Dezeen promotion: a hotel overlooking the Hajar Mountains in Oman and a Botswanan lodge located on a UNESCO World Heritage site are among the shortlisted projects for the inaugural AHEAD Middle East and Africa awards for hospitality experience and design.

The AHEAD Middle East and Africa (MEA) awards will recognise the region's best hospitality design and architecture completed between January 2016 and February 2017.

Projects are split across 15 different categories: Bar, Club or Lounge; Event Spaces; Guestrooms; Hotel Renovation & Restoration; Landscaping & Outdoor Spaces; Lobby & Public Spaces; Lodges & Tented Camps; Resort Hotel; Restaurant; Spa & Wellness; Suite; Urban Hotel; New Concept of the Year; and MEA Hotel of the Year.

Among the total 32 nominated hotels are projects in Kenya, Morocco, Turkey and Dubai – where over half are located.

The Belmond Eagle Island Lodge in Botswana and the Anantara Al Jabal Al Akhdar Resort in Oman are joined on the shortlist by Six Senses Zil Pasyon – a resort made up of 30 pool villas on a private island in the Seychelles. The Belmond Mount Nelson Hotel in Cape Town, which features an eye-catching pink facade, is also on the list.

Winners are selected by a regional judging panel made up of architects and hoteliers, as well as interior designers and other industry figures. Each project will be assessed on its design, guest experience, and commercial viability.

The judges include Marc Dardenne, group chief operating officer at Jumeriah; Clinton Freeman, director of design at Hilton and Isabel Pintado, senior vice president and managing director at Wilson Associates Dubai.

The winners will be announced at the AHEAD MEA awards ceremony taking place at the W Al Habtoor City Dubai on 15 November 2017.

AHEAD MEA is the third in a series of four annual, regional award schemes. The other regions include Asia and Americas which were held in March and June respectively, and Europe which will take place at the end of November.

The awards will conclude in a Global Biennale in 2019, where the collective winners will compete to be a worldwide winner in each category.

Read on for the full shortlist:

Bar, Club or Lounge

BOA Lounge & Club at W Al Habtoor City – Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Cubano Lito at Ibis One Central Hotel – Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Little Black Door at Conrad Dubai – United Arab Emirates
Siddharta Lounge at Grosvenor House Hotel – Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Guestrooms

Anantara Al Jabal Al Akhdar Resort – Nizwa, Oman
Jumeirah Al Naseem – Dubai, United Arab Emirates
La Ville Hotel & Suites City Walk – Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Room Mate Emir – Istanbul, Turkey

Hotel Renovation & Restoration

Belmond Mount Nelson Hotel – Cape Town, South Africa
Kempinski Summerland Hotel & Resort – Beirut, Lebanon
Mövenpick Hotel Mansour Eddahbi & Palais des Congrès – Marrakech, Morocco
Radisson Blu Hotel & Residence, Cape Town – South Africa

Landscaping & Outdoor Spaces

Anantara Al Jabal Al Akhdar Resort – Nizwa, Oman
Burj Al Arab Jumeirah – Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Six Senses Zil Pasyon – Seychelles
The Oberoi Beach Resort, Al Zorah – Ajman, United Arab Emirates

Lobby & Public Spaces

Fairmont Fujairah Beach Resort – United Arab Emirates
Le Royal Meridien Beach Resort & Spa – Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Media One Hotel – Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Rove Downtown – Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Lodges & Tented Camps

Asilia Highlands – Ngorongoro Conservation Area, Tanzania
Belmond Eagle Island Lodge – Okavango Delta, Botswana
Loisaba Tented Camp – Laikipia, Kenya
Singita Lebombo Lodge – Kruger National Park, South Africa

Resort Hotel

Anantara Al Jabal Al Akhdar Resort – Nizwa, Oman
Fairmont Fujairah Beach Resort – United Arab Emirates
Jumeirah Al Naseem – Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Sofitel Tamuda Bay Beach & Spa – Tangier, Morocco

Restaurant

Address Boulevard – Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Miyako at Grand Hyatt Dubai – United Arab Emirates
Rüya at Grosvenor House Hotel – Dubai, United Arab Emirates
The Daily at Rove Downtown – Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Spa & Wellness

Anantara Spa at Anantara Al Jabal Al Akhdar Resort – Nizwa, Oman
Dahlia Spa at Four Seasons Hotel Abu Dhabi – United Arab Emirates
Nikki Spa at Nikki Beach Resort & Spa – Dubai United Arab Emirates
Ô de Rose Spa at Mövenpick Hotel Mansour Eddahbi & Palais des Congrès – Marrakech Morocco

Suite

AlRayyan Hotel Doha, Curio Collection by Hilton – Qatar
Royal Suite at Jumeirah Al Naseem – Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Villa Suites at Six Senses Zil Pasyon – Seychelles
Villa Suites at The Oberoi Beach Resort, Al Zorah – Ajman, United Arab Emirates

Urban Hotel

Address Boulevard – Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Fairmont Quasar Istanbul – Turkey
Four Seasons Hotel Dubai International Financial Centre – United Arab Emirates
La Ville Hotel & Suites City Walk – Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Events Spaces

Mövenpick Hotel Mansour Eddahbi & Palais des Congrès – Marrakech MoroccoRove Downtown – Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Rove Downtown – Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Sofitel Jeddah Corniche – Saudi Arabia
Sofitel Tamuda Bay Beach & Spa – Tangier, Morocco