The JW Marriott Resort & Spa in Venice, designed by Matteo Thun & Partners, has won the European Hotel Design of the Year prize.

The announcement was made at the European Hotel Design Awards, which took place in a star-packed ceremony last night at the Park Plaza Westminster Bridge hotel in London.

Matteo Thun and his team created a contemporary resort on the man-made Isola delle Rose island – located on a Venetian lagoon – and carefully renovated its 1930s buildings.

The studio impressed the judges with their innovative approach of restoring the original buildings – including a former hospital and cinema – and then building new structures within them using locally-made bricks, tiles and glass, and without touching the old walls.

The JW Marriott Venice Resort + Spa features 230 contemporary suites, a large rooftop terrace, an outdoor pool, four restaurants and five bars.

The project also won in the Adaptive Re-use and Suite categories at the awards.

Speaking about the project to CLAD earlier this year, Thun said: “The design across the hotel resort is focused on integrating contemporary elements within the existing buildings, rather than replacing them, in order to showcase their unique history and personality.

“To design a project from masterplan to detail, from macro to micro, means you have to take a holistic approach. This is one of the strengths of our office. For this project we had to look for new solutions while respecting nature and history.

“The result is a dialogue between the historic façades and the warm and delightful atmosphere created by the interior design.”

Aside from Thun, it was also a good night for Italian studio Antonio Citterio Patricia Viel Interiors, whose Mandarin Oriental in Milan won awards for its bar and spa spaces, and Dutch firm Concrete, who won in the Bedrooms & Bathrooms and Lobby, Lounge & Public Areas categories for Zoku in Amsterdam.

Meanwhile the Outstanding Contribution Award was presented to Barry Sternlicht, CEO & founder of hospitality group Starwood Capital.

EXCLUSIVE: Matteo Thun tells CLAD how he designed a stylish JW Marriott resort on a protected Venetian lagoon

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