The World Architecture Festival’s 2025 shortlist revealed, airport lounges serve as the new destination for culinary experiences, and Hospitality Design announces this year’s Platinum Circle honorees. All that and more in this week’s Five on Friday.
2025 World Architecture Festival shortlist announced
The 2024 WAFX Overall Winner: the Knowledge Economic City by DLR Group; rendering courtesy of World Architecture Festival
The highly anticipated 2025 shortlist for the World Architecture Festival has been released, and the event will feature more than 460 diverse projects highlighting 235 completed buildings, 157 future works, 64 interiors designs, and 12 landscapes. Entries include globally lauded firms like Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG), Foster + Partners, Grimshaw, Mario Cucinella, Nikken Sekkei, Perkins & Will, and Studio Gang, alongside ambitious proposals from emerging practices. Notably, the U.S. has the largest cohort of finalists, followed closely by Australia, Canada, China, India, Japan, Singapore, Turkey, the UAE, and the United Kingdom. WAF will pair live-judged presentations with immersive programming at the Miami Beach Convention Center, in the heart of South Beach and the iconic Art Deco District, from November 12-14th, 2025. This is the inaugural stateside edition, acknowledging the significant impact North American architecture has on the world.
Ace Hotel’s next chapter may be Japanese-owned
Ace Hotel Swim Club Athens in Greece, designed by Ciguë; photos by DePasquale+Maffini
Ace Hotel brand, currently managed by Ace Group International, is potentially on the brink of being acquired by Tokyo-based Seibu Prince Hotels Worldwide, as Bloomberg reports. The possible sale, revealed by an anonymous source, could be valued at approximately $85 million including earn-outs. After working with adviser Jones Lang LaSalle to explore strategic options, this move would integrate Ace’s creative-led, design-driven ethos into Seibu’s diverse, global hospitality portfolio, and Ace—known for its cultural cachet and artistic collaborations—could embark on a new chapter of growth under Japanese ownership. While the transaction has been yet to be confirmed publicly by any parties involved, we’ll be watching closely to see what transpires next and how it will shape Ace’s brand identity, guest experiences, and any expansion plans for the future.
Airport lounge food upgrades to first class
The premium bar at the Delta One Lounge at JFK in New York; photo courtesy of Delta Lounge
A growing number of elite airport lounges—curated by airlines and credit‑card companies—now boast caviar stations, live sushi bars, and menus designed by award-winning chefs, writes The New York Times. From Los Angeles and Houston to New York City and Washington DC, these spaces have become bonafide dining destinations. Gone are the days of dry chicken tenders and stale croissants, and in their place, travelers are greeted with charcuterie boards, handcrafted cocktails, and even seafood towers as part of premium access perks. This shift reflects the fierce competition between airline loyalty programs and credit-card incentives which are both vying for affluent customers. By turning pre-flight waits into gastronomic experiences, high-networth individuals who travel frequently can enjoy upgraded lounges that provide comfort and a compelling reason to chase status.
The hot hotel travel trend? Cold places
Tierra Atacama, by architects Rodrigo Searle and Matias Gonnzález, in Chile; photo by Diego Marin
This July, after sweltering heatwaves swept the globe, “coolcations” have emerged as 2025’s hottest travel trend. Livingetc reports bookings for cooler retreats (think Iceland and Norway) have surged year on year by a whopping 71 percent, according to tour operator Scott Dunn. While the outlet covered the uptick earlier this year in their travel trends 2025 report, they revisited travelers’ desire for milder summers by bringing some new properties into the spotlight. Leading the pack are: Annandale, New Zealand (a modernist lodge on the South Island’s rugged coast); ION Adventure Hotel, Iceland (a Brutalist/Scandi-designed, geothermal-powered gem perched above volcanic soils); and Tierra Atacama, Chile (a Japandi-inspired desert retreat steeped in Andean culture). These destinations offer crisp air, immersive design, local cuisine, and sustainability—all without sacrificing style or comfort. Cool temps and cooler aesthetics means nature, no crowds, and Insta-worthy quiet luxury.
And the HD Platinum Circle 2025 honorees are…
The 2025 Platinum Circle honorees from left to right: Aliya Khan, Marriott; AvroKO founders William Harris, Greg Bradshaw, Kristina O’Neal, and Adam Farmerie; chef and restaurateur Marcus Samuelsson; and Matt Mars and James Flick, Flick Mars
The HD Platinum Circle 2025 honorees were recently announced and will celebrate eight esteemed industry pros with lifetime achievement awards. During a gala event this fall on Friday, November 7th at Cipriani 25 Broadway in New York, Hospitality Design’s most coveted honor will be bestowed on Greg Bradshaw, Adam Farmerie, William Harris, and Kristina O’Neal, founding partners, AvroKO; James Flick and Matt Mars, partners, Flick Mars; Aliya Khan, vice president of global design strategy + product development, Marriott International; and Marcus Samuelsson, chef and restaurateur, Marcus Samuelsson Group. This distinction is part of a more than 35-year tradition that has been presented to numerous industry leaders including Ken Fulk, Kit Kemp, David Rockwell, and Ian Schrager, among others. This year’s awards dinner fete will be an evening to remember with the addition of an afterparty, featuring a DJ and dancing. You can purchase tickets to the event here, and also learn more about the inductees.
