FAQ

ENTRY SUBMISSION, ELIGIBILITY, & CATEGORIES

1. How do I enter my entry submission?

Submitting your entry is very simple and can be done on the MUSE Hotel Awards website in just FOUR (4) simple steps:

  1. Register for an account on the MUSE Hotel Awards Website – If you are already registered, then just log in!
  2. Fill out an online submission form and tick the boxes on the category you want to participate in. You can select up to multiple categories for each entry.
  3. Upload pictures of your entry in JPEG/PNG and PDF files format as needed.
  4. Add to Cart. Then, add more categories or checkout and pay.

Please note that entries that are submitted in more than one category is subject to additional costs. However, no additional materials are needed for most categories.

2. Entry Submissions

  • All entry submissions must be shared with all aspects and similarities accurately matching their real-world counterparts and properties and must remain unmodified throughout the duration of the competition.
  • A written synopsis or summary no more than 350 words of the entry submission in any category must be provided. For foreign entries, a written translation or adaptation in English is required.
  • The MUSE Hotel Awards reserves the right to re-categorize any and all entry submissions that are incorrectly entered.
  • The judges reserve the right to withhold an award in any category the submission is entered into if they do not meet their level of expectations.

3. Submission Format

Image Submission:
The submissions should be saved in a flattened JPEG or JPG format. (keep them under 4MB, 1,200px wide is preferable, 300dpi, RGB).


Video/Audio Submission:
Entries with audio/video must be submitted with a direct URL that will take judges directly to the work:
Upload video/audio to Vimeo/YouTube/Youku.
Paste the URL link into the URL field.


What if I have trouble uploading my images?

Firstly, check if the image does not exceed the maximum size (4MB) or width (1,200 px), and the file name only contains letters or numbers. Once checked, try to upload your images again. If you’re still having trouble after this, contact our team at info@musehotelawards.com.

4. Who is Eligible to Enter?

The MUSE Hotel Awards is open to hoteliers, hotel developers and builders, interior designers, architects, public relations companies, advertising firms, business owners, government and private sectors, and all industry positions within the hospitality industry. Newly-opened establishments and aspiring hoteliers in the industry can participate by nominating themselves or others in any award category. Hotels under development can be entered at any stage of construction provided planning approval has been granted. Companies may submit single or multiple entries.

5. What Is the Limit for Entry Submissions?

There are no limits on the amount of entries you can submit.

6. Can I Enter My Work into Multiple/All Categories?

Yes, you can still enter your same work into as many categories as you see fit. However, there are additional fees that will be charged for each new award category submission.

7. Does my project have to be designed or developed in the US?

No, projects don’t have to be designed or developed within the US to participate in the competition. MUSE Hotel Awards is open to projects located anywhere in the world.

8. Can I submit a work that has won an award or has been entered in a previous MUSE Hotel Awards competition, or in another competition?

Yes, you may submit entries that have been previously submitted or have won an award. However, in an effort to promote the creation of new work and maintain a fresh flow of ideas, we encourage you to submit new work.

9. Can I send physical support materials for the competition? If so, will it be returned to me and do I need to send a return-handling fee?

You are not required to submit your drawings, floor plans or project plans. However, we encourage participants to submit as much information as possible for a better representation of your project. We understand that every project is unique, therefore, you have the freedom to submit any information that you think is suitable. We encourage you to provide a plan of at least one part of the project. This is to ensure our juries will have enough information for project evaluation.

10.How will I know if my submission is complete, and what do I do if it’s not?

If a submission is incomplete at the closing of the competition (e.g. the submission has not been paid, or incorrectly uploaded images), it will not be eligible. Although we make every effort to ensure the completion of submissions, we are not responsible for incomplete entries, thus being unable to offer a refund should an entry be incomplete at the time of the closing of the competition.

11. Can I make changes to my entry after I have paid?

Yes, you may edit your entry up until the start of the judging period.

12. What is "Keep My Entry Private"?

If this is selected, your entry brief and images will not be shown to the public after it has been crowned as a MUSE winner. You can only see the entry thumbnail when you browse the Winner's Page. We will not promote any private winning entries on our social media platforms as well.

