WATG and Wimberly Interiors in the Global Press: June 2026

Restoration defined much of June’s media coverage of WATG and Wimberly Interiors, from the historic cloisters of Four Seasons Hotel and Residences Cartagena to the eco-sanctuary of Lagen Island Resort, El Nido and the seasonal reopening of Porto Elounda on the Cretan coast. Industry recognition ran alongside the project coverage, with the month closing on a strong note across three awards spanning hospitality, architecture, and design.

Two months after opening, Four Seasons Hotel and Residences Cartagena continues to attract sustained editorial attention, with June bringing the most substantial pieces of review coverage the property has received to date.

Wallpaper* published a full hotel review giving WATG and Wimberly Interiors prominent billing in the design section of the piece. The review described WATG’s architectural challenge as transforming a scatter of historic buildings in varying states of disrepair into a coherent compound, with significant time and investment going into restoring the most sacred spaces. Additionally, Wimberly Interiors was credited alongside the late François Catroux and AvroKO for the interiors, with the Umari Spa receiving particular attention.

Surface published a feature positioning the property as a new chapter for Cartagena’s hospitality scene, one that moves the city beyond its boutique hotel roots into design-led luxury. The piece traced how WATG brought together and restored seven heritage buildings spanning four centuries of the city’s history, with Wimberly Interiors receiving direct credit for the Umari Spa, which occupies the former convent’s kitchen and service areas.

Galerie Magazine published its ‘Hotel of the Week’ feature framing the property as François Catroux’s final hotel project and Colombia’s most ambitious heritage undertaking. The piece named WATG directly and described in detail the scale of the archaeological and architectural work involved in bringing the 131-key compound to life.

Hotel Designs also ran a full industry feature on the project, placing WATG and Wimberly Interiors within the wider creative team and tracing the design intent across the property’s guest accommodation, F&B spaces, and public areas. The piece detailed the layering of Colombian craft, artworks, and textile work throughout.

Lagen Island Resort, El Nido received fresh editorial coverage in the Middle East design press. identity magazine, the UAE-based design publication, featured Lagen Island as the lead entry in its June ‘Destinations in Design’ editorial, a curated selection of design-led hotels offering inspiration across regions. The piece described how WATG and Wimberly Interiors retained nearly all of the resort’s original structures, significantly reducing environmental impact while protecting the island’s biodiversity, and recognised the design team’s commitment to a design language rooted in Filipino heritage and local craftsmanship.

The project was featured as a finalist in the Hospitality Design Awards, published in the May/June 2026 edition of Hospitality Design magazine. Appearing in the Resort category, Lagen El Nido was recognised for celebrating local design through a contemporary lens, specifically highlighted for reflecting the unique identities of the island’s tribes. WATG and Wimberly Interiors were credited alongside owner and operator Ayala Land Hospitality.

The resort’s reopening also drew attention from Lifestyle Asia, the Philippines-based luxury lifestyle title, with a feature exploring the guest experience across the reimagined resort, crediting WATG and Wimberly Interiors as part of the design team.

Sleeper Magazine and Hospitality Interiors reported on the completion of a phased renovation at Porto Elounda on Crete’s northeast coast, which reopened for the 2026 season. As part of the accommodation program, Wimberly Interiors designed 14 new Premium Suites, bringing the total number of redesigned suites at the resort to 114. The new suites feature refined interiors, improved lighting, modernized bathrooms, and upgraded in-room technology.

Livingetc included Four Seasons Hotel Mykonos in its roundup of the coolest hotel openings of 2026, one of ten design-led properties selected for the list. Wimberly Interiors is credited as the interior designer of the property, which is positioned on the island’s quieter southeastern edge. The piece described the design as paying homage to timeless Cycladic style, whitewashed walls, hidden courtyards, traditional pathways, while a spectacular infinity pool overlooks the Aegean.

Modern Luxury published a dedicated feature on the 20th anniversary suite renovation at Four Seasons Hotel Silicon Valley in Palo Alto, completed in partnership with Wimberly Interiors. The piece quoted Liana Hawes Young, Associate Principal at Wimberly Interiors New York, who described the design intent as rooted in organic modernism and the landscape history of the Santa Clara Valley, specifically its earlier identity as the Valley of Heart’s Delight, when orchards rather than tech campuses defined the region.

AHEAD Asia 2026

Sleeper Magazine published the AHEAD Asia 2026 shortlist with two WATG and Wimberly Interiors projects among the finalists. Lagen Island Resort, El Nido is shortlisted in the Sustainability category and Regent Bali Canggu is shortlisted in the Spa & Wellness category. AHEAD Asia 2026 received a record 220-plus entries this year. Winners will be announced at the ceremony at Pan Pacific Orchard, Singapore, on 11 September.

AJ100 — Architect’s Journal

The Architects’ Journal has published its annual AJ100, the definitive annual ranking of the UK’s largest architecture practices measured by the number of architects employed in the UK. WATG climbed four places to 42nd, continuing a consistent upward trajectory in the list. The list tracks fee income, headcount, diversity metrics, and overseas earnings across the sector’s leading firms. The AJ100 data consistently highlights WATG as one of a small number of practices earning almost all of its UK office income from international projects, reflecting the firm’s global hospitality focus.

Design Anthology Awards 2026

Dangkou Ancient Town Hotel Wuxi has been shortlisted for the Reader’s Prize at the Design Anthology Awards 2026 in the Hospitality Spaces (Hotels) category. The Reader’s Prize is voted for by the public, with the winner determined by audience votes.