Bronze Hospitality, Recreation, Travel and Tourism Design · 2026
Cooks Alanya Club Hotel
- A' Design Award 2026 Bronze Winner in Hospitality, Recreation, Travel and Tourism Design
- Awarded April 15, 2026
- CLIENT: Nom Architecture
- Estimated Number of Design Views: 7,365
- Verification code FC50F5394A · Verify this award
About Cooks Alanya Club Hotel
Cooks Club Alanya emerges as a choreography between Mediterranean tranquility and urban rhythm. A distributed network of spaces replaces the singular resort core, enabling a seamless transition from shaded, serene daytime environments to vibrant, illuminated evening atmospheres. Guest rooms provide a calm Mediterranean retreat through soft tones and natural textures. Boundaries dissolve toward the sea, while seamless indoor outdoor continuity strengthens the connection to the coast. The architecture embodies a dynamic rhythm of calm, social interaction, and coastal resilience.
Muge Alanay Gucuoglu's Cooks Alanya Club Hotel represents a compelling synthesis of vernacular tropical architectural traditions with contemporary hospitality design sensibilities, situating this poolside pavilion environment within broader conversations regarding place-responsive design, cultural architectural memory, and the evolving language of luxury leisure environments in Mediterranean and subtropical resort contexts. The design demonstrates sophisticated formal achievements through its centered axial composition anchored by the dramatic conical thatched-roof pavilion, a structure that appears to draw inspiration from indigenous tropical building forms while executing these traditional typologies through contemporary construction methodologies and integrated hospitality programming, the pavilion's robust timber colonnade and expansive sheltering roof plane creating monumental yet approachable presence that serves both functional and symbolic roles as communal gathering nexus. The chromatic accomplishment evident in the design's material and color palette reveals careful calibration between the saturated turquoise brilliance of the pool water, the warm earth tones of natural timber and organic thatching materials, and the soft atmospheric tonalities of twilight illumination, this triadic color relationship establishing visual harmony while allowing each material system to maintain distinct identity and sensory character. Technical facility appears in the precise integration of architectural lighting design with natural atmospheric conditions, the warm amber glow emanating from beneath the pavilion structure creating inviting luminous emphasis that transforms the architectural element into a beacon of hospitality and social warmth while complementary uplighting on surrounding palm trunks establishes vertical accent and theatrical dimensionality. The pool's mirror-surface reflection demonstrates particular compositional success, this doubling effect amplifying visual complexity and creating symmetrical correspondence between built reality and aqueous reflection, the reflection functioning both as formal device enriching compositional density and as metaphorical gesture suggesting harmony between architecture and its environmental context. The integration of landscape and architectural systems reveals biophilic design sensibilities, the abundant tropical vegetation including multiple palm species and cascading verdant foliage softening geometric architectural forms while establishing microclimate effects and immersive environmental character that positions guests within carefully orchestrated natural theater. The thematic content explores universal human desires for refuge, regeneration, and social connection within leisure contexts, the architectural environment appearing to celebrate the ritualized pleasures of hospitality, the restorative effects of water and landscape, and the particular atmospheric magic of evening transitions when artificial illumination transforms outdoor spaces into intimate social realms. The vernacular thatched pavilion form may reference longstanding architectural traditions across tropical and subtropical cultures, these conical sheltering structures carrying associations with indigenous wisdom, sustainable building practices, climatic responsiveness, and authentic place-based identity, the contemporary reinterpretation of such forms suggesting dialogue between tradition and innovation, local and global, vernacular heritage and contemporary luxury expectations. The composition invites viewers to consider how hospitality environments construct experiences of escape, luxury, and belonging, how architectural form and material choices communicate cultural values and aesthetic aspirations, and how the integration of natural elements, water features, landscape systems, and built structures can generate holistic environmental experiences that engage multiple senses and support both social interaction and contemplative solitude. The careful orchestration of lighting, materiality, spatial sequence, and landscape integration suggests design intelligence attuned to experiential qualities, psychological comfort, and the poetic dimensions of place-making, the evening atmospheric conditions captured in the image revealing how temporal changes in natural and artificial illumination dramatically transform spatial character and emotional resonance. What memories or aspirations might such carefully crafted leisure environments awaken, and how do contemporary hospitality designers balance the competing demands of cultural authenticity, environmental sustainability, operational functionality, and experiential luxury in creating destination resort architecture that serves both immediate sensory pleasure and longer-term cultural significance?
Press Kit
- Unique Properties
- Cooks Club Alanya reimagines the seaside resort as a distributed spatial network rather than a centralized complex. Social nodes shift in intensity from calm daytime retreats to vibrant nighttime settings, reflecting the dialogue between Mediterranean serenity and urban rhythm. Raw concrete, timber and natural textures define a tactile slow glamour atmosphere, while seamless indoor–outdoor continuity and durable materials respond to the coastal climate.
- Dimensions & Packaging
- The project comprises 20,000 sqm of enclosed space and 5,000 sqm of semi-open and open areas. Designed as an adults-only resort, it includes 236 guestrooms across 10 typologies. Program elements feature three outdoor pools, one indoor pool, a beach area with 100 sunbeds, a wellness-spa and gym. Dining venues include Kantina, Captain Cooks Bar, a beach club bar, honesty bar, Irish pub, and Mexican pub creating a diverse social and culinary landscape.
- Tags
- hotel, interior design, hotel design, hospitality design, hotel interiors
- Production Technology
- When acquired, the property operated as a hotel, yet its interiors, frontage, outdoor areas, and landscape lacked a cohesive identity. The project redefined all components under a unified architectural concept, redesigning and implementing them from scratch. Ten room typologies including Pool Suite, Terrace Suite, Sea View, and Standard etc were introduced. As a Cooks Club franchise, the development was conceptualized in alignment with brand guidelines while establishing a distinct spatial character.