ENTRY FEES AND PAYMENTS

1. What are the Entry Fees?

Regular entry fees for Hotel award categories are priced at $450, and Hospitality Design entry fees are priced at $189 for each work. If a work is submitted in more than one award category, then an additional entry fee will be imposed for each award category.

Entry fee sales are final and non-refundable once entries have been submitted. Withdrawn entries (whether withdrawn by the entrant or awards due to failure of complying with entry rules) are not subject to refunds. Please click here to see entry rates.

2. How do I Pay for The Entry Submission?

Payments for submission entries are all made online only. You may pay through Credit Card (VISA/Mastercard) or PayPal (AMEX/PayPal).

3. Are all the fees on your website in USD?

Yes, all payments are made and accepted only in USD at this moment.

JUDGING

1. Judging Criteria

Judges score on a scale of 1-100 points based on the following aspects in each award category:

Hotel
  • Establishment Overview
  • Facilities
  • Visual Identity / Design
  • Brand Review and Reputation on Platform or Social Media
  • Overall Impression
Hospitality Design
  • Creativity / Originality / Concept / Idea
  • Content / Brief / Objective / Planning / Execution
  • Innovation / Technology
  • Quality / Functionality / Sustainability
  • Overall Impression / Wow! Factor / Memorable

The MUSE Hotel Awards and International Awards Associate Inc's decision and ranking is final in its sole discretion and binding relation to all matters relating to competitions and may not be subject to any discussions or correspondence.

2. The Juries

To uphold the prestige and reputation of the MUSE Hotel Awards, a large part of the competition is highly dependent on the careful selection of judges of high calibre that convene each year to review submissions. This collective panel of juries assembled by International Awards Associate Inc (IAA) is primarily composed of industry experts and veterans with years of experience in the hospitality and tourism industry. This esteemed group of jurors represent the breadth of the profession, including private, public, institutional, and academic practice. They embody diversity in professional experience, geography, gender and ethnicity.

3. Judging process

Judging is blind. All entrant information is removed from entries to prevent bias/conflict of interest.

MUSE Hotel Awards' judging process is designed to be impartial and free from outside influences by withholding both the names of the judges on its panel as well as the contestant's names throughout the entire evaluation process. This anonymity shelters all involved from any vested interest which may attempt to influence the judges' opinions or the judging process.

WINNERS

1. How Are Winners for MUSE Hotel Awards Chosen?

All MUSE Hotel Awards entries are judged at random by a panel of jurors without any bias or direct comparison to other entries in any category. All submissions are fairly evaluated based on the judging criteria set by MUSE Hotel Awards and IAA competition requirements (please refer to “Judging Criteria”).

In order to maintain an exceptional standard of quality as consistently as possible, a single award category may either have multiple winners or none at all. All submissions and entries are critique-rated by consensus by a panel of judges that determine the rating with a point-based system of 100 points. Entry winners with 85-100 points are awarded Platinum, entries with 70-84 points awarded Gold, and winning entries with 50-69 points awarded Silver.

Entries who have received an average score of under 50 points will not receive an award.

2. Winning Levels & Number of Winning Entries

There are THREE (3) levels of awards in the MUSE Hotel Awards:

  • Platinum Winner (85-100 Points)
  • Gold Winner (70-84 Points)
  • Silver Winner (50-69 Points)

The number of awards presented by MUSE Hotel Awards is wholly based on the number of submission entries won in a given category, scoring range, and number of tie scores.

3. What Will the Winners Receive?

Every year, the MUSE Hotel Awards will honor the very best entries from around the world who continue to raise the benchmark of the hospitality and tourism industry.

