Armani Hotel Opens in Dubai’s Burj Khalifa; New Hotel Planned for Milan

At long last, the Armani Hotel has opened in Dubai's Burj Khalifa, the world's tallest building. After years of hype and anticipation, the designer's first hotel is welcoming guests to floors 0-8 (along with 38 & 39) of the soaring, 2,717 foot building. (The Burj Al Khalifa is also home to the world's highest mosque and swimming pool.) To quote the Telegraph UK: "Not content with letting his many collections be a feast for the eyes, the Italian fashion maestro seems determined his hotel should be a feast in every sense of the word. The Armani Hotel Dubai boasts not one, not two, not even three or four - but EIGHT restauarants, ranging from Italian (certo!) and Indian to Japanese and Mediterranean." And Armani himself designed these restos.

The Huffington Post quotes Armani at this week's opening: "Yesterday when I arrived and saw the hotel, I felt really emotional. After five years of working on this project, I finally saw how it all came to life. Working with me is not always easy, I think everyone here would agree because my standards are very high." The hotel features 160 guest rooms, a spa, the Armani Prive nightclub with $800 table reservations, and various shops (including an Armani boutique, Armani Dolci (sweets) and Armani Fiori (flowers). Price tag? Suites cost as much as 40,000 dirhams ($11,000) a night. Next up for Armani? A second hotel in Milan- to be built with partner Emaar Properties PJSC.

Photo Via HotelChatter

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Designers and their Hotels

Diane von Furstenberg Remakes Claridge's, London

Fashion Hotels: Maison Moschino Hotel Opens in Milan

Visitors to Milan (especially the fashionista set) are in for a treat. Maison Moschino officially opened in March and it's full of eye candy. Billed as "a world where fashion is king, fairytales come true and dreams are realized," the new 65-room hotel was realized by Stefano Ugolini of Hotelphilosophy, designer Rossella Jardini, and the Moschino creative team. The surreal interiors conjure a dream state, inviting guests "to immerse themselves in a world of imagination and fantasy." Housed in a neoclassical 19th century railway station in the heart of the city, the hotel offers a wonderland of individually designed rooms following imaginative themes like "Little Red Riding Hood," "Clouds," "Luxurious Attic," "The Forest," and "Sleeping in a Ballgown." Your first glimpse inside is of the famous Moschino staple lampshade dress-- now a lamp illuminating the main lobby where origami clouds dangle from the ceiling. The bar and Clandestino Milano restaurant are likewise creatively decorated, channeling Moschino's iconic designs (think dresses and stilettos). Get this: After you've dived into a feast (sushi, meat, vegetarian or vegan dishes), you'll be treated to a palate cleanser: a sake and mint based "mouth wash." Breakfast? No less inventive. The "Mos kit" is served in a container that looks like an elegant shoe box.

Spring Shopping in Milan: Discounts with the Swank Principe di Savoia

Spring fever? Why not jet to Milan to get a new look with the new season? Stay in style at the Principe di Savoia, the five-star favorite situated on the Piazza della Repubblica in the heart of the Italian fashion capital. Witness to a recent glam make-over by acclaimed architect Thierry Despont, the hotel is home to some of the best digs in the city, including the Imperial Suite and nine new Principe suites, each appointed with hand-painted frescoes, Murano glass vases, Lasa marble baths, and traditional Italian furniture. Take advantage of the "Spring Package," available from March 22- April 11, 2010, and you'll receive the exclusive Principe Shopping Card, which allows you 10% off the most important designer boutiques in the famous Fashion District, a stone's throw from the hotel. Starting from €295 in a Classic Premium Room, the "Spring Package"also includes buffet breakfast, a voucher for two cocktails at the new Principe Bar, one scrub treatment at the Club 10 Spa, and daily complimentary Limo Shuttle service. Two-night stay required.

Designers and Their Hotels: Diane von Furstenberg Remakes Claridge’s, London

Over the last few years, we've witnessed a growing trend in the hotel world: top designers are being enlisted to add some glam to hotels' interior design. From Missoni to Armani to Vera Wang, luxury hotels around the world are being transformed with star power. The latest announcement: Diane von Furstenberg is designing a series of rooms and suites for Claridge's, the famed Art Deco hotel in Mayfair that's home to Gordon Ramsay at Claridge's. (This is the same luxury lodging that showcased a dazzling Christmas Tree by John Galliano this past winter.) To be unveiled in June, the rooms will feature "bold prints, bright colors, and originally-crafted pieces of Diane von Furstenberg furniture." Here's the designer quoted in Vogue Magazine UK:

"One of my fondest memories was when I was in London as a young, independent businesswoman and stayed at Claridge's," von Furstenberg said today. "I knew I had made it. To me, Claridge's is the most glamourous hotel in the world; I regard it as my home away from home. I am honoured to become part of the hotel's legacy and rich design history."

