarded, in Sponsor’s sole discretion, to an alternate winner. 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 Contest, or any Contest-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 CONTEST, (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.
Entrant Licenses/Releases
If the entries contain any material or elements that are not owned by the entrant and/or which are subject to the rights of third parties, and/or if any persons appear in the entries submitted, the entrant is responsible for obtaining, prior to submission of the entry, any and all releases and consents necessary to permit the exhibition and use of the entry in the manner set forth in these Official Rules without additional compensation. If any person appearing in any photograph is under the age of majority in their state/province/territory of residence, the signature of a parent or legal guardian is required on each release.
By participating, entrants grant the 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 Hospitality Design magazine.
Conditions
Entrants agree (a) to be bound by these Official Rules; (b) that the decisions of the Judges are final on all matters relating to the Contest; and (c) all federal, state and local taxes, fees and surcharges on prizes are the sole responsibility of the winners.
Winner's List
Finalists will be announced on hospitalitydesign.com in March 2025 and winners will be revealed during an awards ceremony on May 6th, 2025 at the Bellagio Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas during HD Expo + Conference. Finalists will be posted after they have been verified and notified.
Sponsors
The sponsor of the HD Awards is Hospitality Design (HD) magazine, Emerald, LLC, 100 Broadway, 14th Floor, New York, NY 10005.