- Design Challenge
- At acquisition, the hotel lacked a cohesive identity; interiors, frontage, outdoor areas, and landscape were fragmented and disconnected. The project unified these elements under a single architectural vision, creating a holistic spatial narrative. Designed for a harsh coastal climate of wind, salt, and humidity, durable and sustainable materials were prioritized. Multiple service nodes replaced a single line, improving flexibility, efficiency, and user experience.
- Project Duration
- The project started in September 2022 and finished in May 2023 in Alanya, Turkey.
- Operation Flow
- Rejecting the conventional single core resort model, circulation is structured as a distributed network shaping temporal rhythms of use. Public spaces shift from shaded, tranquil daytime flows to intensified evening atmospheres through program and light. Guest rooms offer a calm Mediterranean retreat in soft tones and natural textures. Exposed concrete is softened by timber and reclaimed elements, while seamless indoor outdoor continuity ensures coastal resilience.
- Research
- Prior to the project, coastal building typologies were examined through multi-layered analysis. Climate data, salt exposure, wind, solar orientation and coastal morphology informed durability-driven design decisions. Materials were selected through comparative life cycle assessment. Guest and service circulation were tested via schematic scenarios. Investment and operational costs were evaluated through cost performance analysis.
- Inspiration
- Cooks Club Hotel Alanya is shaped by the tension between Mediterranean calm and urban rhythm. The project rejects a centralized resort model, proposing instead a network of social stations that create shifting intensities from day to night. Raw concrete, wood, and natural textures define a tactile slow glamour style. Open air continuity toward the sea dissolves boundaries, redefining the resort as a spatial choreography of tempo, retreat and collective energy.
- Image Credits
- All images Engin Aydeniz.
All rights Nom Architecture.
Colors of Cooks Alanya Club Hotel
Design Interview about Cooks Alanya Club Hotel
Cook’s Club is an international hotel brand with a strong and clearly defined identity: down to earth, loving, free and easy. My main principle in Cook’s Club Alanya was to translate this global brand spirit into the local character of Alanya and Cleopatra Beach.
I did not want to apply the franchise identity only as a visual layer. I wanted it to become a real spatial experience. The brand speaks about contemporary design, laid-back cool, music, food, togetherness and freedom. Alanya adds Mediterranean light, palm shadows, sea breeze, beach rhythm and warm outdoor living.
So the inspiration was born from this meeting: a global lifestyle hotel identity interpreted through the sun, sea, texture and relaxed spirit of the Mediterranean.
I did not want to apply the franchise identity only as a visual layer. I wanted it to become a real spatial experience. The brand speaks about contemporary design, laid-back cool, music, food, togetherness and freedom. Alanya adds Mediterranean light, palm shadows, sea breeze, beach rhythm and warm outdoor living.
So the inspiration was born from this meeting: a global lifestyle hotel identity interpreted through the sun, sea, texture and relaxed spirit of the Mediterranean.
My main focus was to create a coherent and authentic implementation of the Cook’s Club brand in Alanya.
The challenge was to make guests feel the Cook’s Club identity immediately, but also to make the hotel belong to its place. I wanted the design to feel sun-bright and down to earth, contemporary but relaxed, social but never forced.
I focused on the full rhythm of the guest experience: slow mornings, poolside afternoons, music, food, cocktails, quiet corners, evening energy and moments of togetherness. I wanted guests to feel that they could set their own pace or simply be caught up in the moment.
The challenge was to make guests feel the Cook’s Club identity immediately, but also to make the hotel belong to its place. I wanted the design to feel sun-bright and down to earth, contemporary but relaxed, social but never forced.
I focused on the full rhythm of the guest experience: slow mornings, poolside afternoons, music, food, cocktails, quiet corners, evening energy and moments of togetherness. I wanted guests to feel that they could set their own pace or simply be caught up in the moment.
Hospitality projects are living spaces. They continue to evolve with guests, seasons, operations and brand needs.
My future plan is to continue protecting and developing the design language of the project while staying loyal to the Cook’s Club brand DNA. Outdoor areas, signage, furniture, lighting, guest touchpoints and small details can always be refined further.
For me, an award-winning project is not a finished object. It is a responsibility to keep the atmosphere alive, coherent and emotionally connected over time.
My future plan is to continue protecting and developing the design language of the project while staying loyal to the Cook’s Club brand DNA. Outdoor areas, signage, furniture, lighting, guest touchpoints and small details can always be refined further.
For me, an award-winning project is not a finished object. It is a responsibility to keep the atmosphere alive, coherent and emotionally connected over time.
The design and implementation process were carried out together and completed in approximately six months.
Because this was a transformation of an existing hotel, the process had to move in a very coordinated way. While the design was developing, many implementation decisions were also being made on site. The existing structure, operational needs, brand requirements, budget, construction timing and material availability all shaped the process.
For me, the most important part was to keep the Cook’s Club brand experience consistent while adapting it to the real conditions of the building and the local atmosphere of Alanya.
Completing the project in six months required quick decisions, strong coordination and a clear design vision from beginning to end.
Because this was a transformation of an existing hotel, the process had to move in a very coordinated way. While the design was developing, many implementation decisions were also being made on site. The existing structure, operational needs, brand requirements, budget, construction timing and material availability all shaped the process.
For me, the most important part was to keep the Cook’s Club brand experience consistent while adapting it to the real conditions of the building and the local atmosphere of Alanya.
Completing the project in six months required quick decisions, strong coordination and a clear design vision from beginning to end.
