Gucci branches into hotels

For years, it has been known primarily as the fashion house whose designer clothes are worn by celebrities such as Madonna and Rihanna...

But now, Gucci is to lend its famous moniker to a string of luxury boutique hotels.

Named after the the daughter of the legendary fashion designer Paolo Gucci, the first Elisabetta Gucci Hotel is scheduled to open in the oil-rich Middle East city-state of Dubai by the end of this year.

An ambitious expansion plan will also see a string of further hotels open around the world in the next 15 years. Brazil and Russia, as well as other countries in the Far East, Africa and South America, feature on the schedule.

'We would like to have 40 hotels in 15 years,' says Lorenz Ziller, managing director of the new hotel brand.

The Dubai hotel will have 80 standard suites, as well as penthouses and one royal suite. But the star attraction will be its roof-top bar, which will offer high-rise views across the desert city.

The hotel was originally scheduled to open by the end of 2009, but was delayed as Dubai suffered at the hands of the Credit Crunch.

However, the Gulf state's economy, which is heavily reliant on tourism and trade, is showing signs of progress as it begins to recover from the global finance crisis.

'Because of the global market, financing was halted, and [because] the overall liquidity of developers was very low, we are running a delay of a year,' Ziller continues. 'I hope to see the hotel being finished by the end of the year.'

Although the hotel will attract a high-flying celebrity clientele, spending a night in one of its suites will not necessarily come with an A-list price tag.

The cost could be as little as US$408 (£284) - even if upper-echelon prices could be as much as US$6,808 (£4749). Guests will also have the option to buy anything in the hotel, from furniture and bed linen to slippers.

Gucci is not the only fashion brand to turn its hand to the hotel business - nor even the only in Dubai.

April witnessed Italian designer Giorgio Armani's first steps into the same arena, with the Armani Hotel. Situated in the Burj Khalifa, the world's tallest building, this 175-room retreat launched to international headlines.

Source: www.dailymail.co.uk