Bulgari’s ABC of Turning Accommodations Into Hospitality Gem stones – WWD

*** I’VE EMBEDDED A PIC BUT CAN WE HAVE A BETTER PICTURE OF BURDESE AT THE GALA FOR FEATURED IMAGE, PLEASE? ***

MILAN — Turning lodges into hospitality gemstones has been the challenge of Bulgari because it first unhidden the establishing of its Accommodations & Accommodations category in 2001, turning into some of the first luxurious firms to speed a step into the field and foresee its doable.

“We’re first and foremost a Roman jeweler and for us translating our 140-year history didn’t mean putting precious gems in hotel rooms, as many initially feared, but narrating our values,” stated Bulgari’s vice chairman of selling and communique Laura Burdese.

The primary of stated values is deficit, as Burdese underscored the meticulous and long means the emblem takes in scouting places and perfecting each and every side of every hospitality challenge earlier than opening it.

The ribbon of the primary Bulgari lodge was once decrease in Milan in 2004, best 3 years then the corporate shared plans to establishing the devoted category in partnership with Marriott. During the age 20 years, places in Bali, London, Dubai, Beijing, Shanghai, Paris and, maximum lately, Tokyo and Rome had been added to the jewellery emblem’s fleet.

Despite the fact that the after openings are scheduled within the Maldives and Miami in 2025 and in Los Angeles in 2026, Bulgari has at all times been company in its purpose of holding the rollout restricted, in sync with the guiding asset of deficit and constancy to keeping up the prime stage of carrier. 

“We have nine hospitality gems and others are in the pipeline, but there will never be more than 15 [total properties] in the next three to five years,” showed Burdese, underscoring that each and every challenge calls for era to appreciate “and we took that time to find wonderful locations.”

“These need to be special: they have to be at the heart of cosmopolitan cities or at resort destinations, like Bali or Dubai, but they all need to be unique and rare locations. We never settle for less, and that’s why we don’t open that many hotels… We never look for shortcuts,” stated Burdese in a panel moderated by way of WWD Milan Bureau Luisa Zargani.

For instance, the unedited Bulgari hotel opened in Rome at the town’s central Piazza Augusto Imperatore — no longer a ways from the town’s Spanish Steps and Bulgari’s flagship at the luxurious buying groceries side road By way of Condotti — then 3 years of cautious recovery to offer protection to the historic development year totally overhauling its internal. 

As within the alternative Bulgari Accommodations & Accommodations, the interiors had been conceived by way of Italian-based structure company Antonio Citterio and Patricia Viel, and had been exalted with hand made decorations related to the historical past of Rome in addition to furnishings made by way of Italian firms, just like the upholstered pieces by way of B&B Italia and Maxalto; the marble tables by way of Mangiarotti for Agapecasa; lamps by way of Flos and Fontana Arte, and silk carpets by way of Altai.

“Craftsmanship is another key value for us,” stated Burdese. “So just like our jewelers are artisans and artists, in every hotel we open we involve craftsmen and artists in each category, from wood and marbles to textiles, mainly Italian and often with some local additions, in order to have every single detail curated as a jewelry piece or an artwork.”

The meals providing mirrors the similar consideration to trait, with Bulgari reckoning on an enduring collaboration with Italian Michelin-starred chef Niko Romito in addition to chef Luca Fantin, and boasting a complete of 8 Michelin stars throughout its lodges international.

“We also have a little project, a very special wine list dedicated to heroic Italian women who succeeded in making their small or not-so-small wine companies grow in a world still largely dominated by men,” stated Burdese, bringing up the new addition of Francesca Balestrieri’s San Lorenzo agricultural company within the wine providing case in point.

The 3rd key asset Burdese discussed was once Bulgari’s angle to hospitality itself, “this generosity we have as a Roman brand and approach of taking around the world this Italian lifestyle, which is impeccable and sophisticated but at the same time a little casual, or décontracté as the French would say.”