Established in 2016, Kota Kinabalu design firm Wowspace Design Studio truly wowed with their boutique hotel space, The Cara Hotel.
But don’t take it from me, take it from the fact that they have claimed the title of Asia Pacific Regional Winner in the Hotel Suite Interior category at the International Property Awards 2024-2025.
A global award programme, this marks a huge accomplishment for not just Wowspace, but for Sabah and Malaysia at large.
Hospitality specialists
Today, Wowspace is recognised as a notable multi-disciplinary design firm in Kota Kinabalu, with expertise in interior design, architecture, and hospitality management.
Starting out, however, Wowspace set out to be an Airbnb operator.
Sharing this with furnished.my is Kenny Wong, the creative director of Wowspace. He elaborated that one thing led to the other, and the team began receiving design jobs.
With that, Wowspace grew to encompass various talents, taking on various design projects, specialising in commercial projects. The team does work on residential projects as well, though they are more selective with them.
“Even right now, under our umbrella, we are still running two boutique hotels,” he said. “At the same time, we do design as well.”
One of those boutique hotels is The Cara Hotel, of course.
Weaving a story through space
Seeing the potential of two office lots, Wowspace has created a beautiful boutique hotel in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah.
Located near the airport, The Cara Hotel seeks to offer something more intentional and thoughtful than the contrasting city hotels nearby.
“We wanted to stand out not just in terms of design, but also in terms of the service that we provide,” Kenny elaborated.
A Latin word, Cara (pronounced kar-rah) means dear, beloved, or darling. With that in mind, the hotel is a space designed for intimacy and friendship. It’s not so much for the business crowd, but rather for sisters, couples, family, and the like.
The hotel comprises six rooms, each with its very own theme. Instead of numbers, each “limited-edition” room has its own name such as Stone, Mist, Dusk, Twilight, and more.
All these names are inspired by Sabah’s own features.
“For example, Stone carries the spirit of Mount Kinabalu,” Kenny said. “Walking through the corridor, it’s like you have travelled through Sabah. We want each room to tell its story, so people can try different rooms and explore different aspects of Kota Kinabalu.”
Focusing on creating a unique experience in each room, Kenny and his team approached the design by tying in a strong story. Rather than focus on aesthetics, he believes that storytelling is the best place to start.
“Running a space, be it a hotel or any other commercial business, they need a storyline to build on,” he elaborated. “If they do not have a script, they wouldn’t know where to go.”
But by “storyboarding” the right foundational idea from the get-go, a business would be able to stably scale even as they grow into new phases.
Sabah on the world map
Joining the International Property Award, the Wowspace team had no idea what they were in for.
The journey began early last year in 2024 when they submitted their entry. It was thanks to a recommendation from a previous award they won that they decided to enter the international programme.
With it being their first time entering an international competition, the team had felt unsure. But lo and behold, they gave it a try, and it paid off.
By May, they were told they were nominated, and had to attend the regional event in Bangkok, where they were awarded “five stars.”
“Only then did we understand that there was a marking system that we had to pass in order to get five stars. You could win an award, but if you don’t get five stars, you won’t be nominated to the next stage,” Kenny explained.
Thankfully, Wowspace passed and went on to be nominated for the APAC region. In December 2024, they received the call that they were the regional winners.
So now, they are nominated to compete on the global stage. In February 2025, they will be jetting off to London and dipping their feet into the international pool.
In the past, the team considered joining award programmes as just a way to pat yourself on the back, but Kenny has since realised that these opportunities can help team members feel excited and grow. From a business point of view, it helps establish legitimacy as well.
“Whether it’s to prove to yourself or give your team members a boost, it’s a very good thing to do,” the creative director advised.
More than recognition and motivation for their own firm, though, they see it as an achievement for the local scene.
Oftentimes, the mindset of local clients in Sabah is that designers from KL or Singapore are more qualified. “Local designers have always been hidden in the shadows or come off as subpar,” Kenny said.
But recently, a lot of ID firms are rising up, so being seen on an international level is undoubtedly valuable to the Wowspace team as well as young aspiring designers in the state.
As Kenny shared, “KK designers can also perform.”
Growing amidst the recognition
Aside from its design accolades, Kenny shared that The Cara Hotel is doing well in terms of occupancy, too. In fact, the hotel is actually in the midst of an expansion right now.
From six units, it’ll be growing to close to 40 units, expected to be completed by the middle of this year. With that, the hotel will be able to provide a more holistic experience to guests.
Looking ahead, Wowspace is open to expanding their services to other locations. But before that, they aim to work harder to prove themselves and improve their competency. “Only then we will expand our services somewhere else.”
Learn more about Wowspace Design Studio here.
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Featured Image Credit: Wowspace Design Studio