This was a commissioned project within the Cook’s Club franchise identity, but it also became a very personal architectural interpretation for me.
Cook’s Club already has a strong brand story: a rare hotel experience that is affordable, stylish and socially alive. My role was to bring this story into a real place — into Alanya, near Cleopatra Beach, within an existing hotel structure.
I wanted the project to feel young and young at heart, made for solos, couples and groups of friends. A place where people can be themselves while feeling they belong to something.
Cook’s Club already has a strong brand story: a rare hotel experience that is affordable, stylish and socially alive. My role was to bring this story into a real place — into Alanya, near Cleopatra Beach, within an existing hotel structure.
I wanted the project to feel young and young at heart, made for solos, couples and groups of friends. A place where people can be themselves while feeling they belong to something.
This design was created specifically for Cook’s Club Alanya and is used as part of the hotel’s architectural and interior experience.
Since Cook’s Club is an existing international brand, the project was not about selling or leasing a product design. It was about implementing and interpreting the brand identity within a real architectural context.
Many elements, such as spatial organization, material choices, outdoor areas, lobby character, pool atmosphere, signage adaptations, furniture selections and guest touchpoints were designed or coordinated specifically for this hotel.
Since Cook’s Club is an existing international brand, the project was not about selling or leasing a product design. It was about implementing and interpreting the brand identity within a real architectural context.
Many elements, such as spatial organization, material choices, outdoor areas, lobby character, pool atmosphere, signage adaptations, furniture selections and guest touchpoints were designed or coordinated specifically for this hotel.
I love hospitality design because it allows architecture to touch daily life very directly.
A hotel is not only a building. It is a temporary home, a social stage, a place of rest, music, food, movement and memory. Cook’s Club as a brand is especially interesting because it is not about formal luxury; it is about atmosphere, social flow, belonging and relaxed style.
This project gave me the opportunity to work on a complete experience — from arrival to poolside rhythm, from rooms to restaurant, from material feeling to small playful moments.
A hotel is not only a building. It is a temporary home, a social stage, a place of rest, music, food, movement and memory. Cook’s Club as a brand is especially interesting because it is not about formal luxury; it is about atmosphere, social flow, belonging and relaxed style.
This project gave me the opportunity to work on a complete experience — from arrival to poolside rhythm, from rooms to restaurant, from material feeling to small playful moments.
The strongest influence was the Cook’s Club brand identity itself, together with the local character of Alanya.
The brand is down to earth, loving, free and easy. It has a tone that is relaxed, slow glamour, playful and human. I combined this with the Mediterranean lifestyle of Alanya: outdoor living, sun, water, palm trees, beach culture, warm evenings and informal social moments.
I also had a very good dialogue with the concept designer of Cook's club hotels, Remo Masala. We spoke the same design language from the beginning, and this created a very natural and productive collaboration. He trusted my architectural interpretation and left many decisions to me, which allowed me to adapt the Cook’s Club spirit to the existing building and to the local atmosphere of Alanya in a very authentic way.
As an architect, I am also inspired by modern and Brutalist architecture. In this project, the honesty of concrete, the warmth of wood, natural textures, rattan, textiles and plants helped create a balance between rawness and softness.
The brand is down to earth, loving, free and easy. It has a tone that is relaxed, slow glamour, playful and human. I combined this with the Mediterranean lifestyle of Alanya: outdoor living, sun, water, palm trees, beach culture, warm evenings and informal social moments.
I also had a very good dialogue with the concept designer of Cook's club hotels, Remo Masala. We spoke the same design language from the beginning, and this created a very natural and productive collaboration. He trusted my architectural interpretation and left many decisions to me, which allowed me to adapt the Cook’s Club spirit to the existing building and to the local atmosphere of Alanya in a very authentic way.
As an architect, I am also inspired by modern and Brutalist architecture. In this project, the honesty of concrete, the warmth of wood, natural textures, rattan, textiles and plants helped create a balance between rawness and softness.
The target guests are design-conscious travelers who enjoy style, comfort, music, food and social energy without wanting a formal luxury atmosphere.
Cook’s Club is for the young and young at heart. It is for solo travelers, couples and groups of friends. It is for people who want to feel free, relaxed and connected.
The design supports different moods: chilled-out mornings, sunny pool days, cocktails, music, social evenings, but also quiet moments for reading, resting or simply enjoying the Mediterranean light.
Cook’s Club is for the young and young at heart. It is for solo travelers, couples and groups of friends. It is for people who want to feel free, relaxed and connected.
The design supports different moods: chilled-out mornings, sunny pool days, cocktails, music, social evenings, but also quiet moments for reading, resting or simply enjoying the Mediterranean light.
What sets this project apart is the balance between global brand identity, local architectural interpretation and cultural memory.
Cook’s Club has a strong franchise language, but in Alanya it needed to feel connected to Cleopatra Beach, the Mediterranean climate, the existing hotel structure and the spirit of the place. My approach was not to decorate the hotel with brand elements, but to turn the brand values into a real spatial experience.
Alanya also has a cultural memory shaped by a nomadic way of life. This was important for me. The use of natural textures, woven materials, rugs, rattan, wood, relaxed seating areas and open-air living carries a subtle reference to this nomadic and bohemian spirit. It gives the project a feeling of freedom, movement and informality.
The result feels social, relaxed and stylish, but also local, warm and human. It has rhythm: slow mornings, sunny pool hours, food, music, togetherness and calm escape corners. This combination of international brand identity, Mediterranean atmosphere and bohemian cultural references makes the project different from similar hotel concepts.
Cook’s Club has a strong franchise language, but in Alanya it needed to feel connected to Cleopatra Beach, the Mediterranean climate, the existing hotel structure and the spirit of the place. My approach was not to decorate the hotel with brand elements, but to turn the brand values into a real spatial experience.