  • Category Winners of the Year will receive a Limited Edition MUSE Statuette to be displayed at your establishment as a quality of excellence.
  • Category Winners of the Year – Winner’s Banner to be featured on category page and link to website for 30 days for maximum exposure.
  • Category Winners of the Year will be highlighted on MUSE Hotel Awards Gallery Section located at the Home Page for 30 days to increase public visibility.
  • Winner Interview – All winners will get a chance for an interview to recognize the winning team that contributed to the project.
  • A Dedicated Hotel, Design, or Agency Profile (Winner’s Page) for Category Winners of the Year, Platinum, Gold, and Silver Winners. Winners can also include booking (Agoda, Booking.com, Trivago, etc.) or official website links in their profile page.
  • Marketing Tools – A professionally-designed icon, badge, site bug, press release templates, and email signature to celebrate your win.
  • Winners of all winning levels will be featured on the MUSE Hotel Awards Winners Section.
  • Category Winners of the Year, Platinum and Gold Winners will be featured by MUSE on social media or on Muse.World, our media partner site to maximize exposure.
  • A complimentary professionally-designed certificate to commemorate winning entry submissions that includes entry title, entrant company and/or winner’s name, and award category. A decal will be customized to indicate the winning level.
  • An e-Certificate to commemorate your win, can be downloaded. Details such as Entry Title, Entrant Company and Categories will be displayed on the e-Certificate.
  • Platinum, Gold, and Silver winners will be given the choice to purchase limited-edition statuettes and/or additional award certificates while stocks last.
  • A press release template will be available for all winning levels to download and modified to be sent to major industry outlets for marketing and promotions, celebrating your win.

The number of awards presented by MUSE Hotel Awards is wholly based by the number of submission entries won in a given category, scoring range, and number of tie scores.

4. Why Must Winners’ Trophies Be Purchased?

The MUSE Hotel Awards’ mission is to recognize the efforts of its contestants, brilliance and creativity of the firm to set a new gold standard in the hotel trade that will otherwise be overshadowed by the larger and big-budget firms that dominate all other competitions. The MUSE Hotel Awards also wants to encourage growth of more aspiring hoteliers, as well as up-and-coming talents in the hospitality and tourism industry to enter and gain valuable experience.

In our quest to do so, MUSE Hotel Awards maintains appropriately-priced and affordable entry fees (the lowest in the hotel awards industry) to allow boutique hotels, hotel chains, freelancer and design agencies, start-ups and industry leaders to compete on equal ground regardless of exchange rates and economic conditions.

When an entrant is recognized as a winner, there are no additional fees to be charged for the entry. If you win, you win!

If the entrant would like to have a statuette to commemorate their win, the MUSE Hotel Awards will make them available for purchase and allowing you to purchase from the manufacturer. This process allows the MUSE Hotel Awards to maintain its low entry fees and prevents non-winner’s subsidy of winners.

However, some winning entrants can also choose not to receive a physical memento as their main priority is the prestige of recognition and the exposure that they rightly deserve. While others choose to order statuettes and/or certificates for multiple individuals on the creative team and the client behind the scenes. It all depends on the winners!

5. How do I Know If I Won an Award?

All 2024 winners of the MUSE Hotel Awards will be announced on April 12, 2024 via the MUSE Hotel Awards official page. All participants that are registered in the website can login to see the winning works.

We will duly notify the winning submissions through email, so do ensure that your email address is correct. If you are unable to find the email from us, please check your spam folder.

GENERAL INFORMATION

1. MUSE Hotel Awards Sponsorship

The MUSE Hotel Awards is conducted by the International Awards Associate Inc (IAA). IAA is not tied to any advertiser, magazine, trade association, ad club or other outside influence.

IAA’s goal is to provide affordable, independent competitions on an international stage that are respected as fair and open to all, regardless of company size or bottom line.

IAA is an independent, international organization focused on creating a community of marketing creativity, effectiveness and excellence. It conducts impartial, 'blind' judged competitions and, once completed, it recognizes, celebrates and promotes creative, effective and marketing excellence in those winning companies and individuals.

2. Entry Terms & Conditions

The MUSE Hotel Awards assumes that all entry submissions in any and/or all awards categories are 100% original and is either owned by the entrant or has permission from a client or other appropriate parties to enter the submission and with all rights therein. In the event where the entrant without such rights submits the work, the entrant will be deemed ineligible for the competition and will be immediately disqualified. The MUSE Hotel Awards is not liable for any copyright infringement on the part of the entrant.

