Stay in fashion
Fashion hotels are the trend that keeps on giving – next year promises a third Palazzo Versace, the first Karl Lagerfeld Greater China Hotel and a new Bulgari resort, while Tommy Hilfiger plans to launch a line of membership-based hotels. Can’t wait until
FENDI PRIVATE SUITES by Fendi
WHERE ROME Immerse yourself in full-on Fendi luxury – just a stone’s throw from the Fendi-restored Trevi Fountain is the brand’s first venture into hotels, which takes the form of seven sophisticated suites, and opened last December above the Fendi boutique at the end of Via dei Condotti. The rooms are all about fine Italian materials and craftsmanship, from the Carrara and Levanto marble to the Fendi Casa lamps, linens and towels, and the walls are adorned with original photos by Karl Lagerfeld.
WE LOVE The private tour of the flagship store that’s included in the room rate.
THE LOWDOWN From £ 355 per night. fendiprivatesuites.com
BANNISTERS BY THE SEA by Collette Dinnigan
WHERE Mollymook, AUSTRALIA After 25 years of life in high fashion, Australian designer collette Dinnigan has now transferred her talents to the world of interiors. Her first foray into hotels, launched last autumn, is two penthouse suites at Bannisters by the sea, on the southern coast of new south Wales, which she’s kitted out in covetable coastal-chic style. Think white timber-panelled walls and louvred shutters, linen sofas dressed with hand-printed cushions, and the whole look accessorised with retro surf photos and French market finds.
WE LOVE The in-house restaurant – it’s rick stein’s first in Australia.
THE LOWDOWN Penthouses from £ 458 per night. bannisters.com.au
ARMANI HOTEL MILANO by Armani
WHERE MILAN Zoom into Milan’s Quadrilatero d’oro (couture central) on Google Maps and you can spot the Armani Hotel straight away – it’s the one shaped like a giant letter A. That’s what you call attention to detail, and it carries on inside, where everything’s exactly as you’d expect from a designer known for understated elegance. We’re talking tasteful, timeless, streamlined chic, with no superfluous knick-knacks sullying the sleek lacquered surfaces and not a wrinkle in sight on the fastidiously dressed beds.
WE LOVE Being able to zip round town in style – the hotel has its own Armani-branded Vespa you can hire for the day.
THE LOWDOWN From £ 425 per night. armanihotels.com
PORTRAIT FIRENZE by Ferragamo
WHERE Florence The name may not give it away, but Portrait Firenze (along with the five other hotels in the lungarno collection) is an outpost of the Ferragamo fashion house, which has its headquarters just up the road. This newest addition to the collection has interiors every bit as elegant as you’d expect – it’s a harmonious blend of classic and contemporary, with clean lines, luxury fabrics and sophisticated signature shades of soft grey, gold and black.
WE LOVE The 1950s glamour vibe – the walls are lined with archive photographs of Audrey Hepburn, Brigitte Bardot and the like visiting Florence half a century ago.
THE LOWDOWN rooms from £ 340 per night. lungarnocollection.com
LA MAISON CHAMPS ELYSEES by Maison Margiela
WHERE Paris Five years ago, before John Galliano took over as creative director, Maison Margiela dipped its toes into the hotel world, creating 17 couture bedrooms for La Maison Champs Elysées, along with the restaurant, bar, smoking room and reception. Hidden behind a classic Haussmann facade in the ritzy 8th arrondissement, you’ll find monochrome interiors with a generous helping of visual trickery – like the Persian ‘rugs’ that are part of the paler carpets around them.
WE LOVE Every thursday, Marinho Paris bring their luxury manicure services to the hotel.
THE LOWDOWN Couture rooms from £ 340 per night. lamaisonchampselysees.com
25 HOURS HOTEL FRANKFURT by Levi’s
WHERE Frankfurt at the decidedly more affordable end of the fashion hotel spectrum comes this fun and funky fusion between a German budget-boutique brand and the classic us jeans label. Each of the hotel’s six floors takes its design cue from a different 20th-century decade and rooms come in assorted shades of blue, inspired by the various denim washes that have taken their turn in the fashion spotlight.
WE LOVE the retro denim – each room comes with a pair of ‘ forgotten’ jeans hanging on the wall. THE LOWDOWN From £76 per night. 25hours-hotels.com
HOTEL L’ANTOINE by Christian Lacroix
WHERE Paris rapidly building up a mini hotel empire, Christian Lacroix now has five properties dotted around Paris. newest of the bunch is Hôtel l’antoine, in the 11th arrondissement, which takes its design cues from different eras and facets of the surrounding neighbourhood. Compared to some of its sister properties it’s restrained, but you’ll still find a characteristic clash of patterns, colours and finishes, from concrete walls to bold floral wallpapers, gilt-framed landscapes to golden subway tiles.
WE LOVE the scented candles available at the in-house rose et Marius boutique, including a limited-edition Lacroix design.
THE LOWDOWN rooms from £111. hotelantoinebastilleparis.com
UXUA by Wilbert Das
WHERE Trancoso, Brazil The name means ‘wonderful’ in the local Pataxó dialect and there can’t be many who’d argue with that description of this boho Brazilian bolthole. created by Wilbert das, former creative director of diesel, it’s made up of just 12 casas, some of them restored fishermen’s houses, others built using traditional techniques and recycled materials. Expect blurred boundaries between indoors and outdoors, and a rustic-chic look that blends local crafts and vintage finds with 21st-century comforts.
WE LOVE our fellow guests. Kate Moss, alessandra ambrosio and Lily cole are just a few of the supers who’ve holidayed here.
THE LOWDOWN Rooms from £ 305 (excluding tax) per night. uxua.com
PALAZZO VERSACE DUBAI by House of Versace
WHERE dubai Part-neoclassical, part-arabian, totally dubai, Palazzo Versace is big, opulent and unashamedly luxe, from the ceilings hand-detailed in gold to the gleaming parquet flooring underfoot. Versace motifs run throughout, with framed scarves on the walls, Medusa heads popping up on everything from drinking glasses to after-dinner mints, and a mighty homage to that J-LO jungle-print dress in the form of Giardino restaurant, where the familiar pattern is echoed in seat covers, wallpaper and even the waiters’ shirts.
WE LOVE The fact that Quincy Jones opens his first-ever bar here in november.
THE LOWDOWN Rooms from £ 575 per night. palazzoversace.ae n
BULGARI HOTEL LONDON by Bulgari
WHERE London Building a new hotel from scratch rather than converting an existing property allowed Bulgari to get everything just so when they opened their London outpost. Bedrooms are a generous size and everything about the chic interiors shouts expensive, from the gleaming mahogany walls and polished granite floors to the silk damask fabrics and hammered metal bar, which pay tribute to the brand’s jewellery heritage.
WE LOVE The two-level spa, complete with beautiful green-and-gold tiled pool that’s the jewel in the hotel’s crown.
THE LOWDOWN From £ 515 per night. bulgarihotels.com