Innovation is the bedrock of the hospitality industry, and that was the founding reason of the Radical Innovation in Hospitality Awards. Big ideas are great, but what about those that are feasible concepts that can solve real problems within the hotel industry in the next three to four years? That was the challenged posed for this year’s awards, and nearly 100 entrants from 28 countries answered the call.
The event, which was born eight years ago out of a partnership with Hospitality Design magazine and the John Hardy Group, is switching up its format this year. In the weeks leading up to the live event, the jury will be split into two teams of three, preparing their team for the live presentation of their selected concept in front of the opposing jury members and a live audience.
“We narrowed it down to two finalists-Green Air Hotel that is a solution to a widespread problem and Hotel2020 that rethinks the application a current phenomenon,” explains Claude Amar, Radical Innovation moderator and president of the John Hardy Group International. Finalists will be presented and votes cast during HD Expo on Thursday, May 15th at 11:30 a.m. The grand-prize winner of the best concept and development strategy-chosen by the audience-will receive $10,000 in seed money for the project.
The jury:
Wing Chao, founding principal, Wing T. Chao Architect
John Hardy, CEO, John Hardy Group
Michael Medzigian, chairman and managing partner, Watermark Capital Partners
Jena Thornton, managing director, Eagle Rock Ventures
Simon Turner, president, global development, Starwood Hotels & Resorts
James Woods, president and COO, The Bowls
More about the finalists:
Green Air Hotel
Jury Team: Simon Turner, James Wood, and John Hardy
Design: Lip Chiong of Studio Twist, China
Concept: With the air pollution crisis in China, hotels trapped in outdated buildings are in need of an upgrade. This hotel has interior and exterior green lungs where greenhouse gardens act as air filters to remove harmful toxins in the air and replenish with oxygen.
Hotel 2020
Jury Team: Michael Medzigian, Jena Thornton, and Wing Chao
Design: Natasha Bajc of Code Design Studio
Concept: Furnished with 3D-printed interiors, this hotel offers guests an augmented reality where the user can interact with the space through computations. The 3D-printed parts, reinforced with the latest composite materials, not only enhance the “buildability” of structures but also take into account different emotional states of guests to increase the impact of the design.
Student Winner: Sky Lofts on the Boardwalk
Design: Evelyn Hartojo, University of Melbourne, Australia
Concept: With the abandonment of monorail beam ways in Sydney, Sky Lofts is the upcycling of these structures into pedestrian- and bike-friendly boardwalks with prefabricated accommodation, cafés, and reception lofts.
