The 'Hotel Property of the Year 2026' award was presented to three projects for the first time this year, marking the award's anniversary. The acclaimed establishments — ARCOTEL Tabakfabrik in Linz, Austria, Casa Cook Madonna in Madonna di Campiglio, Italy, and Hotel Schani City in Vienna, Austria — received this recognition at the 196+ forum conference in Munich.
Andreas Martin, chairman of the jury, emphasised that honouring three projects with different concepts sends a strong signal. He highlighted that this diversity reflects the current hotel market. Successful projects are no longer defined by a single recipe, but by individual responses to location conditions, target groups and changing guest requirements. The three winners demonstrated the wide spectrum of future-proof hotel concepts in very different ways.
The interdisciplinary twelve-member jury had previously selected ten nominees from five countries out of 24 applications from eleven European countries. From this group, the three now-awarded hotels were chosen. Hotels that opened between January 2025 and June 2026 were eligible to participate. Criteria such as the overall concept of architecture and design, integration into the project environment, sustainability and technical innovations, the originality of the concept, and economic viability were decisive for the jury's selection.
Diversity and Innovation in the European Hotel Market
Thiemo Willms, jury member and Vice President Development DACH & Nordics at Accor, explained that this year's applications reflected the diversity and innovative power of the European hotel industry. This ranged from leisure destinations in the Alps to city hotels in metropolitan areas. Despite the restraint in new hotel constructions, numerous high-level projects were submitted, with repurposing and conversion concepts gaining increasing importance. The selection of finalists was the result of intensive professional discussions and careful consideration of factors such as location quality, economic viability, innovation, and sustainability.
The Award-Winning Projects in Detail
ARCOTEL Tabakfabrik, located in Linz, is part of the new Quadrill Quartier on the listed grounds of the Linz Tobacco Factory. The hotel tower, standing just over 100 metres tall, integrates the site's industrial heritage into contemporary high-rise architecture. It features 189 rooms and suites, as well as approximately 1,000 square metres of conference space. A highlight is the Q27 on the 27th floor at a height of 99 metres, which offers a restaurant, a bar, a lounge, and a terrace with 360-degree views over Linz and the Danube. The interior design, developed with Zechner & Zechner, preserves the history of the site through elements such as exposed concrete and metal, combined with warm materials and precise lighting design. The owner is TF BOSTON GmbH, the operator is ARCOTEL Hotels, and the project developer was Bodner Bau. Construction lasted 59 months.
Casa Cook Madonna di Campiglio emerged from the former family-run Hotel Milano and marks the first appearance of the international hotel brand Casa Cook in a traditional winter sports resort. The existing building from the 1960s was comprehensively revitalised and extended by ten rooms to a total of 50 units. The focus was on developing the existing structure rather than demolition. The design, adapted to the alpine context, combines dark wood, mineral surfaces, and warm earth tones with restored furniture. Located directly on the village square, the hotel aims to attract new, especially international, guest groups and provide impetus for development beyond the winter season. The owner is JPI Hotel Milano S.r.l., the operator Treasurests MdC S.r.l., and the project developer JPI Hospitality Advisory GmbH. Construction spanned 22 months.
Hotel Schani City in Vienna-Leopoldstadt presents itself as an urban oasis of calm on a side street near Karmelitermarkt. It combines contemporary architecture and natural materials with digital technologies and an art and design concept. The digital guest journey is intended to complement personal contact and create space for individualised service. The hotel references the cultural and Jewish history of the 'Mazzesinsel', integrates this into its storytelling, and offers technical equipment for so-called 'kosher-friendly' rooms. It sees itself as a meeting place for design and culture-loving city and business travellers. The owner is KODESCH GmbH, the operator is Hotel Schani City GmbH, and the project developer is HOPPE+PARTNER ZT-GmbH.
