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Intelligence Made Visible: Travel + Leisure Design Awards 2011

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, By Design, Architecture & Design



Great design is intelligence made visible, but great travel design must take this idea to the next level -- it can't just look pretty, it has to combine functionality, strength, and ease of use. Those of us who travel do NOT have time for things that don't work, aren't strong, and don't make our lives easier while on the road.

For seven years, the Travel + Leisure Design Awards have rewarded companies, products, hotels, innovators, and innovations of every type with recognition and gratitude in making the travelers lives better and their travel expereience more memorable. In addition, an overall Design Champion is named.

"The 2011 Design Awards underscore and celebrate the significant impact that good design has on travel," said Nancy Novogrod, Editor-In Chief of Travel + Leisure. "Our judges are not T+L Editors. The jurors look for exceptional function, unqiue statement and inventive reinterpretation."

The panel of jurors include:

David Childs, chairman emeritus, Skidmore, Owings, & Merrill
Paulette Cole, CEO and creative director, ABC Carpet & Home
Fred Dust, partner, IDEO
Norma Kamali, fashion designer
Danny Meyer, CEO, Union Square Hospitality Group
Nadja Swarovski, creative director, Swarovski Crystal
Henry Urbach, curator of architecture and design, San Francisco Museum of Modern Art
T+L's Consulting Design Editor Chee Pearlman was the jury moderator.

Winners of these seventh annual awards represent the best new examples of design in a range of categories from hotels and transportation to luggage and travel fashion. They will be honored at the New World Center in Miami on February 23rd.

Below is a list of the Travel + Leisure Design Award winners:

Best Large Hotel: The Yas Hotel (see above) in Abu Dhabi,UAE, is set half on land and half on water, overlooking the Yas Marina & Yacht Club and positioned on the Yas Marina Circuit, which plays host to the annual Formula 1™ Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

Stay In Color At The Pantone Hotel

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels


Like a little color with your hotel room? Then perhaps there could be no better spot for you than the Pantone Hotel. The experts behind those annual color pronouncements have created the Pantone Hotel in Brussels, Belgium. The hotel was designed by Belgian interior designer Michel Penneman and Belgian architect Olivier Hannaert and each of the hotel's seven floors is given over to a different color palettes to complement guests' emotions with distinctive hues from tranquil blues to fiery reds. Guest rooms have white walls and bedding enlivened by saturated pops of vibrant color. Rooms feature photographic installations by Belgian photographer Victor Levy. There is meeting space as well as a rooftop terrace with a bar.

The hotel also offers selections from the Pantone Universe a line of colorful, design-inspired products that includes mugs inspired by the Pantone color chips. Pantone color consultants are also available by appointment for informal color consultations or to present educational seminars on color psychology and trends. Room rates start around 130 euros.

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