SHLD Awards 2026

Judges

  • A woman with long wavy brown hair smiling, wearing a gray business suit and white blouse, standing with arms crossed against a gray textured background.

    Laurie Woliung

    HSDC/MindClick Advisor

  • Fred Brandstrader

    Fred Brandstrader

    Vice President - Construction and Capital Expenditures Hyatt

  • A woman with blonde hair wearing glasses, earrings, and a black dress, smiling in front of a pink background.

    Ashley Michaels

    Sr. Manager Product Experience & Prototypes Global Design, Hilton

  • Portrait of a smiling man with light hair, wearing a purple shirt and plaid blazer, against a plain white background.

    Robert Stuckey

    Vice President, Strategic Partnerships and Business Development-AHLA

  • Michelle Finn

    Michelle Finn

    VP Design + Construction Products & Services The BHN Group

  • Kavitha Iyer

    Kavitha Iyer

    VP Architecture & Design 
    Choice Hotels International 

  • Diane Nguyen

    Diane Nguyen

    Vice President of Design at Highgate Hotels

  • A woman with long red hair, wearing a black blazer over a purple blouse, standing with arms crossed and smiling in an indoor setting with a dark background.

    Kari Olsen Carr

    Senior Vice President at Pebblebrook Hotel Trust

  • Vanessa Stanley

    Vanessa Stanley

    Vice President of New Builds + Portfolio Strategies at PM Hotel Group

  • Robyn Kaminski

    Robyn Kaminski

    Senior Director, Design Strategy at Marriott International

Judging Criteria

VISION: The goal for the guest experience based on the design concept

CREATIVITY: How the team embraced unconventional thinking to achieve both Impact and Vision

IMPACT: Evaluation of environmental and social impact of products selected for project based on MindClick’s Sustainability Assessment

EXECUTION: How well the Vision, Creativity and Impact came together to meet all project performance factors - design, budget, sustainability and intended guest experience

Awards

The award consists of a trophy and a certificate, with no monetary prizes included. Select honorees will be presented during AHLA's Responsible Stay Summit on March 4, 2026, and featured in social media and outreach campaigns.