Alanya also has a cultural memory shaped by a nomadic way of life. This was important for me. The use of natural textures, woven materials, rugs, rattan, wood, relaxed seating areas and open-air living carries a subtle reference to this nomadic and bohemian spirit. It gives the project a feeling of freedom, movement and informality.
The result feels social, relaxed and stylish, but also local, warm and human. It has rhythm: slow mornings, sunny pool hours, food, music, togetherness and calm escape corners. This combination of international brand identity, Mediterranean atmosphere and bohemian cultural references makes the project different from similar hotel concepts.
The name Cook’s Club belongs to the international hotel brand, so I did not create the name myself.
My role was to interpret what Cook’s Club means spatially in Alanya. The brand represents a rare hotel experience: affordable but stylish, social, contemporary, laid-back and connected to music and food.
In this project, I tried to give that name a local soul version of Cook’s Club that belongs to Cleopatra Beach, Mediterranean light and the relaxed energy of Alanya.
My role was to interpret what Cook’s Club means spatially in Alanya. The brand represents a rare hotel experience: affordable but stylish, social, contemporary, laid-back and connected to music and food.
In this project, I tried to give that name a local soul version of Cook’s Club that belongs to Cleopatra Beach, Mediterranean light and the relaxed energy of Alanya.
I used architectural drawings, sketches, moodboards, material boards, brand guidelines, digital presentations, site observations and many on-site coordination decisions.
The Cook’s Club brand book was an important tool because it defined the values, tone and visual direction of the brand. But the real design challenge was translating those guidelines into architecture and atmosphere.
For me, tools are not only software. A material sample, a color card, a palm shadow, a pool reflection, a sentence on the wall or the rhythm of music can also become part of the design process.
The Cook’s Club brand book was an important tool because it defined the values, tone and visual direction of the brand. But the real design challenge was translating those guidelines into architecture and atmosphere.
For me, tools are not only software. A material sample, a color card, a palm shadow, a pool reflection, a sentence on the wall or the rhythm of music can also become part of the design process.
The most unique aspect is the way the Cook’s Club brand identity was transformed into a real Mediterranean atmosphere.
The project is not only about furniture or finishes. It is about creating a tempo for each day, almost like an uplifting mantra. Guests can be themselves while feeling they belong to something. They can set their own pace or be caught up in the moment.
Architecturally, I supported this with open-air spaces, natural materials, social zones, calmer pool areas, warm textures, playful details and a strong connection to light, water and music.
The project is not only about furniture or finishes. It is about creating a tempo for each day, almost like an uplifting mantra. Guests can be themselves while feeling they belong to something. They can set their own pace or be caught up in the moment.
Architecturally, I supported this with open-air spaces, natural materials, social zones, calmer pool areas, warm textures, playful details and a strong connection to light, water and music.
I developed the architectural and interior design interpretation myself, while working within the Cook’s Club brand framework.
During the project, I collaborated with concept designer Remo Masala and his team, hotel owners, brand representatives, engineers, contractors, suppliers, craftsmen and operational teams. Each discipline was important for the realization of the project.
My role was to keep the architectural vision, brand coherence and atmosphere consistent from the first idea to the final implementation. This was especially important because the project had to respect both the franchise identity and the local character of the building.
During the project, I collaborated with concept designer Remo Masala and his team, hotel owners, brand representatives, engineers, contractors, suppliers, craftsmen and operational teams. Each discipline was important for the realization of the project.
My role was to keep the architectural vision, brand coherence and atmosphere consistent from the first idea to the final implementation. This was especially important because the project had to respect both the franchise identity and the local character of the building.
Technology supported the design process through drawings, presentations, visual communication and coordination.
Digital tools helped us communicate design decisions clearly with the client, brand team, contractors and suppliers. They were useful for testing ideas, preparing details and keeping the implementation process under control.
However, the emotional quality of the project came mostly from physical experience: light, material, proportion, texture, music, water, shadow and the way people move through the space. For me, technology is a tool, but the soul of hospitality design is still deeply human.
Digital tools helped us communicate design decisions clearly with the client, brand team, contractors and suppliers. They were useful for testing ideas, preparing details and keeping the implementation process under control.
However, the emotional quality of the project came mostly from physical experience: light, material, proportion, texture, music, water, shadow and the way people move through the space. For me, technology is a tool, but the soul of hospitality design is still deeply human.
Yes, research was an important part of the process.
I studied the Cook’s Club brand identity, brand guidelines, tone of voice, target guest profile and lifestyle expectations. I also researched the location, climate, existing building, circulation, outdoor use, operational needs and daily guest rhythm.
In hospitality design, research is not only numerical data. It is also understanding how people wake up, eat, swim, rest, meet, listen to music, take photographs, gather and remember a place. This emotional and behavioral research guided many design decisions.
I studied the Cook’s Club brand identity, brand guidelines, tone of voice, target guest profile and lifestyle expectations. I also researched the location, climate, existing building, circulation, outdoor use, operational needs and daily guest rhythm.
In hospitality design, research is not only numerical data. It is also understanding how people wake up, eat, swim, rest, meet, listen to music, take photographs, gather and remember a place. This emotional and behavioral research guided many design decisions.
One of the main challenges was adapting a strong international franchise identity to an existing hotel structure without losing either the brand spirit or the local soul.
Renovation projects always bring surprises. Existing conditions, construction limits, operational needs, budget decisions, time pressure and material choices all need to be balanced carefully.
Another challenge was to make the final result feel effortless. Cook’s Club should feel relaxed, free and easy, but behind this feeling there was a lot of planning, coordination and detail work.
