According to a Reuters report, luxury hotelier Elisabetta Gucci, daughter of Italian fashion designer Paolo Gucci, is aiming to open first boutique hotel in Dubai by this year-end, as well as 40 hotels in the next 15 years in the Middle East, Far East and South America. Lorens Ziller, Partner at Elisabetta Gucci Hotels & Resorts said that the construction of the 87-room luxury boutique hotel is completed, with the firm eyeing a second hotel in China next year. The hotelier has partnered with Abu Dhabi developer Baitek International Real Estate to develop the chain of hotels in the Gulf Arab region. The Dubai hotel is funded by Baitek for an undisclosed amount. The hotelier plans to form a hotel management company this month to manage its hotels worldwide and ensure quality is preserved. "We intend to develop other hotels for the Gulf Cooperation Council and outside our focus will be Russia, China, Far East, Africa and South America, particularly Brazil. We would like to have 40 hotels in 15 years," said Ziller. In April this year, Italian designer Giorgio Armani opened his first branded hotel in Dubai in partnership with developer Emaar Properties EMAR.DU at Burj Khalifa, the world's tallest tower. He added, "Elisabetta Gucci hotel was originally scheduled to open by the end of 2009 but was delayed by a year. Because of the global market, financing was halted and the overall liquidity of developers was low and hence we are running a delay of a year. I hope to see the hotel being finished by the end of the year." Guests will have the option to buy anything in the hotel from furniture and bed linen to slippers. Elisabetta Gucci works with Italy's Formitalia Luxury Group to create exclusive interiors, furniture and art. A large number of future hotels, particularly in Russia and Eastern Europe, will be converted into historic properties. http://www.travelbizmonitor.com/elisabetta-gucci-aims-to-open-first-hotel-in-dubai-by-this-yearend-10529 |
Saturday, June 05, 2010