When Guevara Ottonello Architects received the brief for Don Majestic Hotel, the team could not have foretold what great success would follow the completion of this project. The interdisciplinary architecture and design firm had already cemented its reputation in Uruguay as a hub of excellence of credibility; however, their recent work on Don Majestic Hotel is what has catapulted them into true design fame.  

Guevara Ottonello Architects was established by Ian Guevera and Natalia Ottonello, a pair of passionate, highly enthusiastic and qualified architects. They synergy between the couple is visible in there their work. It is easy to see that they have a shared vision. Coincidentally, Guevara and Ottonello are also life partners and they are raising a family. 

Over the years, Guevara and Ottonello have successfully grown Guevara Ottonello Architects into one of Uruguay’s most esteemed design consultancies. Indeed, the Maldonado–based studio has designed some of the most iconic buildings in the country, including the recently completed Don Majestic Hotel, which has gained the couple a considerable amount of international recognition.  

The German Design Council selected Guevara Ottonello Architects’ Don Majestic Hotel as ‘Winner: Iconic Awards 2020, Innovative Architecture’. Its counterpart, the German Design Award awarded a ‘Special mention for excellent architecture’. The International Design Awards awarded it ‘Bronze in Architecture Categories’, while International Property Awards conferred Guevara Ottonello Architects ‘Best Hotel Architecture Uruguay 2020-2021’ and ‘Best Hotel Interior Uruguay 2020-2021’. Archmarathon Awards recognized the project for its interior design. 

Don Majestic Hotel is a new, 52-room hotel in Punta del Este, wherein Guevara Ottonello Architects is based. The brief was to create a jewel, i.e. an innovative work of architecture with a singular and unique shape. Indeed, Guevara, Ottonello and their team did just that. The jury of German Design Award described the completed Don Majestic Hotel as being “an interesting, timelessly elegant building whose iconic appearance becomes even more impressive thanks to its striking slats, which separate the continuously glazed floors from each other”. 

2021 has proved to be a significant year for Guevara Ottonello Architects, as it also received top honors from the internationally recognized Luxury Lifestyle Awards as winner in the category Best Luxury Architect Studio in Uruguay for 2021.  

Speaking to the organizers, Guevara describes the mission of Guevara Ottonello Architects as being “to honor the principles of architectural design and ensure that we always design with passion and dedication… to create designs that communicate, innovate and transcend”. Ottonello agrees, saying: “For us, architecture and design is what we live and breathe; it is what inspires us and sustains us each day. We always look to create unique and special concepts that are one-of-a-kind and will be iconic.” 

The team at Guevara Ottonello Architects holds a strong commitment to use their work to improve the quality of the built environment in Uruguay. With Guevara and Ottonello at the helm, the team has cut its teeth working on projects spanning residential, commercial (including hospitality) and interior design needs. While their first projects were small interventions, mostly involving recycling and renovation, they soon graduated to working on large-scaler briefs, such as the popular local Hotel Sisai Boutique.  

Guevara and Ottonello enjoy a shared passion for architecture and a mutual tenacity to see their business grow further. Their alignment on the value of architecture is undoubtedly what has seen them succeed and gain increasing praise. They are certainly a pair to keep an eye on.