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Models at the Academy of Science
Photo: Jessica Stout

Travel + Leisure Design Awards, 2010
by Claudia Juestel

For the very first time Travel + Leisure held its annual design awards outside New York, and it brought the celebration to the California Academy of Sciences here in San Francisco.

2010 Travel & Leisure Design Awards Jury

This year’s destinguished jury was comprised of Valerie Steele, director and chief curator of the museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology, Isaac Mizrahi, creative director of Liz Claiborne, Michael Smith, interior designer to the stars and the White House, Terence Conran, world-renowned restaurateur, designer, retailer and author, Jean-Michel Gathy, founder and principal designer of the acclaimed hotel design firm Denniston International Architects & Planners, Amanda Burden, director of the New York City Department of City Planning and chair of the City Planning Commission, Rafael Viñoly, founder of the renowned Rafael Viñoly Architects, and Holly Hotchner, director of the Museum of Arts & Design in New York.

The magazine’s goal is to recognize the most outstanding new examples of design and architecture in the world of travel, which covers a wide range of categories. Travel + Leisure’s 2010 Design Awards recipients, without a drum roll, are:

BEST LARGE HOTEL
Motel 6, various locations, United States, for a stylish new look created by London-based architectural firm Priestmangoode

Motel 6 guestroom designed by Priestmangoode
Photo: Courtesy of Motel 6

BEST SMALL HOTEL
Juvet Landscape Hotel, Gudbrandsjuvet, Norway, for its spectacular integration into the surrounding natural landscape by the Norwegian firm JSA Architects

Juvet Landscape Hotel, designed by JSA Architects
Photo: Courtesy of Juvet Landscape Hotel

BEST SPA
Agua at the Mondrian in South Beach, Miami Beach, Florida, for its dramatic new interior by visionary Dutch designer Marcel Wanders

Agua Spa at the Mondrian designed by Marcel Wanders
Photo: Courtesy of La Mamounia

BEST RESORT
La Mamounia, Marrakesh, Morocco, for the extensive historic restoration by French interior designer Jacques Garcia

Guest room at La Mamounia, designed by Jacques Garcia
Photo: Courtesy of La Mamounia

BEST MUSEUM
Neues Museum, Berlin, Germany for the masterful preservation by British architect David Chipperfield

Staircase at the Neues Museum, restored by David Chipperfield
Photo: Courtesy of La Mamounia

BEST CULTURAL SPACE
Za-Koenji Public Public Theater, Tokyo, Japan, for its innovative style by Japanese architect Toyo Ito

Staircase at the Za-Koenji Public Theater, designed by Toyo Ito

BEST CAR
Ford Fusion Hybrid for its award-winning combination of affordability and efficiency.

Ford Fusion Hybrid 2010
Photo: Courtesy of Ford

BEST TRANSPORTATION
Swiss International Air Lines First Class Suite for the perfect marriage between comfort and technology, by London-based architectural firm Priestmangoode.

Swiss Air First Class Suite designed by Priestmangoode
Photo: Courtesy of Swiss Airlines

BEST TERMINAL
Liège-Guillemins High-Speed Railway Station, Liège, Belgium, for a masterpiece in engineering and design by Spanish architect Santiago Calavatra.

Liège-Guillemins High-Speed Railway Station designed by Santiago Calavatra
Photo: Vincent Botta

BEST RESTAURANT
Nomiya, Paris, France, for a unique concept executed with audacity and levity by architect Pascal Grasso and artist Laurent Grasso.

Nomiya Restaurant designed by Pascal and Laurent Grasso
Photo: Kleinefenn

Nomiya Restaurant designed by Pascal and Laurent Grasso
Photo: Kleinefenn

BEST RETAIL SPACE
Derek Lam’s Soho store, New York City, for a minimal yet luxurious environment by Japanese architects Sanaa

Derek Lam’s Soho store, designed by Sanaa
Photo: Cyrille Thomas

BEST LUGGAGE
Salsa Deluxe Multiwheel for its combination of the casualness of soft luggage with the durability of hard-sided cases, by the German manufacturer Rimowa.

