AHEAD Asia 2026 shortlist revealed

After receiving more than 220 entries – a new record for the region – the AHEAD Asia judging panel has finalised the 2026 shortlist.

Comprising the most compelling new hospitality ventures from Shanghai to Sydney, the finalists will now go head-to-head in 15 categories.

The winners will be announced at AHEAD Asia 2026, held at Pan Pacific Orchard in Singapore on Friday 11 September. Tickets are available now.

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Bar, Club or Lounge

The Chairman’s Club at Wynn – Macau, China
In Situ & Partners / Wynn Design & Development

Driftwood at Fairmont – Tokyo, Japan
Nomura Real Estate Development Co / Accor / Maki & Associates / Shimuzu Corporation / Bar Studio / Field Four Design Office

Liáng at Mandarin Oriental – Guangzhou, China
Swire Properties / Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group / Steve Leung Hospitality

Suma at Shangri-La Kunming – Yunnan, China
Shangri-La Hotels & Resorts / East China Architectural Design & Research Institute Co / AvroKO

Swim Club at Kimpton – Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong
Empire Group Holdings / Intercontinental Hotels Group / Steve Leung Hospitality

Event Spaces

Fairmont – Tokyo, Japan
Nomura Real Estate Development Co / Accor / Maki & Associates / Shimuzu Corporation / Bar Studio / Field Four Design Office

The Lands by Capella at Capella – Sydney, Australia
Pontiac Land Group / Capella Hotel Group / Hassell / Purcell Architects

South Palms Resort & Spa Panglao, MGallery Collection – Panglao, Philippines
Panglao Shores / Alturas Group of Companies / C9 Hotelworks / Accor / SCSY Architects / Rchitects Inc / Enter Projects Asia

Parkroyal Penang Resort – Malaysia
UOL Group / Pan Pacific Hotels Group / FDAT Architects

The Standard – Pattaya, Thailand
JT Ten Co / Standard International / Hyatt Hotels Corporation / Onion / Lupine Studio / The Lifestyle Group / Dimensional Interpretation Studio

Guestrooms

Cloudhaus Hotel – Chongqing, China
Chongqing Xunya Cultural Tourism Development Co / RooMoo Design Studio

Grand Hyatt – Singapore
Borneo Properties / Hyatt Hotels Corporation / RSP Architects Planners & Engineers / Strickland

Hotel Indigo Nalati – Xinjiang, China
Xinjiang Huamei Resort Tourism Co / Intercontinental Hotels Group / H2 Architecture Design Group / Cheng Chung Design (CCD)

Park Hyatt – Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
PNB Merdeka Ventures / Hyatt Hotels Corporation / Fender Katsalidis Architects / GA Design

Shangri-La Kunming – Yunnan, China
Shangri-La Hotels & Resorts / East China Architectural Design & Research Institute Co / AvroKO

Hotel Conversion

Cloudhaus Hotel – Chongqing, China
Chongqing Xunya Cultural Tourism Development Co / RooMoo Design Studio

Hotel Indigo Wuxi Qingming Bridge – Wuxi, China
Wuxi Liangxi Cultural Tourism Development Group Co / Intercontinental Hotels Group / Kanko Designers & Associates / ShichaoDaniel / TOA Landscape Architecture

Mumian, Unbound Collection by Hyatt – Shaoxing, China
Shaoxing Runying Real Estate Development Co / Yuen Kai Hotel Management Co / Horizontal Design

Radisson Red – Changchun, China
Jilin Tianyue Real Estate Development Co / Radisson Hotel Group / Jilin Beiyin Planning & Architectural Design Co / ADD Design

Soori – Penang, Malaysia
KKS Hospitality / Soori Hotel & Resorts / SCDA

Hotel Newbuild

1 Hotel – Tokyo, Japan
Mori Trust / Starwood Hotels & Resorts / Taisei Corporation / Crème / Takenaka Teienryokka

Andaz One – Bangkok, Thailand
Hyatt Hotels Corporation / A49 / PIA

Capella – Kyoto, Japan
NTT Urban Development / Capella Hotels & Resorts / Kengo Kuma & Associates / Brewin Design Office

