Press Release
Silver A' Design Award in Hospitality, Recreation, Travel and Tourism Design Goes to Anantara Zanzibar Resort and Residences by Karla Seliman
Karla Seliman recognized for hospitality, recreation, travel and tourism design by the international grand jury of the 2025 - 2026 A' Design Award & Competition
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
COMO, Italy, April 21, 2026 /DesignNewswire/ A' Design Award & Competition has confirmed the Silver A' Design Award in the Hospitality, Recreation, Travel and Tourism Design category for Anantara Zanzibar Resort and Residences by Karla Seliman, designed for Infinity Design and Architecture. The result belongs to the 2025 - 2026 A' Design Award & Competition and was decided through blind peer review by an international grand jury panel of established academics, design professionals and press members, who assessed anonymized entries against predetermined criteria.
About the Silver A' Design Award
The Silver A' Design Award celebrates top-tier designs that embody excellence and innovation. This award acknowledges creations that are not only aesthetically pleasing but also highly functional, reflecting the designer's deep understanding and skill. Silver A' Design Award recipients are recognized for their contribution to raising industry standards and advancing the practice of design. Their work often incorporates original innovations and elicits a strong emotional response, making a notable impact on the improvement of everyday life.
Regarding Anantara Zanzibar Resort and Residences
Anantara Zanzibar is a beachfront resort and residences project located in Nungwi, on the coast of Zanzibar, overlooking the Indian Ocean. The design combines local heritage with modern comfort. Limewashed walls, carved timber doors, handwoven lattice screens, and locally sourced coral stone are used throughout. Courtyards, pavilions, and verandas link indoor and outdoor spaces. The villas include private pools, sunken firepits, and lagoon decks. The layout guides guests from open social areas to quiet retreats.
Award Record
This recognition makes Karla Seliman a winner of 1 A' Design Award.
About the A' Hospitality, Recreation, Travel and Tourism Design Award
The A' Hospitality Design Award is an international hospitality design competition recognizing good hospitality designs by best hospitality designers worldwide. The competition is organized within the A' Design Award & Competition and is open to hospitality designers, architects, hospitality brands and hotel chains from all countries. Entries typically include hotels, restaurants, resorts, cafes, bars and cruise ships. Awarded hospitality designs are published at https://dezigners.org/design-category/hospitality
About A' Design Award & Competition
A' Design Award & Competition is an international, juried design accolade organized annually since 2008. The competition is open to entries from all countries. The A' Design Award has a philanthropic mission to advance society through good design by recognizing and promoting superior products, projects and services that benefit society, and by creating a global awareness and appreciation for good design practices and principles. Entries are peer reviewed and anonymously evaluated by an international grand jury panel of established academics, design professionals and press members against predetermined criteria such as functionality, ergonomics, engineering, presentation, innovation, usability, sustainability and technology, with score normalization applied to remove biases. Awards are conferred at Platinum, Gold, Silver, Bronze and Iron levels. The A' Design Prize granted to eligible laureates includes the award trophy, the certificate of design excellence, the hardcover yearbook, a lifetime license to use the A' Design Award winner logo, exhibition of awarded works, an invitation to the gala night and award ceremony in Italy, inclusion in the World Design Rankings and Designer Rankings, and public relations and publicity services. Registration, the upload of a work and the preliminary score are free of charge, and Professional and Digital Edition laureates are not contractually obliged to pay further fees to claim the A' Design Prize. Further information is available at https://competition.adesignaward.com
Press Resources
- Winner Page: https://dezigners.org/177335
- A' Design Award Page: https://competition.adesignaward.com/177335
- Media Showcase: https://www.designnewsroom.com/!177335
- Laureate Profile: https://dezigners.org/d/373916
- Further Information from the Laureate: https://anantarazanzibar.com/
Media Contact
Giulia Ferrari, Press Office
Designers.Org
Via Leone Leoni 32, 22100 Como, Italy
press@designers.org
+39 031 4491953
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Fact Sheet
The Work
- Project
- Anantara Zanzibar Resort and Residences
- Function
- Resort and Residences
- Category
- Hospitality, Recreation, Travel and Tourism Design
- Discipline
- Service Design
- Industry
- Food & Hospitality and Sports
- Colors
- Dark Slate Gray, Dark Olive Green, Light Sea Green, Medium Aquamarine and Dim Gray
- Images
- 5
- Client
- Infinity Design and Architecture
The Recognition
- Laureate
- Karla Seliman
- Recognition
- Silver A' Design Award
- Edition
- 2025 - 2026
- Design ID
- #177335
Credits
- Team
- Karla Seliman (Design Director), Osama Al-Hajjar (Principal Architect), Rohit Al Manzalji, Isa Ahmed Isa, Bisher Alatiah, Yazan Zaem, Ian Iglesias
- Image Credits
- Infinity Design and Architecture, Anantara Zanzibar Master Plan, 2025.