Copyright and all other rights remain that of the entrant, and all entrants must understand and agree that any work that is submitted to the competition may be used by MUSE Hotel Awards and its media partners for the intent of marketing and promotional purposes of the competition only, including media such as exhibitions, print and digital media that is directly related to the MUSE Hotel Awards.

Submission of the entry meeting the eligibility requirements and payment of the entry fees as stated herein on time ensures that the entrants' work will be reviewed and considered for recognition. No other representation or warrant will be made by MUSE Hotel Awards that concerns entries and all warranties that are implied are hereby expressly disclaimed.

If the entrant’s submission receives an award after the competition, the manner and details of the nomination and awards announcement is strictly within the discretion of MUSE Hotel Awards. The entrant understands that all awards may not be given or publicized in the same manner or form.

3. Refund Policy

Entries

Entry fees are final and non-refundable once payment has been made. Similarly, withdrawn entries are also non-refundable (even when withdrawn by the entrant or by MUSE Hotel Awards for the entrant’s failure to comply with entry rules.)

4. Scam Warning: Important Information

There are many people and groups that attempt to obtain your money or personal information inappropriately through fraudulent means. Often, these people and groups misrepresent who they are in an effort to deceive you about the legitimacy of what they are claiming. Sometimes, although not always, they will claim that you have won a lottery or sweepstakes and ask that you send them money so that they can release your supposed winnings to you. In such a situation, you should be very careful and fully investigate any and all claims before you send any money. Please be aware that there are many scams that use SMS/e-mail in an attempt to defraud people using methods similar to these, and we warn strongly against your responding to this type of SMS/e-mail without rigorous investigation to establish whether it is of a genuine nature. Generally, you should treat unsolicited communication (e-mail, phone and letters) that offer financial gain with extreme suspicion; be aware that legitimate lotteries rarely, if ever, ask for a fee to release your winnings; you should not pay any requested fee in advance without fully investigating the matter; and you should not provide banking details or other sensitive financial information in response to emails, phone inquiries and letters without a thorough investigation. In recent years we have been aware of instances of individuals and fraudulent organizations that have been sending notices to people falsely claiming that the recipients have won a lottery.

These notices falsely claim to be from IAA (MUSE CREATIVE AWARDS, MUSE DESIGN AWARDS, MUSE HOTEL AWARDS, MUSE PHOTOGRAPHY AWARDS, NYX AWARDS, NYX GAME AWARDS, TITAN BUSINESS AWARDS, TITAN PROPERTY AWARDS, TITAN WOMEN IN BUSINESS AWARDS, TITAN HEALTH AWARDS, TITAN INNOVATION AWARDS, TITAN BRAND AWARDS, NY PRODUCT DESIGN AWARDS, NEW YORK PHOTOGRAPHY AWARDS, NY ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN AWARDS, LIT MUSIC AWARDS, LIT ENTERTAINMENT AWARDS, LONDON PHOTOGRAPHY AWARDS, LONDON DESIGN AWARDS, EUROPEAN PHOTOGRAPHY AWARDS, iLUXURY AWARDS, VEGA DIGITAL AWARDS, FRENCH DESIGN AWARDS) and even have the name and contact information of IAA (MUSE CREATIVE AWARDS, MUSE DESIGN AWARDS, MUSE HOTEL AWARDS, MUSE PHOTOGRAPHY AWARDS, NYX AWARDS, NYX GAME AWARDS, TITAN BUSINESS AWARDS, TITAN PROPERTY AWARDS, TITAN WOMEN IN BUSINESS AWARDS, TITAN HEALTH AWARDS, TITAN INNOVATION AWARDS, TITAN BRAND AWARDS, NY PRODUCT DESIGN AWARDS, NEW YORK PHOTOGRAPHY AWARDS, NY ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN AWARDS, LIT MUSIC AWARDS, LIT ENTERTAINMENT AWARDS, LONDON PHOTOGRAPHY AWARDS, LONDON DESIGN AWARDS, EUROPEAN PHOTOGRAPHY AWARDS, iLUXURY AWARDS, VEGA DIGITAL AWARDS, FRENCH DESIGN AWARDS) employees along with IAA (MUSE CREATIVE AWARDS, MUSE DESIGN AWARDS, MUSE HOTEL AWARDS, MUSE PHOTOGRAPHY AWARDS, NYX AWARDS, NYX GAME AWARDS, TITAN BUSINESS AWARDS, TITAN PROPERTY AWARDS, TITAN WOMEN IN BUSINESS AWARDS, TITAN HEALTH AWARDS, TITAN INNOVATION AWARDS, TITAN BRAND AWARDS, NY PRODUCT DESIGN AWARDS, NEW YORK PHOTOGRAPHY AWARDS, NY ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN AWARDS, LIT MUSIC AWARDS, LIT ENTERTAINMENT AWARDS, LONDON PHOTOGRAPHY AWARDS, LONDON DESIGN AWARDS, EUROPEAN PHOTOGRAPHY AWARDS, iLUXURY AWARDS, VEGA DIGITAL AWARDS, FRENCH DESIGN AWARDS) branding.