Image Via Luxist

Breaking News: The Scoop on the New Hotel Missoni Kuwait

Come September 2010, Kuwait City will be the site of one of the hottest resort openings of the year. Smack dab in the city center near the world-famous shopping district, the new Hotel Missoni Kuwait promises to lure quite a few fashionable globetrotters to the shores of the Arabian Sea. Why are we so effusive about this property? For one, the partnership of the Milan-based fashion house and the Rezidor Hotel Group seems to be a winning combo; glam interiors feature Missoni's iconic colorful prints and designer furniture, while the facilities encompass a Six Senses Spa, the Cucina Missoni restaurant and Choco Cafe, stylish meeting facilites, and a pool tiled with the signature Missoni patterned stripe. We also dig the complimentary wireless Internet access.

What’s New in Chicago: Marc Jacobs Store Opens at Elysian Hotel

Another reason to check out the new Elysian Hotel, already a Gold Coast hot spot since its debut just months ago... The Marc Jacobs Collection store has opened in the hotel's street-level retail space, bringing to Chitown the "designer's main line of fresh-from-the-runway threads for men and women." The word from Metromix Chicago: "We're psyched for the boost this luxury boutique will give our city's fashion cred." Racked National describes the space as having "high ceilings, striking black tile mosaics, plush brown carpeting."

Via Gridskipper

Buy the Westin Heavenly Bed (and Other Goods) on Amazon.com

Didn't want to get out of bed the last time you stayed at a Westin? Wish you had that heavenly bed at home? Now you'll be able to buy the chain's Heavenly Bed and Bath products (not to mention the signature White Tea candles) at Amazon.com. This partnership between Amazon.com and Starwood Hotels and Resorts is billed as the "first hotel-branded storefront on the shopping Web site." Snatch up the goods on Amazon.com/westin. Here's a deal for travelers that The New York Times is reporting: stay twice at Westin properties on Mondays through Thursdays and you'll receive Amazon gift cards worth $100.

Buzz: Victoria Beckham to Design a Hotel in Dubai?

UPDATE: Sources confirm that this newsworthy tidbit was just the Internet rumor mill at work...

Move over, Armani. Victoria Beckham may be getting her own hotel in Dubai. Word on the street is that Posh was invited (for a whopping 25 million British pounds) to design a luxury property:

The hotel would be on Isla Moda, a fashion-themed isle off Dubai being developed with the help of top designer Karl Lagerfeld... Isla Moda is one of nearly 300 islands in Dubais man-made archipelago called The World because the isles are arranged in the shape of a map of the globe.

Party with the Stars at The Beverly Hilton with the Golden Globes Package

Less than two weeks to go before the big show... The 67th Annual Golden Globe Awards will be held on January 17, 2010 at the Beverly Hilton with every major Hollywood star in attendance. Get in on the action with the Golden Globes Package at the Beverly Hilton. Honored with a 2010 Forbes Four Star Award by Forbes Travel Guide (formerly Mobil), the Beverly Hilton was opened in 1955 by distinguished hotelier Conrad Hilton and plays host to the Golden Globes annually. The Golden Globes package includes two nights accommodation for two guests, two bleacher seats on the Red Carpet, breakfast and a box lunch on the day of the Awards Show, and a Golden Globes Memorabilia Gift Bag. Rates start at $2,800/package with check-in on January 16 and check-out on January 18. Contact the Golden Globes Package Reservation Line at 310.285.1269 and mention "Five Star Alliance/The Informed Traveler" when booking.

Going Palin with these Luxury Hotels

I'm behind the times on most things, but I can't help but pay attention to something tearing up the airwaves nowadays: Sarah Palin's new book, Going Rogue, just launched, and the media are in a tizzy. That got me wondering, where does the former vice presidential candidate, a lady known for impeccable taste and style, stay? Well, I found a couple places that were fit for the new princess of politics, each a location that could be called a Sarah Palin hotel... While in New York last year for an appearance on Saturday Night Live, Governor Palin stayed at the posh Midtown Omni Berkshire Hotel. The Omni hotels are amongst my favorites, and while this Manhattan property certainly is enticing, I've most enjoyed the Omni La Mansion del Rio Hotel in San Antonio and the Omni Royal Orleans in New Orleans' French Quarter. Whatever the choice, it's no surprise that when seeking out a luxury hotel for such a luxurious client, the Omni hotels brand seems an easy choice. Yet there is no luxury hotel more associated with Sarah Palin than the opulent Arizona Biltmore Resort and Spa in sunny Phoenix, Arizona. This property not only famously hosted the governor poolside, but also was the scene of the concession speech from both Palin and her running mate John McCain. So as Palin's new book jumps up the bestseller lists, you can enjoy a couple places where the former Alaska governor laid her head. And you can read her new book, Going Rogue, by the same pools where she dipped her toes.