Renovation projects always bring surprises. Existing conditions, construction limits, operational needs, budget decisions, time pressure and material choices all need to be balanced carefully.
Another challenge was to make the final result feel effortless. Cook’s Club should feel relaxed, free and easy, but behind this feeling there was a lot of planning, coordination and detail work.
I decided to submit this design because I believed the project had a strong story of transformation and implementation.
Cook’s Club Alanya was not only an interior or renovation project for me. It was the architectural interpretation of a global brand within a very specific Mediterranean context.
I felt that this balance, respecting a franchise identity while creating a local, emotional and memorable guest experience. For me, it deserved to be shared on an international design platform.
Cook’s Club Alanya was not only an interior or renovation project for me. It was the architectural interpretation of a global brand within a very specific Mediterranean context.
I felt that this balance, respecting a franchise identity while creating a local, emotional and memorable guest experience. For me, it deserved to be shared on an international design platform.
This project strengthened my belief that successful hospitality design is about rhythm, not only appearance.
I learned once again that every detail matters: a sentence on the wall, a color, a material, a poolside corner, a sign, a lighting element or a transition space can change the whole feeling of the hotel.
It also reminded me how important it is to understand a brand deeply before implementing it. A good franchise project should not feel copied. It should feel alive in its own place.
I learned once again that every detail matters: a sentence on the wall, a color, a material, a poolside corner, a sign, a lighting element or a transition space can change the whole feeling of the hotel.
It also reminded me how important it is to understand a brand deeply before implementing it. A good franchise project should not feel copied. It should feel alive in its own place.
I would like to add that Cook’s Club Alanya is very meaningful to me because it reflects many things I believe in as an architect: human-centric design, emotional connection, Mediterranean lightness, natural materials and the power of atmosphere.
For me, good hospitality design should not only be seen. It should be lived, felt and remembered.
I am also grateful that this project has been recognized by A’ Design Award. Participating in this process has been an important, useful and enjoyable experience for me, and I would like to thank the A’ Design Award team for giving designers the opportunity to share their work internationally.
For me, good hospitality design should not only be seen. It should be lived, felt and remembered.
I am also grateful that this project has been recognized by A’ Design Award. Participating in this process has been an important, useful and enjoyable experience for me, and I would like to thank the A’ Design Award team for giving designers the opportunity to share their work internationally.
Grand Interview about Cooks Alanya Club Hotel
For me, the choreographic vision of Cooks Club Alanya crystallized the moment I stopped looking at the property as a collection of separate functions and started reading it as a sequence of moods. I remember walking through the existing site and feeling that the real potential was not hidden in one single dramatic gesture, but in the rhythm between spaces: the pause, the encounter, the shade, the sound of water, the transition from the calmness of the morning to the social energy of the evening.From that moment, the project became less about designing isolated areas and more about composing a living spatial score. I wanted guests to move almost intuitively through the resort, without feeling directed, yet always discovering a new atmosphere. Circulation was therefore treated not merely as movement from one point to another, but as an emotional journey. Paths, thresholds, pool edges, shaded corners, seating groups, bars and landscape elements were all positioned to create a natural flow of curiosity, relaxation and social connection.This approach also shaped the programming of the hotel. Instead of concentrating all social life around one dominant core, we distributed different social nodes across the property. Each one was given its own character and intensity. Some areas invite stillness and private contemplation; others encourage conversation, music, dining or gathering. This allowed the hotel to breathe. It gave guests the freedom to choose their own rhythm during the day, rather than being forced into a single resort narrative.The most important decision was to design the hotel as a day-to-night experience. Morning needed softness, shade and calm. Afternoon needed openness, poolside life and casual encounters. Evening needed warmer light, stronger atmosphere and a sense of collective energy. In this sense, spatial choreography was not an abstract concept for me; it was a very practical design tool. It helped me decide where people would slow down, where they would meet, where they would look toward the sea, where they would feel protected, and where the architecture should quietly disappear behind the experience.I believe hospitality design becomes powerful when people do not consciously notice every design decision, but they feel that the place understands them. At Cooks Club Alanya, the choreography was about creating this feeling: a resort that moves with its guests, changes with the light, and transforms throughout the day without losing its soul.
The material language of Cooks Club Alanya emerged from a very instinctive dialogue with Alanya itself. I did not want to create a resort that could belong to any coastline in the world. I wanted the project to carry the light, heat, salt, informality and raw beauty of the Mediterranean coast. For this reason, the palette had to feel honest, tactile and grounded, rather than polished in a conventional luxury sense.Raw materials such as concrete, wood, natural textures and earthy tones became the foundation of this language because they could express both strength and warmth at the same time. The coastal climate of Alanya is beautiful but demanding; the sun is strong, the air carries salt and humidity, and outdoor spaces are used intensely throughout the day. So the materials had to age with dignity. I was interested in surfaces that would not lose their character over time, but would become more meaningful through use, light, shadow and touch.This is where the idea of “slow glamour” became important for me. I see slow glamour as a kind of quiet confidence. It is not about shine, excess or decoration. It is about atmosphere, proportion, texture and emotional comfort. A rough concrete wall can become luxurious when it is balanced with warm wood, soft textiles, natural planting and the right light. A simple shaded corner can feel more memorable than an overdesigned lobby if it allows people to breathe, rest and feel connected to the place.Alanya also has a particular spirit that influenced me deeply. It is coastal, sunny and touristic, but it also carries a nomadic and bohemian memory. I wanted the design to reflect that relaxed Mediterranean freedom without becoming nostalgic or folkloric. The materials therefore needed to be contemporary, but not cold; natural, but not rustic; durable, but not heavy. This balance was essential.In the end, the palette was shaped by the desire to create a resort that feels effortless but carefully composed. The luxury of Cooks Club Alanya is not a loud luxury. It is in the feeling of bare feet on natural surfaces, the softness of shade after strong sun, the warmth of wood against concrete, the movement of fabric in the sea breeze, and the way daylight changes the mood of the spaces during the day. For me, that is the most authentic kind of Mediterranean luxury: quiet, sensual, resilient and deeply connected to place.