These notices are completely fraudulent, cleverly designed to trick people into sending money for prizes they will never receive. IAA (MUSE CREATIVE AWARDS, MUSE DESIGN AWARDS, MUSE HOTEL AWARDS, MUSE PHOTOGRAPHY AWARDS, NYX AWARDS, NYX GAME AWARDS, TITAN BUSINESS AWARDS, TITAN PROPERTY AWARDS, TITAN WOMEN IN BUSINESS AWARDS, TITAN HEALTH AWARDS, TITAN INNOVATION AWARDS, TITAN BRAND AWARDS, NY PRODUCT DESIGN AWARDS, NEW YORK PHOTOGRAPHY AWARDS, NY ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN AWARDS, LIT MUSIC AWARDS, LIT ENTERTAINMENT AWARDS, LONDON PHOTOGRAPHY AWARDS, LONDON DESIGN AWARDS, EUROPEAN PHOTOGRAPHY AWARDS, iLUXURY AWARDS, VEGA DIGITAL AWARDS, FRENCH DESIGN AWARDS) is NOT AND HAS NEVER RUN a sweepstake, a lottery OR ANY FORM OF CONTEST OF THESE KINDS and has never asked anyone to wire money to redeem a prize.

Please do not respond to any SMS, email, or any other means of communication claiming that you have won a prize. If you have any question as to the validity of an offer, please contact us at iaa@iaaawards.org / info@museawards.com / info@museawards.com / info@musehotelawards.com / info@musephotographyawards.com / info@nyxgameawards.com / info@nyxawards.com / info@thetitanawards.com / info@thepropertyawards.com / info@thewomenbusinessawards.com / info@titanhealthawards.com / info@titaninnovationawards.com / info@titanbrandawards.com / info@nydesignawards.com / info@newyorkphotographyawards.com / info@nyarchitectureawards.com / info@litmusicawards.com / info@litentertainmentawards.com / info@londonphotographyawards.com / info@thelondondesignawards.com / info@europeanphotoawards.com / info@iluxuryawards.com / info@vegaawards.com / info@frenchdesignawards.com.

5. Can I request a refund after I receive my order from the MUSE Hotel Awards?

Once the shipment or merchandise is received, we generally do not offer refunds under any circumstances. Exceptions might only be made if the item(s) you receive is damaged or if the item(s) you ordered is missing from your shipment.

If your item(s) arrive damaged, or any item(s) ordered is missing from your shipment please contact our support team at info@musehotelawards.com immediately.

Any reported issues will be meticulously reviewed by our dedicated awards team before any resolution, such as issuing a refund, is considered. Please be advised that the final decision in such matters rests solely with the MUSE Hotel Awards team, as we endeavor to protect the interests and uphold the rights of all parties involved.