2023 Winner

Mr Aulia Hakim


Title: PR
Company: Esra Lemmens Agency
Design Philosophy:

Creative soul and passionate designer Aulia Hakim started his career in Bali, where the value of artisanal quality and authenticity is celebrated. An abundance of inspiration shaped his design approach by engaging the senses to create meaningful designs. Culture, Nature, 2-dimensional art, and architecture are key inspirations when designing spaces and objects. He found his enthusiasm in hotel design after his first visit to Cliff Edge overlooking Indian ocean Hotel Alila Uluwatu, designed by SCDA, ten years ago, and decided to pursue hotel design as his true passion. As the trends grow, hotel design and holiday destination become unseparated variables in hospitality. His understanding of luxury also shifted from the norm from where the hotel splurged on luxurious finishes and grandeur elements to something more intangible and emphasizing in a sense of place and crafted experiences, such as creating a flow for guests from the airport to guestroom easy hotel check-in. His enthusiasm for hospitality also brought him exploring and channel his creativity in designing new types of hospitality from live-aboard vessel boats, luxurious desert glamping, and lifestyle hotels such W Hotel, iconic landmark Marina Bay Sands to exotic destination where Ritz Carlton Nestled in Red Sea Coastline. He stepped into the LW Design realm where every single design persona has its own unique personality, he strengthened his fundamental skills as a designer, combining architectural knowledge with multiculture background artistic flair, challenged by different project geographic and hospitality genre. From Initial conceptual design, developing spaces, creating bespoke furniture to curate a center art to the space. He is proven to have eye and senses to create unique personality into the hotel spaces. Together with Adrian Battisby (Partner, Director of Interior Design) and Tegan Kajewski (Design Director), they are building a global hospitality portfolio across Asia Pacific, Middle East, and Europe defining and setting a new trend.