Fairmont – Tokyo, Japan
Nomura Real Estate Development Co / Accor / Maki & Associates / Shimuzu Corporation / Bar Studio / Field Four Design Office

Shangri-La Kunming – Yunnan, China
Shangri-La Hotels & Resorts / East China Architectural Design & Research Institute Co / AvroKO

Hotel Renovation

Ardour Milton Park – Bowral, Australia
Salter Brothers / Mac Design Studio

Four Seasons The Nam Hai – Hoi An, Vietnam
HPL / Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts / Hirsch Bedner Associates

Grand Hyatt – Singapore
Borneo Properties / Hyatt Hotels Corporation / RSP Architects Planners & Engineers / Strickland

Park Hyatt – Tokyo, Japan
TGRE / Hyatt Hotels Corporation / Kajima Ilya Corporation / Jouin Manku

The Silk Lakehouse, Shangri-La – Hangzhou, China
Shangri-La Hotels & Resorts / Kokaistudios / Lázaro Rosa-Violán Studio / Studio Gert Voorjans / PLandscape Co

Landscaping & Outdoor Spaces

Banyan Tree – Zhuhai Phoenix Bay, China
Zhuhai Minglong Real Estate Co / Banyan Group / Guangzhou Zhihai Architectural Design Co / Yang & Associates Group / UPD Design Co

Fairmont Udaipur Palace – Rajasthan, India
Keystone Resorts / Accor / Smallwood / Design Wilkes / Joel Burega

.Here – Baa Atoll, Maldives
Seaside Hotels & Resorts / Kulör Group / Muza Lab / Topo Design Studio

Raffles – Sentosa, Singapore
Royal Group Holdings / Accor / Yabu Pushelberg / DP Architects / Ocho / P Landscape Co

The Ritz-Carlton – Bangkok, Thailand
Frasers Property / TCC Assets / Marriott International / Skidmore, Owings & Merrill / A49 / PIA Interior / SHMA

Lobby

Capella – Kyoto, Japan
NTT Urban Development / Capella Hotels & Resorts / Kengo Kuma & Associates / Brewin Design Office

Fairmont – Tokyo, Japan
Nomura Real Estate Development Co / Accor / Maki & Associates / Shimuzu Corporation / Bar Studio / Field Four Design Office

Park Hyatt – Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
PNB Merdeka Ventures / Hyatt Hotels Corporation / Fender Katsalidis Architects / GA Design

Shangri-La Kunming – Yunnan, China
Shangri-La Hotels & Resorts / East China Architectural Design & Research Institute Co / AvroKO

The St Regis Shenzhen Bao’an – Shenzhen, China
Overseas Chinese Town Group Co / Marriott International / Aedas / André Fu Studio

Lodges, Cabins & Tented Camps

Deluxe Water Villas at Sun Siyam Iru Fushi – Maldives
Sun Siyam Resorts / Studio Sixty7

Mekong Family Suite at Anantara Golden Triangle Elephant Camp & Resort – Chiang Rai, Thailand
Minor Hotels / Landscape Tectonix / Abacus Design

The Oberoi Vindhyavilas Wildlife Resort – Bandhavgarh, India
Anil Palta / The Oberoi Group / Studio Lotus / IPDM

Underdream Hygge Lodge Manor Hotel – Yunnan, China
Dali Shanxia Cultural Tourism Development Co / ArConnect Architects / Jing Sun

Resort

.Here – Baa Atoll, Maldives
Seaside Hotels & Resorts / Kulör Group / Muza Lab / Topo Design Studio

Raffles – Sentosa, Singapore
Royal Group Holdings / Accor / Yabu Pushelberg / DP Architects / Ocho / P Landscape Co

