Accor has unveiled the winners of the 9th edition of the Accor Design Awards at the Maison&Objet fair in Paris. This year’s challenge focussed on the Group’s founding brand, Novotel, and its international partnership with WWF France to protect and restore the oceans.

The winning project was “POLÉ, POLÉ” created by Coline Robilliart and Corentin Rolland from l’Ecole de design Nantes Atlantique.

Since its creation in 2016, the annual awards have become a platform for discovering new talents and ideas, offering architecture and design students from across the world the opportunity to reimagine hospitality with creativity, empathy, and purpose.

For this edition, students were asked to design a sustainable bedroom that reduces carbon footprint while improving the guest experience and actively supporting the wellbeing of the world’s oceans. The challenge aligned with Novotel’s long-term ocean commitment and partnership with WWF France and reflected the brand’s dedication to everyday innovation and sustainable longevity.

More than 100 student teams representing twenty schools in eleven countries entered the competition. The judges – experts from Accor, WWF and leading design studios – shortlisted ten finalists in May. Submissions demonstrated bold and practical solutions, from using invasive seaweed as a raw material for construction, to proposing a carbon-tracking app that rewards guests’ sustainable choices, to room concepts integrating ocean plastic, natural clay, and repurposed textile waste. Together, the projects illustrated how design can transform pressing environmental challenges into creative and memorable guest experiences.

The 2025 jury brought together leading voices from across design, sustainability, furniture design and hospitality. Head judges Isabel and Beatriz Blanco of Burondo, an acclaimed international architecture and design practice, were joined by Damien Perrot, Global Chief Design, Technical Services & Innovation Officer for Accor’s Premium, Midscale & Economy Brands; and Jean-Yves Minet, Global Brand President, Midscale & Economy Brands at Accor. Representing WWF France, Aurélie Pontal, Head of Partnerships at WWF France, reinforced the focus on ocean preservation, while furniture and equipment sponsors Roca, Laufen, Flos, JVD, LedsC4, Ligne Roset and Accor partners Covivio, M&O and AFA also contributed their expertise. Together, this diverse panel ensured that the winning projects were evaluated not only for their creativity and innovation but also for their feasibility, guest experience, and environmental impact.

The first prize was awarded to Coline Robilliart and Corentin Rolland from L’Ecole de design Nantes Atlantique for their project Polé, Polé, inspired by Tanzania’s Morogoro region. Rooted in local culture and built from rammed earth, wengé and doussie woods, and traditional Tanzanian textiles, the design balances authenticity with environmental sensitivity. Elevated on steel stilts, the structure integrates natural ventilation, mosquito protection, and modular furniture crafted from ocean waste.

The jury was deeply impressed by Polé, Polé’s proposal to rethink how hotels connect with surroundings and communities. The innovative use of ocean waste to create beautiful finishes and furniture goes beyond aesthetics: it raises awareness, enhances the guest experience, and reflects a flexible, thoughtful approach to hospitality. By reducing reliance on technology and embracing water-saving and reuse systems, the project puts nature at the heart of the hotel experience.

Damien Perrot, Global Chief Design, Technical Services & Innovation Officer for Accor’s Premium, Midscale & Economy division, said: “Each year, the Accor Design Awards provide a unique and global stage for students to challenge conventions and present new perspectives on design innovation and sustainable hospitality. This year’s winning projects demonstrate that outstanding design is both inspiring and impactful. Project Polé, Polé reimagines the way guests connect with their surroundings and local communities, transforming ocean waste into beautiful, thought-provoking design. Great design can shape memorable experiences and protect our planet at the same time.”

Jean-Yves Minet, Global Brand President, Midscale Brands, Accor, said: “A brand comes to life in every interaction, space, and experience. Great design seamlessly weaves these elements together, moving beyond mere aesthetics to craft inviting environments where you can truly feel the brand’s purpose. This year’s student designs beautifully capture the spirit of Novotel and its vital commitment to ocean preservation. The Accor Design Awards powerfully demonstrate how innovative design can shape a more sustainable hospitality sector—an ambition at the very heart of Novotel’s mission.”

Alongside the winning projects, additional prizes were presented for second and third place, as well as a Head Judges’ Prize and a Public Choice Award. Each winner offered a distinctive interpretation of the brief, underscoring the ambition of the competition to inspire the future leaders of design to rethink hospitality through sustainability, innovation, and human experience.

The Prize List:

– First Prize: Polé, Polé by Coline Robilliart and Corentin Rolland from L’Ecole de design Nantes Atlantique
– Second Prize: Chowa by Nora Chaumont and Fanny Monteyne from L’Ecole de design Nantes Atlantique
– Third Prize: Rosae by Erwan Loirat and Chloé Maudet from L’Ecole de design Nantes Atlantique
– Head Judges’ Prize: Algae by Juan Bueno and Rosalía Ordóñez from IED Istituto Europeo di Design Madrid
– Public Choice Award: Whispers of the Ocean by Camila Gonçalves and Andrea Felip from IED Istituto Europeo di Design Madrid

Founded in 2016, the Accor Design Awards have evolved into an international stage for architectural and design innovation, with each edition dedicated to a different Accor brand and theme. Previous years have explored the future of luxury with Sofitel, the role of locality with Mercure, and the reinterpretation of travel icons such as Orient Express. In 2025, the focus on Novotel reflects pioneering partnership with WWF and commitment to champion the health and longevity of the world’s oceans.

In 2024, Novotel signed a three-year international partnership with WWF France to champion the protection and restoration of the ocean through science-based action and conservation projects. Under the three-year agreement, from 2024 to 2027, WWF France provides technical expertise to Novotel, helping its 600+ hotels worldwide to have a positive impact on the ocean, challenging and guiding the brand and its properties throughout many aspects of its operations. Through the partnership, Novotel is sponsoring five critical WWF ocean-related conservation projects across the world.

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Source: breakingtravelnews.com