MILAN, Italy – It seems that luxury brands and the hospitality industry just can’t get enough of each other, either through independently operated hotels or collaborations with hotel chains. From Giorgio Armani’s hotels in Milan and Dubai to the Bulgari hotel in London, it has become increasingly important for brands to captivate their customers with the idea of a branded lifestyle concept; not just pushing a product. It’s fitting that the family behind the Italian fashion brand Salvatore Ferragamo announced the opening of a new hotel in Milan in autumn 2020.
The Florence-based group, which is owned by the Ferragamo family, currently operates five hotels through its hotel management company Lungarno Collection that was established in 1995. The values, lifestyle, and principles of Salvatore Ferragamo are applied to each location within the company’s hospitality portfolio.
The new hotel will be located in the historic archepiscopal seminary of Corso Venezia that dates back to 1564 and has been unused since 2002. Boasting an impressive baroque entrance that was designed in 1652 by Francesco Maria Richini, the massive complex will house a new Portrait hotel, making it the third in the group’s portfolio after Rome and Florence.
In addition to the hotel, the massive complex will also host restaurants and event spaces, making the spot a new cultural hub in the heart of Milan’s luxury fashion district. Speaking of fashion, the outpost will also house a shopping arcade, which is rumoured to be managed by prestigious Milanese retailer Antonia who has previously worked together on the trendy department store Excelsior.
Negotiations between Lungarno Collection and the Curia of Milan, the association that owns the structure, began back in 2016 and were initially denied, but it looks like their persistence has paid off. The Municipality of Milan has just given the green light to transform the historic location, which is now slated to open in the fall of 2020.
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