South Palms Resort & Spa, MGallery Collection – Panglao, Philippines
Panglao Shores / Alturas Group of Companies / C9 Hotelworks / Accor / SCSY Architects / Rchitects Inc / Enter Projects Asia / White Jacket / Atelier Pond / Topo Design Studio / XCO2

Taj Resort & Spa – Gangtey, Bhutan
Chaudhary Group / IHCL / Rohit & Matin Architects / Burega Farnell Landscape Architects

Zoland Emei – Sichuan, China
Unique Boutique Hotels / Studio J Bridgland

Restaurant

.Here – Baa Atoll, Maldives
Seaside Hotels & Resorts / Kulör Group / Muza Lab / Topo Design Studio

Madam Chow at Oberoi – Gurgaon, India
The Oberoi Group / Studio Lotus

Victoria at Fairmont – Xiamen, China
Xiamen Airlines / Accor / Foster & Partners / Cheng Chung Design (CCD)

Spago Shanghai at The St Regis on The Bund – Shanghai, China
Pacific Eagle Real Estate / Marriott International / Foster & Partners / AB Concept

Stags Head Steakhouse at Pan Pacific – Singapore
Red Door Group / UOL Group / EDG Design

Spa & Wellness

Fairmont Spa at Fairmont – Tokyo, Japan
Nomura Real Estate Building Co / Accor / Maki & Associates / Shimuzu Corporation / Bar Studio

.Here – Baa Atoll, Maldives
Seaside Hotels & Resorts / Kulör Group / Muza Lab / Topo Design Studio

Regent Spa & Wellness at Regent Bali Canggu – Indonesia
PT Tanjung Benoa Indonesia / Intercontinental Hotels Group / WATG / Hirsch Bedner Associates / John Pettigrew

South Palms Resort & Spa, MGallery Collection – Panglao, Philippines
Panglao Shores / Alturas Group of Companies / C9 Hotelworks / Accor / SCSY Architects / Rchitects Inc / Enter Projects Asia / White Jacket / Atelier Pond / Topo Design Studio

Mmhmmm at The Standard – Pattaya, Thailand
JT Ten Co / Standard International / Hyatt Hotels Corporation / Onion / Lupine Studio / The Lifestyle Group / Dimensional Interpretation Studio

Suite

Capella – Kyoto, Japan
NTT Urban Development / Capella Hotels & Resorts / Kengo Kuma & Associates / Brewin Design Office

.Here – Baa Atoll, Maldives
Seaside Hotels & Resorts / Kulör Group / Muza Lab / Topo Design Studio

Hotel Indigo – Hainan Clear Water Bay, China
Hainan Zhenbo Real Estate Co / Intercontinental Hotels Group / SIADR / Yosaan Architects / Yang & Associates Group

Raffles – Sentosa, Singapore
Royal Group Holdings / Accor / Yabu Pushelberg / DP Architects / Ocho / P Landscape Co

Shangri-La Kunming – Yunnan, China
Shangri-La Hotels & Resorts / East China Architectural Design & Research Institute Co / AvroKO

Sustainability

1 Hotel – Melbourne, Australia
Riverlee / Starwood Hotels / Fender Katsalidis Architecture / ODO / Ward & Gray

1 Hotel – Tokyo, Japan
Mori Trust / Starwood Hotels & Resorts / Taisei Corporation / Crème / Takenaka Teienryokka

Lagen Island Resort – El Nido, Philippines
Ayala Land Hospitality / WATG / Wimberly Interiors

South Palms Resort & Spa, MGallery Collection – Panglao, Philippines
Panglao Shores / Alturas Group of Companies / C9 Hotelworks / Accor / SCSY Architects / Rchitects Inc / Enter Projects Asia / White Jacket / Atelier Pond / Topo Design Studio / XCO2

W – Sentosa Cove, Singapore
CDLHT / Marriott International / Rockwell Group / Hachem