The Atlas Hotel in Allston—an all-day lounge built around “third places”—has won a major Hospitality Design award, with other New England winners also recognized at the industry ceremony.
The lobby of The Atlas Hotel in Allston is already acting like a destination, and this week it earned formal recognition for doing so.
The 246-room hotel. which opened earlier this year. won in the “Lifestyle Hotel Public Space” category at the 22nd Annual Hospitality Design Awards.. The honors, awarded by Hospitality Design magazine, recognized year’s best design achievements worldwide from nearly 1,200 project and product submissions.
The Atlas Hotel sits at the entrance of Harvard’s Enterprise Research Campus and is steps from Harvard Business School. Its public spaces are built around sociologist Ray Oldenburg’s idea of “third places,” social hubs meant to sit between home and work.
At the center of that approach is what the hotel’s team calls the “central pulse” of the public space: the living room lobby.. The lounge is designed to be an all-day gathering spot. using natural materials—wood. stone. textile. and metal—to create warmth in a shared space.. The lobby also includes curated works by Boston-affiliated contemporary artists.
“We are honored to be recognized by Hospitality Design for our creative approach in shaping The Atlas as a dynamic gathering place rooted in culture and community. ” Arnaldo Almonte. managing director of the Atlas Hotel. said in a statement.. “This award is a testament to the flawless execution of developer Tishman Speyer’s unique vision for the hotel by INC Architecture & Design and Marlon Blackwell Architects.”
Beyond the lobby, the hotel offers a fitness center, meeting spaces, restaurant Ama at The Atlas, and Foxglove Terrace, a panoramic rooftop bar.
The Hospitality Design Awards winners were announced at a ceremony at Encore Resort at Wynn Las Vegas on May 5.
Other New England recipients included Belden House & Mews in Litchfield, Connecticut, which won for best small hotel; Camp DeForest in Lincolnville, Maine, which won for best visual identity; and Remy’s Loose restaurant in Newport, which won for best upscale restaurant.
In Allston, the recognition arrives as the hotel continues building out its hospitality footprint, including additional programming planned for the coming weeks.
Atlas Hotel Allston Harvard Enterprise Research Campus Hospitality Design Awards third places Ray Oldenburg INC Architecture & Design Marlon Blackwell Architects Tishman Speyer
Sounds like a fancy place to hang out and pretend it’s community.
Third places? So like Starbucks but with better lighting? Also 246 rooms is wild, wonder if it’s gonna get overbooked for Harvard people only.
Wait so the hotel is basically at Harvard’s campus entrance and now it’s getting awards for vibes? I don’t even think awards matter if the rooms are overpriced, but maybe the lobby is actually nice. Ray Oldenburg sounds like a professor thing I’ll never read lol.
I saw this and thought it was about the rooftop bar first, not like “third places” and art. Living room lobby?? Next they’ll say my living room is a lifestyle hotel. It’s cool they used natural materials but idk… sounds like they spent a ton and now want everyone to care. Also Encore at Wynn Las Vegas for the ceremony, of course it’s a big glamorous trip.