For me, the distributed social node approach was one of the main idea in Cooks Club Alanya that changed the way guests relate to the resort. A single-core resort often creates a hierarchy: one main place where everything happens and many secondary areas that remain passive. I wanted to avoid that. I wanted the entire property to work as a living network of different moods, different intensities and different possibilities for encounter.This approach gives guests freedom. They are not asked to experience the hotel in one predetermined way. They can choose their own rhythm according to their mood, energy and time of day. At Cooks Club Alanya, this meant creating a rich constellation of social and emotional stations: the main entertainment pool for energy and collective life; two quieter pool areas where guests can read, rest and withdraw from the crowd; the spa and wellness areas for a slower and more inward experience; the honesty bar for a more relaxed and spontaneous form of hospitality; and the FunLab area, with private disco spaces and even a rage room, for younger guests and for moments of playful release.These different nodes were not designed as isolated amenities. They were positioned and connected as parts of a larger spatial choreography. During the design process, we studied how guests would move through the property from morning to night, and how service flows could support this movement without becoming visible or disturbing. I was very interested in the difference between guest rhythm and operational rhythm. Guests should feel relaxed, spontaneous and free, while the hotel must function with precision behind the scenes.The final spatial configuration was shaped by balancing these two rhythms. We positioned each social node in relation to circulation paths, pool areas, shaded transitions, food and beverage points, visual connections and landscape pockets. Each node has its own role and atmosphere, but also remains connected to the larger narrative of the hotel. The lively pool does not cancel the quiet pools; the FunLab does not disturb the spa; the honesty bar does not compete with the dining areas. Instead, they all create different chapters of the same story.I believe this fundamentally changes the emotional relationship between a guest and the environment. When social life is distributed, guests feel that they are discovering the resort rather than consuming it. They can return to different places at different times of the day and find another mood, another light, another social possibility. This creates a sense of belonging, because the guest gradually builds a personal map of the place.For me, hospitality architecture should not only organize functions; it should understand human behavior. People need moments of privacy and moments of connection. They need openness, but also shelter. They need movement, but also pause. They may want silence in the morning, playful energy in the afternoon and collective atmosphere in the evening. The distributed social node model allowed Cooks Club Alanya to respond to these subtle human needs and to transform a large resort into a more intimate, layered and emotionally engaging experience.
Navigating the relationship between an established brand identity and an authentic local architectural character was one of the most meaningful parts of Cooks Club Apanya. I never saw the brand guidelines as a limitation. I saw them as a framework, a language that had to be understood deeply before it could be interpreted with sensitivity. A strong hospitality brand gives you a direction, but the architecture must still listen to the place.The concept direction by Remo Masala and Vision Alphabet already carried a clear lifestyle spirit: relaxed, social, contemporary and experience-oriented. From the very beginning, we established a very open and productive dialogue. I felt that we were speaking the same design language, and this allowed me to translate the brand vision into a spatial experience that could truly belong to Alanya. The challenge was not to copy a formula, but to create a version of Cooks Club Alanya that felt faithful to the brand and, at the same time, deeply rooted in its Mediterranean context.For me, this balance was achieved through atmosphere, materiality and spatial rhythm. The brand’s young, informal and social energy was interpreted through the distribution of social nodes, the day-to-night choreography, the pool areas, the signage, the landscape, the shaded transitions and the overall relaxed flow of the resort. At the same time, the raw concrete, warm wood, natural textures, coastal light, bohemian references and open-air living gave the project its local identity.I believe the best franchise projects are not the ones that repeat a visual code mechanically. They are the ones that understand the essence of the brand and allow it to breathe in a new place. This was my main intention at Cooks Club Alanya: to protect the spirit of the brand, but to make the hotel feel inevitable for its location, as if it could not have existed in exactly the same way anywhere else.Receiving the Bronze A’ Design Award in the Hospitality, Recreation, Travel and Tourism Design category is a very meaningful international recognition for me and for NOM Architecture. It confirms the value of a holistic design approach, where architecture, interiors, landscape, signage, materiality, atmosphere and guest experience are considered together.This recognition also feels deeply personal, because it resonates with the questions I have been asking since my master’s thesis on tourism architecture along the Mediterranean coast of Turkey. Since the early years of my architectural journey, I have been interested in how tourism buildings in the Mediterranean can belong to their climate, culture, landscape and human rhythm instead of becoming anonymous structures. I believe that a true Mediterranean hospitality project should not only be beautiful or commercially successful; it should also be environmentally conscious, climate-responsive, durable and respectful toward its natural context.In this sense, Cooks Club Alanya is not only a completed hospitality project for me; it is also a continuation of a long intellectual and emotional inquiry. It allowed me to explore how a resort can feel contemporary and international, while still being connected to the local climate, coastal life, material honesty and sustainable design thinking.For NOM Architecture, this recognition is not only an award for a single project. It is also a confirmation of a design attitude I have believed in for many years: that good hospitality design should have a soul, a sense of place, a human rhythm and an environmental conscience. Cooks Club Alanya allowed me to bring these values together within an international brand framework, and that makes the recognition especially valuable.
