Winning project, 10th Edition of InterCIDEC 2025

What is InterCIDEC 2025 and why was Yecla the capital of contract furniture?

InterCIDEC is the International Contract Environment Design Competition, promoted by Frajumar, and has established itself as a benchmark platform where interior design, architecture and hotel chains identify ideas that can be turned into reality in real projects. The 10th edition was held at FRAJUMAR’s headquarters in Yecla, bringing together nearly 200 professionals from the sector and focusing on the design of “multipurpose suites”.

What surprised me most was the mix of profiles: hotel managers, young designers and established studios sharing corridors. The feeling was one of ‘creative ferment’: there was an equal atmosphere of collaboration and business.

In addition to the main awards ceremony, the day included a welcome speech by Frajumar CEO Francisco L. Juan Ortiz and a presentation by Michelin 2* chef Pablo González Conejero entitled “Hospitality with flavour, design with purpose”, followed by a round table discussion on “The evolution of design in hospitality”. Michelin chef Pablo González Conejero entitled “Hospitality with flavour, design with purpose”, followed by a round table discussion on “The evolution of hotel design: from visual luxury to emotional experience”.

The media also emphasised that InterCIDEC is a “trend-setting venue” for the hotel industry: textures, naturalness, neutral colours and sustainability as key themes; an interpretation that fits in with what was seen in the panels and projects.

OUTSIDETHEBOX: this is the winning multi-purpose suite

The First Prize went to José Montesinos Valls from Valencia for OUTSIDETHEBOX: a suite that “does not ask permission”, breaks the rules of conventional space and makes the most of every square metre with a fluid, curvilinear and provocative layout. The project is designed so that everything flows, curves, opens up or hints at itself, seeking a memorable experience for those who inhabit it.

Distribution and key materials

The proposal stands out for its transformable areas and a continuous spatial interpretation, allowing functions to be alternated without sacrificing privacy and comfort. The multipurpose approach resolves the day/night transition and combines aesthetics with functionality for a high-end experience.

We loved how this suite translates ‘flexibility’ into sensations: curved lines that invite you to explore, and an atmosphere that takes you out of your routine without losing any warmth. It’s the kind of room you want to explore.

Runners-up: Suite Risseu and La Invitación

First Accesit — SUITE RISSEU (GAP Interiorismo, Gabriele Appierto): a reinterpretation of the Mediterranean for the contemporary traveller, integrating work, wellbeing and relaxation in a harmonious rhythm. Beauty + technology for changing lifestyles.

Second Accesit — LA INVITACIÓN (TOCHO Studio: Rodrigo de la Torre, Lucía García, Diego García): reimagines the hotel room as a place to invite guests to inhabit, explore and transform their stay into a personal and creative experience.

Risseu seduces with its texture and calm, while La Invitación draws you into the scene; you don’t “sleep in a hotel”, you inhabit a space. Two different paths to the experience.

The day: 2* Michelin presentation and the emotional experience of design

The presentation by Pablo González Conejero linked hospitality and design with a powerful idea: purpose and flavour (sensory memory) as common threads. The round table, moderated by Joaquín Gómez (INFO Región de Murcia), focused on moving from visual luxury to emotional experience, with contributions from Eva Pomar, Fiorella Milla-Leon, Valentina Rodríguez, Paolo Mauri and Pepe Cosín.

Sight is the first sense to come into play, but memorable spaces activate all five senses. That’s why many people opt for pleasant colours and sustainable textures: you want guests to feel at home without sacrificing novelty.

Figures and international jury: 44 projects and a growing ecosystem

The 2025 edition featured 44 projects by professionals from Spain and more than a dozen other countries (Portugal, France, Germany, Italy, Cuba, Mexico, Colombia, Peru, Argentina, Slovenia, Russia, etc.), with a national and international jury including profiles from the fields of design, architecture and hotel chain project management.

The positive traction of the sector (and concerns about the lack of skilled labour) were also discussed on television. My impression is the same: events such as InterCIDEC activate real synergies between design, furniture and hotel investment.

What’s next: next edition in Seville (29 October 2026)

The 11th edition already has a date: Seville, 29 October 2026. This is a clear opportunity for studios and brands to continue connecting with the Contract/Hospitality channel and turn ideas into real projects.

Key dates for InterCIDEC 2026

We can now mark the milestones of the next edition in our diaries:

• Project submission deadline: 7 October 2026

• Jury meeting: 15 October 2026

• Awards ceremony (Seville): 29 October 2026

Edition theme: Family Experience Room

The jury proposes designing family hotel rooms designed for the real pace of holidays with family or friends: flexible, durable and sensory spaces that facilitate coexistence (rest, play, light work and smart storage) without sacrificing aesthetics or sustainability.

Objective: to create rooms that “work” day and night, for different ages and needs, maintaining a balance between the home + hotel experience.

Are you going to participate? Prepare your proposal and send it before 7 October. Submit your proposal now.

The suite of the future is versatile, sensory and sustainable

InterCIDEC 2025 sends a clear message: the hotel suite of the immediate future is multipurpose, sensory and sustainable, and the winning project OUTSIDETHEBOX exemplifies this with formal and functional audacity. For those working in hospitality, the value lies in connecting talent with industry and bringing the best of design to life.