Berlin, 29 April 2026 – VIA Antwerp, a lifestyle hotel designed by Berlin-based interior designer Merav Bustan, has received the Best Hotel Design Award of the year at the Independent Hotel Show Amsterdam 2026. Presented annually, the award recognises outstanding hotel projects across the Benelux region and Germany, evaluating both design quality and the integration of guest experience, functionality, and innovation. The award ceremony took place on 22 April 2026 in Amsterdam.

A hotel as an urban living room

With VIA Antwerp, Bustan redefines the role of the hotel, positioning it as a space that engages with the life of the city, rather than serving solely as accommodation. Centred around the idea of a social interior, the project is designed as a fluid, all-day environment where guests and locals naturally overlap. Framed as a “living room for the city,” the hotel operates as a continuous setting for work, social interaction, and everyday use. The project reflects a broader shift in hospitality, from static accommodation to spaces that function as social and cultural infrastructure in the community.

“Hotels today can no longer operate as just a places to stay – they must have a second life,” says Bustan. “With VIA Antwerp, the intention was to create an environment that encourages interaction and energy, while still offering comfort and ease for both hotel guests and locals.”