Dezeen promotion: a luxury retreat tucked away in the Mexican jungle and a warehouse-turned-hotel in New Orleans are among the projects to be shortlisted in this year's AHEAD Americas awards.
The 2019 edition of the AHEAD Americas awards celebrates design-focused hotels completed in North and South America between November 2017 ? December 2018.
Submitted projects have been arranged into 13 categories, which acknowledge everything from the best resort hotel to the most striking guest rooms.
The Eliza Jane hotel, which sits inside an old warehouse, is on the shortlist
A shortlist has been compiled by an expert panel of architects, interior designers, hoteliers and industry commentators. Figures this year includes Aliya Khan, vice president of design strategies at Marriott International, Jou-yie Chou, creative director of Studio Tack, and Johnathan Garrison, managing partner at Yabu Pushelberg. "As well as projects that are aesthetically impressive, the judges will be looking for evidence that winning designs have also met the needs of client and customers alike," explained the AHEAD team.
The Los Angeles boutique hotel, Gold Diggers, is also on the list
One of the projects to appear on the shortlist is The Eliza Jane hotel in New Orleans, which occupies seven historic warehouses south of the city's French Quarter. At its centre is a 185 square-metre courtyard, dotted with leafy plants and mismatch furnishings.

Another project to be shortlisted is Gold Digger in Los...