The winners have been announced in the 2025 Australasia-Pacific Hotel Design Awards, a celebration of excellence in hotel interior design for projects located in Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific (including Hawaii).
The four awards – for new-build properties, conversions, refurbishments and an overall winner, the Paul Davis Award – recognise exceptional projects, completed and opened during 2024, that demonstrate design innovation, a commitment to sustainability design practices and deliver exceptional guest experience.
The winners were announced at the 2025 Design Inn Symposium, which was held at Hilton Adelaide on Tuesday May 6.
The StandardX, Melbourne, designed by Hecker Guthrie and Woods Bagot, was the big winner, taking the honours of Hotel of The Year – New Build, as well as the top prize of the 2025 Paul Davis Award for the Australasia-Pacific Hotel of the Year.
The judges said: “The jury felt that the StandardX, Melbourne was the standout new build hotel this year. This is a hotel that has boldly stayed true to its design narrative at every touchpoint.
“From both an architectural and interior design perspective, the hotel has drawn inspiration from the surrounding neighbourhood to feel truly of place. The Corten facade is a nod to the industrial character of Fitzroy, with a scale and character that sits well in its context – whilst its bold colouring has made it an icon in the skyline.
“The industrial character continues through the interior design but softens through additional layers to create an eclectic and immersive environment which embodies the rebellious nature of the StandardX brand.
“The inclusion of artworks and artefacts from local artists and makers are curated to create public space which feel lived in, and capture the vibrancy of Fitzroy, resulting in a guest experience which feels authentic and cool, as a lifestyle hotel should.
The winner of Hotel of The Year – Conversion was Drifter Christchurch, designed by CTRL Space.
The judges said: “Within one of the heritage buildings that thankfully survived the Christchurch earthquakes, designers CTRL Space have created a boutique hotel that offers both shared and private guest rooms, and that also celebrates social interaction.
“Retained heritage features, quirky modern additions, and an unashamed bold use of colour combine to create an exciting new accommodation offering for central Christchurch that is a whole lot of fun.”
In the refurbishment category, the winner was Sofitel Sydney Wentworth, designed by FK.
The judges said: “This complex and demanding project celebrates the legacy of the Wentworth Hotel as Australia’s first international luxury hotel. FK needed to carefully plan the public areas to improve flow and to address the needs of the modern luxury traveller while creating an intimate check-in experience. The additions to the hotel included two new F&B venues which activate the lobby for both hotel guests and locals, and connects the hotel to the street.
“For the F&B offerings the designers thoughtfully added features to ensure that the venues work well for both day and night service.
“Included in the scope was The Wentworth Bar under a new copper canopy with seating for 100. This was planned to facilitate the hosting of events, as well as for hotel guests.
“For this two-year project, which included refurbishment of the 436 guestrooms, the designers were able to inject a sense of Australiana through the choice of palette, as well as local art, while offering guests an environment that evokes the glamour of international travel of a bygone age.”
Design Inn Symposium returns to Adelaide on Tuesday May 5, 2026. Subscribe to HM for updates.