Bulgari Hotel London to open in April

Bulgari Hotel is scheduled to open in London in April in the exclusive district of Knightsbridge, just in time for the Summer Olympics and the Queen’s Jubilee events. Bulgari Hotel is managed by Bvlgari Hotels and Resorts, a joint venture between Italian jeweller Bvlgari (owned since last year by LVMH) and Marriott International. Bulgari Hotels and Resorts already operates properties in Milan and Bali. The opening will signify the first luxury new-build hotel in 40 years to open in the city. It will offer 85 rooms and suites, including seven Bulgari suits which measure over 200 sq. meters, and will be designed with silver as the dominant theme by Antonio Citterio, Patricia Viel & Partners, the company behind Bulgari’s other two hotels. Guests will be able to enjoy a dip in an indoor pool, part of a 2,000 square meter spa and fitness center, as well as relaxing in the hotel’s private cinema or dancing the night away in a ballroom. There will also be residences available for sale. A 7th floor penthouse is available through Christie’s International Real Estate. Although few details are currently available online about the penthouse, the Bulgari Hotel’s website indicates that it features 9,260 square feet of exquisite living space. As London becomes an increasingly popular luxury hotspot among visitors from Russia and the Middle East, the number of top-end hospitality firms looking to set up shop there has steadily grown. London now boast new properties from ME by Sol Melia, Shangri-La and Alrov, along with the recently opened W London and newly refurbished The Savoy. Read more: Bulgari Hotel London to Open in April | LUXUO Luxury Blog http://www.luxuo.com/hotel/bulgari-hotel-london-knightsbridge.html#ixzz1j5Gt0aP9

The world's most expensive business card

Black Astrum today launch the Signature Card range of bespoke diamond encrusted business cards, targeting ultra high net worth individuals across the world. A full set of cards can contain in excess of 30 carats. The average selling price per card is around the £1000 mark, sold in sets of 25, 50 and 100 cards. “The Signature Card allows our members to express themselves in a truly unique way” said Sufian Khawaja, Black Astrum’s concept director. Using precision cast Swiss made materials and diamonds of the highest quality, the Signature Card is designed to make an immediate statement. Originally produced as a one-off commission for a wealthy Middle Eastern family, the card elegantly encapsulates the pre-eminence of the individual.

World's Tallest St. Regis Hotel to open in Shenzhen

Starwood Hotels & Resorts opened its tallest St. Regis property last week in Shenzhen, China, with plans to continue its global expansion in 2012. Following recent openings in Bangkok, Tianjin and Sanya Yalong Bay, The St. Regis Shenzhen marks the brand’s fourth hotel opening in Asia in the last six months. The St. Regis now occupies floors 72-100 of the landmark Kingkey 100 building, the tallest building in the city.

The St. Regis Shenzhen offers guests a new dimension of luxury with 257 sumptuously appointed guest rooms and 40 suites with spectacular views of the city. The St. Regis Shenzhen will provide fully customized iPad2 remote controls in each room allowing guests to easily connect and manage all of the room’s amenities. The hotel features a sprawling Iridium Spa, a collection of world class restaurants and lounges and will be the only hotel in the Shenzhen to offer the legendary signature St. Regis Butler Service to all guests.

Hermès sur une croissance de 10% en 2012, après celle de 20% en 2011.

Le sellier prévoit une « bonne croissance » en 2012, de l’ordre de 10%. L’annonce a été faite par le gérant du groupe Patrick Thomas, sous réserve d’une « récession majeure au niveau mondial ». Après deux années consécutives à + 20%, le patron d’Hermès a ajouté que la maison pouvait « se permettre un exercice avec une croissance un peu plus modérée », lui donnant l’opportunité « de souffler », notamment avec ses capacités de production limitées, après une progression de presque 50% de l'activité en deux ans. Actuellement, Hermès compte 33 manufactures sur 27 sites de production, et trois nouveaux sites seront ouverts au premier trimestre 2012 en France. Interrogé sur d'éventuelles acquisitions, M. Thomas estime de pas nécessiter de croissance externe, qu’il juge être « un aveu de faiblesse ou de failles dans ses propres capacités ». Quant à l'entrée de LVMH dans son capital, Hermès considère « l'affaire terminée, insistant notamment sur les « divergences culturelles » des deux groupes : selon lui, celles-ci auraient été « insurmontables », Hermès étant axé sur « la croissance organique ».

