Top 10 hotels nominated by 196+ forum Milan jury for "Hotel Design Award 2026"
Ten hotels from seven European countries have been shortlisted from 25 applicants across 13 countries for the prestigious industry award.
Maison Heler Metz, A Curio Collection Hotel by Hilton
Milan – For the "Hotel Design Award 2026", which will be presented at the 196+ forum Milan on April 20, the expert jury has nominated ten hotels from seven countries out of a total 25 applicants from 13 European countries.
The Hotel Design Award 2026 has seen a wide range of excellent applications from across the European continent. It doesn‘t matter whether it‘s a small countryside hotel or a large luxury resort - what really counts is the uncompromising dedication to outstanding architecture, interior design, and landscaping. As a leading award for architecture and design in hospitality, we strive to emphasise the importance of aesthetics for a hotel‘s commercial success, and the responsibility of our industry to contribute to a better built environment. In light of the challenging times we‘re facing in terms of global politics, the jury were deliberating on whether we need more eye-pleasers that suggest a feeling of security - or more disruptors in design that dare to polarise. The portfolio of nominees features prime examples of both.
Christian Walter, Global CEO at PKF hospitality group and chairman of the jury
The criteria for the award include the originality of the architectural and design concept, the associated architectural quality of the building and the façade as well as the design of the interior. The focus is on the design approach and the associated "story telling" for a convincing hotel concept. Three nominees come from Germany, two from France and one hotel each from Austria, Italy, Luxemburg, Norway and Switzerland.
This year’s entries were of an extraordinarily high standard. As judges, we were not choosing between good and bad projects, but between outstanding ideas with very different strengths. That is the beauty, and the difficulty, of design: excellence cannot be measured by a simple formula, which makes competition at this level incredibly demanding.
Erik Nissen Johansen, Member of the jury and owner, founder and creative Director at Stylt Trampoli AB
The ten nominated hotels in alphabetical order:
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Casa Cook Madonna (Madonna di Campiglio, Italy)
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Huus Quell (Gonten, Switzerland)
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Kimpton Main Frankfurt (Frankfurt am Main, Germany)
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LILLØY Lindenberg (Bergen, Norway)
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Maison Heler Metz | A Curio Collection Hotel by Hilton (Metz, France)
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Palais Mailberger Hof (Vienna, Austria)
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SAX Paris, LXR Hotels & Resorts (Paris, France)
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Steigenberger Icon Europäischer Hof Baden-Baden (Baden-Baden, Germany)
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The Florentin by Althoff Collection (Frankfurt am Main, Germany)
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Villa Pétrusse (Luxemburg, Luxemburg)
Hotels that were completed and opened in Europe between October 2024 and March of this year were eligible to apply. The competition is aimed at architects, operators, designers, owners and developers of hotels in Europe.
Please find the overview of the applicants attached. Images are available at the following link: HDA 2026_Nominees. Please refer to the copyright information for photo credits. If no information is available, please state the hotel name.
More information on the 196+ forum Milan:
The 196+ forum Milan is an annual event organized by PKF hospitality group and is held each year as the opening of the Milan Design Week. The 196+ forum Milan has become Italy's benchmark event for hospitality investment and design, bringing together hospitality professionals from around Europe and the rest of the globe to celebrate architecture and design. The 196+ forum Milan is an international networking platform where industry participants come together to share ideas and participate in a full-day conference with expert discussions, interactive formats, topical case studies and networking opportunities. This year's event took place April 19-20. A highlight was the presentation of the "Hotel Design Award 2026." https://www.196plus.com/196plus-forum/196plus-forum-milan/programme-2026/