Design Details
- Unique Properties
- The Anantara Zanzibar Resort & Residences is a five-star beachfront development blending contemporary elegance with Zanzibar’s heritage. Architectural details such as limewashed walls, carved doors, lattice screens, and coral stone are paired with modern comfort. Spacious villas with private pools, sunken firepits, and saltwater lagoons highlight cultural authenticity while setting a new benchmark for luxury design in East Africa.
- Inspiration
- The project is inspired by Zanzibar’s raw natural beauty and cultural heritage, reinterpreted through a lens of modern luxury. As design director Karla Seliman explains, the vision was “born from standing alone on the island of Zanzibar, as if it were deserted, imagining how I would build an entire city from its raw, natural beauty.” Guided by this approach, the resort was crafted as an extension of nature itself, with open, flowing spaces that blur the boundaries between indoors and outdoors.
- Research
- Architectural research combined contextual analysis, vernacular studies, and market demand assessments. Objectives were to fuse Swahili heritage with modern hospitality. Methods included site surveys, material sourcing, and cultural consultations with local artisans. Insights revealed demand for authentic ultra-luxury resorts in Zanzibar, shaping a design that bridges heritage and contemporary global standards.
- Challenge
- The main challenge was balancing local craftsmanship and heritage expression with international five-star hospitality standards. Constraints included sourcing authentic materials, ensuring environmental integration, and adapting vernacular motifs to modern construction techniques. Overcoming these created a design that is both culturally grounded and globally aspirational.
- Realization and Technology
- The design employs locally sourced coral stone, mangrove poles, carved timber doors, and handwoven lattice screens, paired with modern construction methods. Finishes include limewashed walls, fluted wood detailing, brushed metal, veined marble, and weathered stone, all selected for authenticity, durability, and timeless appeal.
- Operation and Interaction
- Spaces are designed as a sequence of sensory journeys, moving from open social areas to quiet retreats. Courtyards, pavilions, and verandas create natural transitions, while water features and native flora encourage exploration. Villas offer private pools, firepits, and lagoon decks, ensuring immersive and intuitive guest experiences.
- Project Duration and Location
- The project is located in Nungwi, on the northeastern coastline of Zanzibar, overlooking the Indian Ocean. Development commenced with design studies in Dubai and Zanzibar and continues toward phased realization, supported by Minor Hotels and Infinity Developments.
- Specifications
- Hotel suites range from 57.5–62 sqm, one-bedroom villas at 240 sqm, two-bedroom villas at 360 sqm, and three-bedroom residences at 485 sqm across two levels. The penthouse spans 175 sqm, while royal suites measure 115 sqm. All layouts prioritize ergonomic flows, generous indoor–outdoor connections, and Anantara’s global spatial planning standards.
- Keywords
- Zanzibar, Luxury Resort, Branded Residences, Beachfront Villas, Swahili Architecture, Coastal Design, Tropical Retreat, Contemporary Elegance, Anantara, East Africa