London’s Dukes hotel introducing ‘women only’ rooms

A London hotel has become the latest to roll out a suite of amenities for women, despite a ruling that declared a similar scheme in Copenhagen as illegal under discrimination laws. The Dukes Hotel in London will assign some of its rooms ‘Duchess Rooms’, loading them with treats to tempt single female travelers or groups of women. The Duchess rooms will be looked after by exclusively female room attendants, contain extra items such as a makeup mirror, hair dryer and styling accessories, and offer a selection of glossy magazines. In the bathrooms, would-be Duchesses will find female amenities, and the rooms are filled with fresh flowers. The Duchess Rooms could prove popular with the hotel’s discerning clientele — although the experiences of the Bella Sky Hotel in Copenhagen offer something of a cautionary tale. The property, which opened last year as Europe’s largest design hotel, blocked off a whole floor for women, adding extra amenities to keep its female guests happy. The seemingly innocuous move caught the attention of a member of the public who complained about the property to Denmark’s Equal Treatment Board — which agreed with the individual and ruled that the initiative was illegal last month. Now, the hotel has been ordered to remove the ban on male access to the floor, although it has suggested that it will defy the law, with a spokesperson telling AFP: “the only man who can access this floor will be a fireman in the case of fire.”

LVMH ouvre aux Maldives un hôtel de luxe Cheval Blanc.

Le groupe ouvrira un hôtel de luxe sous sa marque Cheval Blanc d’ici « fin 2012 début 2013 », aux Maldives. Le projet est développé en contrat de gestion avec un investisseur privé européen, sur l'archipel de Randheli au nord de Malé. Une quarantaine de villas exclusives de plus 100 mètres carrés chacune seront réparties sur quatre îles au sein d’une zone préservée desservie par bateau et hydravion. C’est l'architecte Jean-Michel Gathy, du cabinet Denniston, à qui le groupe a confié le projet. Spécialiste des projets de très grand luxe, M. Gathy est déjà engagé sur les projets Cheval Blanc en chantier à Oman et en Egypte. LVMH, qui assurera la gestion de ces hôtels, touchera un pourcentage sur le chiffre d'affaires et le résultat des établissements. D’ici la fin de l’année 2014, un autre hôtel Cheval Blanc devrait ouvrir ses portes dans l'immeuble de la Samaritaine à Paris. Il comprendra 80 suites et hambres. Soucieux de valoriser ses marques et de profiter des perspectives encourageantes du secteur, LVMH lancé récemment dans l'hôtellerie de grand luxe. LVMH a choisi de donner à sa branche hôtelière le nom du vin Cheval Blanc, dont il détient 50%, à parité avec le baron belge Albert Frère.

"Karl" by Karl Lagerfeld for Net a Porter

Karl Lagerfeld offered a peek into his new affordable clothing line at technology conference Le Web 2011 on December 7.

Appearing at the Paris event, Lagerfeld discussed his exclusive line for online fashion boutique Net-a-Porter while showing a short video clip to promote it.

The designer confirmed the range will simply be called Karl, while Net-a-Porter’s Natalie Massenet explained the collection will be more accessible and affordable.

Scheduled to go live January 25, the Karl launch, Lagerfeld explained, will be making the most of social media and technological innovations.


The limited edition Karl line is set to comprise around 70 items including biker jackets, sweaters, shirts and dresses. It will only be available on Net-a-Porter.

In August this year the creator collaborated on a capsule collection with American department store Macy’s.

Lagerfeld’s decision to cater to the masses isn’t recent though; he designed a limited edition line for Swedish high street retailer H&M back in 2004.

Lagerfeld showcased his annual Chanel Metier D’Arts haute couture line at Paris’s Grand Palais Tuesday, December 6.