Contract Textile International

Hotel Haute Couture

Company News - Volume 4/ Jan-Apr 2011

Giorgio Armani founded his fashion label in 1974; his furnishing range, Armani Casa, was launched ten years ago and this year the Italian star designer opened his first hotel. He seems to have effortlessly made the transition from fashion design to contract furnishing via interior design.

The principles on which Armani’s work is based are the same for all three disciplines, namely the high-end fabrics, clean lines and muted colors, which have made him famous, principles which also surface at the Armani Hotel in Dubai.

The 5-star hotel is located in the Burj Khalifa in downtown Dubai, the tallest building in the world, and occupies the first eight floors and the 38th and 39th floor, facing the world’s biggest shopping centre and fountain. 
All three are projects of Arabian property developer Emaar Properties, Armani’s partner when it comes to the beautifully furnished, luxury hotel sector.

For his first hotel, Armani definitely went the whole hog, furnishing all 160 rooms and suites with king size beds and walk-in wardrobes. The walls are covered in handcrafted Florentine leather or Marmorino silk or clad in zebrawood, to name but a few. The green marble for the bathroom décor was shipped from Brazil. Some of the floors are laid with Eramosa stone. The designer has left his personal mark on the hotel with fabrics, furniture, colors, decorative objects and lighting custom-made for the hotel in the style of Armani Casa. Even the uniforms worn by the hotel staff are tailored from Armani designs.

On the other hand, Armani has exercised restraint in the execution. The hotel features a tone-on-tone look. Earthy colors take precedence, black and white contrasts, staged with customized lighting. There are no frills and few decorative elements to distract from the essentials.

On the opening day, Armani said: “I have long dreamed of a hotel I would like to stay in and entertain friends and family, a hotel which combines Armani aesthetics with Italian warmth and hospitality. I am delighted to open the doors of the Armani Hotel in Dubai and invite my guests to get to know my world.”

A world we’ll be seeing more of around the globe – an Armani hotel in Milan is nearing completion and there are plans to build more city centre hotels in New York, Shanghai and London.