When I first encountered the property, the biggest challenge was not only the physical condition of the hotel, but the lack of a coherent identity. The interiors, outdoor areas, frontage, landscape, pool zones and circulation spaces all seemed to speak different languages. At that moment, I understood that the project could not be solved through isolated design interventions. It needed one strong architectural vision capable of bringing all these fragmented pieces into a single emotional and spatial narrative.One of the most decisive moments for me was during the early site process, when it became clear how many layers had to be handled at the same time: the brand expectations, the existing structural conditions, the coastal climate, the operational needs of the hotel, the construction schedule, and the emotional atmosphere we wanted to create. In a project like this, there is no luxury of designing slowly in a protected studio environment. You think, decide, revise and build almost simultaneously. This tested my discipline deeply, but it also sharpened my instincts as an architect.The coastal climate of Alanya added another level of responsibility. Wind, salt, humidity and strong sun are not abstract environmental factors there; they are daily realities. Every material, surface, joint, outdoor element and detail had to be considered with durability in mind. At the same time, I did not want this technical responsibility to make the project feel heavy or defensive. The hotel still had to feel relaxed, open, sensual and effortless. Protecting this balance between resilience and lightness was one of the most important professional challenges of the transformation.The compressed timeframe from September 2022 to May 2023 required great clarity. I had to make many decisions very quickly, but without losing the soul of the project. This experience reminded me that design is not only about inspiration; it is also about courage, endurance and responsibility. Sometimes the most important design act is to protect the main idea when hundreds of practical questions are trying to pull it apart.Personally, this project strengthened something I deeply believe in: never ever give up. There were moments of pressure, uncertainty and fatigue, but I always felt that the project had a strong potential waiting to be revealed. The transformation of Cooks Club Alanya taught me again that architecture can heal a fragmented place. It can give direction, atmosphere and identity to a property that had lost its voice.In the end, what emerged was not simply a renovated hotel, but a unified resort experience. The process confirmed for me that a clear vision is not a luxury in complex projects; it is a necessity. Without it, every decision becomes random. With it, even under pressure, every detail can begin to serve the same story.
“Less, but essential” is not minimalism for me. It is a form of courage. In hospitality design, especially in resort projects, there is always a temptation to add more: more decoration, more colors, more functions, more entertainment, more visual statements. But I believe that true atmosphere often appears when we know what to remove.At Cooks Club Alanya, the brief was rich and layered. There were pools, dining areas, wellness, entertainment, beach life, landscape, social spaces and a strong day-to-night rhythm. The challenge was to make this richness feel effortless, not crowded. I did not want the resort to become a collection of attractions. I wanted it to become a sequence of feelings.One of the most difficult decisions was to protect simplicity against the clichés of seaside resorts. I did not want to use the obvious signs of “holiday design.” I wanted the Mediterranean spirit to be felt through light, shade, texture, proportion, sea breeze, raw concrete, warm wood, soft fabrics and natural planting. The hotel should not shout its identity; it should slowly reveal it.I also wanted to question a very common sentence in hospitality: “It should feel like home.” I do not fully agree with this, at least not in a literal design sense. Why would someone travel to feel exactly at home? A hotel should not copy home. It should offer the emotional comfort of home — safety, ease, warmth, belonging — but also the excitement of being somewhere else. For me, that is the magic of hospitality: familiar enough to relax you, different enough to awaken you.Protecting open space was another essential decision. Sometimes the most powerful design move is not adding something, but leaving air, silence and distance. I wanted guests to feel the shade after the sun, the softness of a corner, the openness toward the sea, the possibility of being together or being alone. This required restraint. Every object, sign, color and material had to earn its place.With the client and stakeholders, I explained that restraint is not emptiness; it is clarity. It makes a project more timeless, more durable and more emotionally powerful. At Cooks Club Alanya, “less, but essential” allowed the resort to be lively without becoming chaotic, stylish without becoming artificial, and rich in experience without becoming overloaded.In the end, I believe the real luxury of the project is not excess. It is freedom. Freedom to move, to pause, to meet, to withdraw, to feel the sea, to feel the light, to feel alive. That is what I wanted Cooks Club Alanya to offer.
t Cooks Club Alanya Hotel, sustainability was not treated as a separate label added to the project at the end. It was embedded in the way the hotel was transformed, detailed and made ready to live in a demanding coastal climate. Alanya’s sun, salt, humidity and wind shaped many of our decisions, from material selection to shading, from outdoor continuity to long-term maintenance.The existing property had a fragmented identity, and one of the most sustainable decisions was to avoid unnecessary visual and physical excess. Instead of covering the building with temporary decorative gestures, we worked with a restrained and durable material language: raw concrete, warm wood, natural textures, shaded outdoor areas, resistant surfaces and details that could age with dignity. For me, beauty in a coastal project must have endurance.The façade murals were also very important in this transformation. I designed them not only as graphic or decorative surfaces, but as elements that would give the hotel a stronger public presence and contribute to the urban image of its surroundings. A resort should not only serve the guests inside its borders; it should also give something back to the street, to the city and to the visual memory of the place.We also integrated solar panels as a concrete part of the environmental strategy of the project. This was important because sustainability should not remain only in the atmosphere of a place; it should also be part of the operational intelligence of the building. Together with shaded transitions, open-air living, natural ventilation possibilities, planting, indoor-outdoor continuity and durable material choices, the solar panels supported a more responsible relationship with the climate.Cooks Club Alanya showed me once again that a resort can be contemporary and international without becoming disconnected from its place. It can be visually strong, but also respectful. It can be social and energetic, but also conscious of its environmental impact. For NOM Architecture, this project became a strong reference for how we want to design future hospitality spaces: not disposable, not generic, but resilient, contextual, memorable and generous to both people and place.The lesson I carry from Cooks Club Alanya is very clear: the future of hospitality design should not be about creating louder images. It should be about creating places that can last, age beautifully, contribute to their surroundings and continue to feel meaningful over time.