Rimowa “Salsa Multiwheel” suitcase
Photo: Courtesy of Rimowa

BEST WATCH
Time Teller P Watch for sleek design and fun colors that do not break the bank by California accessories company Nixon

Nixon “Time Teller P” Watch
Photo: Courtesy of Nixon

BEST TRAVEL GADGET
N900 Mobile computer for its incredible versatility by the Finnish technology product giant Nokia.

Nokia N900 Smartphone
Photo: Courtesy of La Mamounia

BEST TRAVEL FASHION
Ecotech Solar Jacket for groundbreaking fusion of solar technology with recycled materials, by Zegna Sport.

Zegna Sport “Ecotech” Solar Jacket
Photo: Courtesy of Ermenegildo Zegna

BEST TRAVEL ACCESSORY
Kate Bag by MZ Wallace for a chic design that works for toting baby gear or over-night essentials, designed by founders Monica Zwirner and Lucy Wallace Eustice.

MZ Wallace’s “Kate” Bag
Photo: Courtesy of MZ Wallace

Winners and admirers celebrated at the California Academy of Sciences.  Iconic hotelier Adrian Zecha, who gave us Aman Resorts and set a new standard for luxury resorts, was honored as this year’s Design Champion.

Adrian Zecha with Model
Photo: Jessica Stout

Travel + Leisure’s Editor in Chief Nancy Novogrod presented Adrian Zecha with the prestigious award, which had been previously bestowed on Ian Schrager, Amanda Burden and André Balazs.

Robert Moore, J.P. Kyrillos, Nancy Novogrod, Paul Priestman, Frederic Perrin, and Models
Photo: Jessica Stout

Also on hand at were winners Paul Priestman, Monica Zwirner and Lucy Wallace Eustice, Robert Moore of Accor, Mari Balestrazzi of Morgans Hotel Group, Frederic Perrin of Swiss Air International Lines, Samir Agrawal of Nokia, John Frampton of Ermenegildo Zegna, and Kristen Schmidt of Berlin Tourism.

In the spirit of the Academy of Sciences life mannequins on pedestals, dressed in orange lab coats and adorned with big black nerdy glasses, greeted guests at the door, which included a flurry of local magazine editors, hoteliers and design aficionados. Among them were Maria Manetti Farrow, Sobia and Nadir Shaihk, Cheryl Baxter, PR mavens Jessica Mullens and Claudia Ross, love and relationship expert Joy Nordenstrom, Lisa Alexander, Patrick Perigaud, radio talk show hosts Emily Morse and Dorka Keehn, Alyson Jackson, Michael Polenske, Kimberly Miller, author and design editor Zahid Sardar and his charming architect wife Tasneem, San Francisco Magazine’s president Steven Dinkelspiel and style editor Elizabeth Varnell.

Claudia Ross, Alyson Jackson, Michael Polenske and friend
Photo: Jessica Stout

Nadir & Sobia Shaikh
Photo: Jessica Stout

Dorka Keen, Jessica Mullens, Emily Morse
Photo: Jessica Stout

Monica Zwirner, Nancy Novogrod, Lucy Wallace Eustice
Photo: Jessica Stout

Maria Mannetti Farrow & friend
Photo: Jessica Stout

Willhelm Oehl and Ran Oehl
Photo: Jessica Stout

Ye-Hui Lu, Al Lacayo, Keylee Sanders
Photo: Jessica Stout

Claudia Juestel, Kenneth Winn, Sidney Wilson, Melony Williams, Joy Nordenstrom
Photo: Jessica Stout

Steven Dinkelspiel & Kimberly Miller
Photo: Jessica Stout

Lisa Alexander with a friend
Photo: Jessica Stout