LUXURY RESORTS & TRAVEL
DESIGNER TRAVEL Putting the haute in hotel
Once upon a time, fashion designers made frocks, jewelers formed glittery baubles, and perfumers produced wondrous aromas. But somewhere along the way, the lines in between began to blur, a creative crossover that enabled many of the world’s artistic maestros to work their magic in different media. Enter the “fashionbranded hotel” — über-chic overnight accommodations with runway-worthy living spaces that exude a brand’s personality and style while letting guests engulf themselves in the very soul of the designer.
Never one to shy away from innovation, Versace kicked off the trend with the over-the-top Palazzo Versace Queensland on Australia’s Gold Coast. A fusion of Baroque, Renaissance and contemporary elements, the flamboyant waterfront resort reflects both the late Gianni Versace’s legendary opulence and his daughter Donatella’s more classically elegant style. While it may attract Middle Eastern potentates and Russian gazillionaires, PVQ has lured its fair share of musical artists (U2, the Rolling Stones), who have used the posh resort as a base for touring Down Under.
Versace is on the cusp of launching two more branded resorts — a 270room hotel along Macau’s casino row and a superexclusive 214-room Dubai property that promises to be one of the most lavish hotels ever created. Already nine years in the making, Palazzo Versace Dubai will feature its own mega-yacht docking facilities. The eclectic interior design blends elements of ancient Rome and Egypt with French Rococoinspired furnishings and Arabic motifs — a palatial structure that would have no doubt appealed to Cleopatra or Napoleon.
Bulgari is also on a hotel branding spree. Founded in Rome in the late 19th century by Greek silversmith and entrepreneur Sotirios Bulgaris, the company grew into a global icon of jewelry, watches and perfume before branching out into luxury accommodations.
Sticking close to home, Bulgari got its feet wet in fashion capital Milan, renovating an 18th-century Italian palace into a stunning boutique hotel that mirrors the elegance and efficiency of Bulgari timepieces. In keeping with that vibe, Bulgari Milan offers excursions to Italy’s iconic sights and destinations by private plane, limousine or yacht. Other services include personal shoppers and trainers.
Bulgari’s second act was a Balinese beach resort, each of the rooms boasting a private garden, plunge pool, outdoor living room and personal butler. Tapping into the Indonesian island’s exotic style, all of the furniture and fabrics were designed and produced by local artists in collaboration with Bulgari architects and designers.
London’s chic Knightsbridge neighborhood hosts the latest Bulgari hotel, just steps from Harrods department store. In a city known for tiny hotel rooms, the Bulgari boasts London’s most spacious rooms. They’re incredibly stylish, with plenty of reference to the brand’s silversmith origins. The hotel garners extra space by having six floors underground to accommodate a cinema and one of London’s largest spas, with 12 treatment rooms, a 25-meter swimming pool and a vitality pool complete with gold leafed tiles and a waterfall.
Three more Bulgari hotels are slated for 2017 debuts in Shanghai, Beijing and Dubai.
Oscar de la Renta has put his name and creative stamp on the Puntacana Resort and Club in his native Dominican Republic. Located in a popular resort area on the east coast, the 30room boutique comprises plantation-style beach bungalows hewn from wicker and wood, made even more luxurious with frette linens. In addition to three golf courses and a Six Senses Spa, the tropical retreat offers a private whitesand strand, myriad water sports, VIP express immigration, luggage retrieval and assistance with customs at Punta Cana’s airport, as well as its own De la Renta fashion boutique.