Looking back at Cooks Club Alanya, I hope the project tells the hospitality design community one clear thing: a contemporary seaside resort should not be a generic holiday image. It should be born from its place.For me, the real starting point was not style, but Alanya itself: the strong Mediterranean sun, the salty air, the coastal wind, the humidity, the orientation of the existing buildings, the slope of the site, the views, the position of the pools and the way the property naturally opens toward outdoor life. These conditions shaped the project more deeply than any decorative decision could.The orientation was important not only for light and heat, but also for view, atmosphere and movement. We studied how to benefit from the best visual connections, how to open certain areas toward the sea, how to protect others from harsh sun or wind, and how to use the existing slope of the land to create a more fluid sequence between different functions. Instead of treating level differences as a problem, we used them as part of the spatial experience, allowing the resort to unfold gradually from one atmosphere to another.This is why I believe hospitality architecture must listen before it speaks. At Cooks Club Alanya, the material palette, the shaded transitions, the indoor-outdoor continuity, the pool areas, the landscape, the murals, the lighting and the distribution of social nodes all came from this act of listening. The aim was to create a resort that feels contemporary and international, but still unmistakably connected to Alanya.The transformation was also important because the hotel had a fragmented identity before. What we created was not just a renovated property, but a new rhythm: calm in the morning, social during the day, warmer and more energetic at night. I wanted the resort to feel alive, as if it changed with the sun, the guests, the music, the breeze, the view and the light.One dimension I feel deserves more attention is the project’s contribution to its surroundings. The façade, the murals and the renewed frontage gave the building a stronger public presence. A resort should not turn its back on the city. Even when it serves its guests, it should also give something back to the street, the neighborhood and the visual memory of the place.In the end, I would like Cooks Alanya Club Hotel to be remembered as a resort with a soul. Not only a destination, but a living Mediterranean atmosphere: rooted, sensual, social, responsible and memorable.
At Cooks Club Alanya, openness toward the coast was not a decorative idea; it was a carefully controlled architectural decision. In Alanya, the sea brings beauty, but also salt, humidity, wind and strong sun. So the challenge was to create a hotel that feels light, open and relaxed, while being durable enough for the Mediterranean coast.We first studied orientation, view and exposure. The aim was not to open every space blindly, but to create selective permeability. Some areas were opened toward the sea, the pools and outdoor life; others were protected with shade, planting, semi-open transitions and material depth. The architecture had to invite the coast in, but also protect guests from its harshness.Material choices were essential, but I did not want them to dominate the experience. We preferred raw, natural and climate-resilient materials that could support the atmosphere and age with dignity. We avoided fragile or overly decorative solutions that would quickly suffer under sun, salt and humidity. In a coastal project, beauty must be supported by endurance.For me, indoor-outdoor continuity is not about erasing all boundaries. It is about softening them. Pergolas, shaded seating areas, pool edges, planting, semi-open zones and continuous materials helped guests move naturally from interior comfort to outdoor energy. These details may not be immediately noticed, but they are felt through comfort.In the end, the openness of Cooks Club Alanya is a balance between freedom and protection. Guests feel the breeze, the view, the shade and the effortless flow between spaces. Behind that ease, there is a very precise architectural discipline. For me, this is one of the most beautiful responsibilities of design: to make difficult conditions feel effortless.
What I would most like emerging hospitality designers to study at Cooks Club Alanya is how a large resort program can be made to feel intimate, legible and human. The project includes many functions, many room types, pools, wellness, beach life and social areas; but the real design question was not only how to place them on the property. The real question was how to connect them through rhythm, hierarchy and experience.One of the most important spatial decisions was the creation of a clear main axis, supported by smaller secondary axes and recurring spatial patterns. This gave the resort an understandable structure without making it feel rigid. Guests can move naturally along the main flow, but they also discover smaller paths, pauses, social pockets, shaded corners and unexpected atmospheres along the way. For me, this is essential in hospitality design: people should never feel lost, but they should still feel that there is something to discover.In this sense, Christopher Alexander’s A Pattern Language has always been a meaningful reference for me. I want to mention also that; good spatial organization is not only about form, but about recurring human situations: arrival, transition, gathering, privacy, threshold, view, shade, pause and encounter. A resort is not a collection of functions; it is a pattern of human behaviors.At Cooks Club Alanya, the distributed social node model grew from this understanding. Instead of concentrating all life in one dominant center, we created different points of attraction with different emotional temperatures: energetic, calm, playful, restorative, social or private. The main entertainment pool, the quiet pools, the spa, the honesty bar, the FunLab, the dining areas, the shaded corners and the open-air transitions all give guests different ways to inhabit the resort.I also believe designers should study on the site analysis, the relationship between orientation, view, level differences, landscape elements, surroundings and movement. The slope of the site and the existing spatial conditions were not treated as obstacles. They became part of the spatial pattern, helping the resort unfold gradually from one atmosphere to another. Views, shade, circulation and social nodes were considered together, not separately.The promise of the distributed social node model is that it respects human behavior. People do not want the same intensity all day. They want to be alone, then together; silent, then social; relaxed, then excited. A good resort should understand these changes and offer different emotional possibilities within one coherent identity.For me, the future of resort design lies in this sensitivity. Not bigger gestures, but richer rhythms. Not more spectacle, but more intelligence. Not one forced experience, but a generous pattern of possibilities. Cooks Club Alanya taught me again that hospitality design becomes truly powerful when it gives people freedom: the freedom to move, to pause, to discover, to connect, to withdraw and to remember.