FAQ — GBRA 2026
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About branded residences

A branded residence is a residential property (eg. apartment, villa, condominium) that is sold for individual ownership. The brand may be affiliated with hospitality, automotive, fashion, design, wellness, or another lifestyle sector, or it may be an independent residential brand created by a developer.

To be eligible, the residences must be available for individual ownership (sold or offered for sale to private owners).

Entering the awards

Entries may be submitted by developers, hotel brands, residence operators, marketing agencies, brokers, consultants, architects, technology providers, or other representatives of the project.

To submit an entry, please visit our dedicated awards platform here and create a profile. Once registered, you can start, save, edit and submit your entries at any time before the entry deadline. You may save your progress and return to your submission whenever you wish.

Please note: if you are applying for multiple categories, a new submission must be created for each individual award category.

The entry deadline is 31 July 2026.

Yes. The same or different projects may be submitted to multiple relevant categories if it meets the criteria for each category.

There is no cap on the number of eligible categories you may enter.

No. You can enter as many relevant categories as you like at no cost.

Yes - but only for select categories. These include:

  • Future concept award
  • Best architecture / exterior design
  • Best interior design
  • Best sales and marketing campaign

Please note: the above categories are project specific. Several other award categories focus on the people, partners, and service providers behind each project. Learn more about the categories and criteria here.

Your submission should address the judging criteria for your chosen category as clearly as possible. Each criterion contributes to your overall score, so ensure your submission addresses every point.

The strongest entries:

  • Explain what makes the project, product or campaign unique.
  • Demonstrate measurable success using evidence such as sales figures, resident satisfaction, occupancy, ROI, testimonials or other relevant performance data.
  • Include specific examples or case studies to support key claims.
  • Explain any innovation, sustainability initiatives or operational improvements where relevant.
  • Include high-quality supporting materials such as images, plans, brochures, videos or third-party endorsements where these strengthen the submission.

Remember that judges do not conduct site visits, so your submission should provide all the information needed to evaluate your project. Please refer to our guidance and tips document here for further support.

The awards team will reject submissions if the project appears to fall outside the definition of a branded residence. Developments that are primarily hotels, resorts, or hospitality projects without individually owned branded residences will not be eligible for judging.

Judging process

The judging round is completed independently online. Each judge will be allocated a maximum of two award categories, and will score each entry according to the published category criteria.

To ensure a fair and credible process:

  • Judges do not see their peers' scores or comments.
  • Entries are assessed independently.
  • Scoring is based solely on the merits of the submission and the relevant category criteria.

A judges' report for all shortlisted and winning entries will be published after the awards ceremony.

The awards are judged by a global panel of respected professionals in branded residences, luxury hospitality, real estate, investment, brand strategy, communications and experience design.

You can learn more about our judges here.

Winners & prizes

All shortlisted submissions receive editorial coverage on Boutique Hotel News and associated social channels pre, during, and post-awards ceremony.

Winners will be awarded a physical trophy and certificate, along with a digital graphic for website display and other online communications.

Winners will be revealed at the Global Branded Residence Awards ceremony on 1st October 2026 in Dubai, and subsequently featured across Boutique Hotel News channels.

Sponsorship

A range of sponsorship packages are available, offering prominent brand visibility before, during and after the awards. Benefits may include logo placement across marketing materials and digital channels, recognition at the ceremony, access to a highly targeted audience of industry leaders, and hospitality opportunities for clients and partners.

For full details of the available packages, please download the sponsorship prospectus or contact Katie Houghton, VP Commercial Partnerships – Hospitality, to discuss standard or bespoke partnership opportunities, including category sponsorship, table hosting and integrated campaigns.

Download the prospectus here. Contact Katie Houghton here.

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