12 Gold List finalists shaping luxury hospitality design

Architecture, craft and a sense of place remain the hallmarks of modern luxury. These Gold List finalists – both newcomers and industry stalwarts – reveal how thoughtful design continues to inspire the way we travel

Capella Sydney, Australia

Revived by Make Architects with interiors by Bar Studio, this former 1912 Department of Education building is now a study in heritage renewal. Original marble staircases, high sandstone arches and restored bronze detailing meet contemporary Australian art and botanical installations. A glass-roofed internal courtyard draws daylight through the grand civic structure, creating an urban sanctuary that bridges past and present.

The EVE Hotel Sydney, Australia

Designed by SJB, The EVE Hotel channels Sydney’s inner-city creative rhythm through curved façades, lime-plaster walls and a palette of terracotta and rust. Local artworks, custom joinery and softly diffused lighting lend a tactile calm that feels more atelier than hotel – a celebration of Sydney’s design maturity encapsulated in a lifestyle hotel for the modern traveller.

COMO The Treasury, Perth, Australia

A Kerry Hill Architects masterwork, this iconic restoration of Perth’s 19th-century state buildings reveals the grace of Western Australian masonry and copper detailing. Inside, soaring ceilings, pale timbers and balanced geometry define Hill’s signature restraint, while COMO’s pared-back styling turns civic heritage into meditative minimalism.

The Ritz-Carlton, Perth, Australia

Also conceived by Kerry Hill Architects, the riverfront Ritz-Carlton, Perth captures the local landscape in glass, jarrah and stone. The lobby’s sculptural forms echo the region’s geology, while Aboriginal artworks by Western Australian artists root the hotel in Country – proof that global luxury can still have a uniquely local personality.

Huka Lodge, New Zealand

Set beside the Waikato River, Huka Lodge remains a lesson in timeless design and classic luxury – every suite opens to water and light. Interiors by original designer Virginia Fisher – who returned for the 2024 renovation under Baillie Lodges – layer river-stone fireplaces, native timber and soft linens to create an atmosphere that feels both stately and elemental. 

The Landing, New Zealand

At the Bay of Islands, Patterson Associates designed four private residences that dissolve into rolling vineyards and coastal bush. Limestone quarried on-site and hand-hewn beams tie architecture to earth, while interiors by Virginia Fisher of Huka Lodge fame use oak, flax and linen in a palette drawn from sea and sky. It’s New Zealand design at its finest – simple, grounded and naturally beautiful.

Raffles Sentosa Singapore

Boasting all private villa accommodation, Raffles Sentosa Singapore translates tropical serenity into space and light. Low-rise pavilions float among gardens by Bensley Design Studio, where water and landscape blur at every threshold. Minimal detailing and natural ventilation define an architecture of calm, with privacy elevated to an art form.

The Standard, Singapore

Designed for contrast, The Standard injects playful modernism into the tropics. Glass volumes, polished concrete and bold colour punctuate minimalist interiors by Woods Bagot, while a sculptural pool deck and open-air social spaces channel the brand’s lively global DNA with Southeast-Asian ease.

Uga Halloowella, Sri Lanka

A celebration of Sri Lankan craft and ecology, Uga Halloowella uses timber, clay and thatch to blur the boundary between architecture and landscape. Local artisans built each villa by hand, weaving cultural continuity into contemporary comfort to create a hotel that is sustainable, elegant and unmistakably of place.

Golden Eagle Luxury Trains

On land, Golden Eagle Luxury Trains proves that great design moves. Polished mahogany, brass fittings and silk upholstery recall the golden age of rail, while en-suite cabins and temperature control quietly modernise the romance. It’s nostalgia refined through craftsmanship.

Explora Journeys

At sea, Explora Journeys reimagines ship interiors as modern residences. Suites by Tillberg Design of Sweden feature natural stone, linen and open spatial flow, creating a sense of calm continuity between ocean and interior. Every design gesture favours texture over excess to create a floating boutique hotel with soul.

Crystal Cruises

Having returned to the oceans with new ownership in 2023, Crystal has refined its ships with neutral palettes, curved architectural lines and an emphasis on residential comfort. Italian craftsmanship and expansive glazing reframe maritime grandeur through a modern, human-scaled lens.h ourselves as we take another bite – a stay at Santani is all about balance, after all.

Explore more Gold List finalists and cast your vote here.