There’s no one-size-fits-all when it comes to hotels, which makes judging AHEAD – the awards for hospitality experience and design – all the more difficult. But, thanks to a 60-strong panel of operators, developers, architects and designers, the very best projects from around the world have been revealed.

Marking the culmination of eight regional awards schemes, AHEAD Global saw winners from 2019-2020 compete head-to-head in a series of new categories, with shortlisted projects presented live before a vote.

So, what makes a winner? With AHEAD’s regional awards programmes currently open for entries, we asked members of the judging panel what they look for in a standout project and what advice they had for entrants.