The world has a new icon in luxury hospitality – the Armani Hotel Dubai

The world has a new icon in luxury hospitality – the Armani Hotel Dubai

The world’s first Armani Hotel opened today (April 27, 2010) with a ribbon cutting ceremony by fashion maestro Giorgio Armani and Mohamed Alabbar, Chairman of Emaar Properties PJSC.

With its landmark location inside the iconic Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest building developed by Emaar, the elegant Armani Hotel Dubai is poised to be the most exclusive hospitality destination in the city and a new benchmark for the industry globally.

Occupying floors concourse to 8 and levels 38 & 39 of Burj Khalifa, the hotel features 160 luxurious guest rooms and suites, eight innovative restaurants, exclusive retail outlets and a serene spa. The hotel offers sweeping views of the city complemented with a harmonious and stylish lifestyle environment. Every aspect of the hotel’s design and service offerings has been designed and planned by Giorgio Armani, from the bespoke furnishings to restaurant menus and in-room amenities.

On the opening, Giorgio Armani said: “It has long been my dream to have a hotel in which I myself would like to stay and entertain family and friends, where the Armani aesthetic is combined with Italian-style warmth and hospitality. I am thrilled to open the doors of the Armani Hotel Dubai and invite my guests in to experience my world.”

Mohamed Alabbar said: “Armani Hotel Dubai is a true celebration of superior aesthetics and world-class project development competencies. The hotel will be a referral point for luxury hospitality projects in the future, and brings global attention to Dubai and to Burj Khalifa. This project required extraordinary attention to detail and a commitment to true luxury, perfection and excellence. Our guests will witness and experience the passion and dedication that has gone into its development across every touch point inside the hotel.”

He added: “Downtown Dubai is our flagship project, and is regarded as one the most prestigious square kilometres on earth with incredible choices in entertainment, shopping, commercial and leisure outlets. The jewel at the centre of this neighbourhood is Burj Khalifa, and Armani Hotel Dubai is a sterling value addition to the world’s tallest building.”

Armani Hotel Dubai’s luxurious rooms and suites are an expression of minimalist opulence, with every detail bearing the Armani signature. Practicality and elegance, the cornerstones of Armani’s signature style, combine with precious materials and sophisticated finishes to create a highly personalised space. Dedicating nearly five years to the project, Armani personally oversaw every aspect of the hotel’s design. The result is a property that feels bespoke, from the Eramosa stone floors, zebra wood paneling and fabric covered walls to the scents of the bath and spa accessories. The hotel truly brings to life Giorgio Armani’s dream.

Marking the designer’s first foray into the world of hospitality, the Armani Hotel Dubai brings to life the Stay with Armani philosophy, promising a “home-away from-home” experience. The Armani approach goes beyond visual aesthetics, offering a new level of service under the Lifestyle Services department.

Based on the philosophy that travel is as much an emotional journey as a physical one, the Armani Hotel assigns each hotel guest a personal Lifestyle Manager who will serve as a personal contact and host from the moment they make a reservation to the time they check out and even beyond. From the moment guests begin their journey at the time of booking, the Lifestyle Manager steps in to understand their interests and desires, and ensures that all their needs are attended to in a discreet manner, both within and outside of Armani Hotel Dubai. Armani’s Lifestyle Managers reflect the Stay with Armani promise and take care of the guests’ every need, desire and whim, sharing the Armani passion for comfort, elegance and service.

Before, throughout and even after a stay, hotel guests can ask their Lifestyle Managers for advice and help with everything from business and transportation arrangements, shopping, entertainment and meal recommendations to arranging for childcare.

The carefully chosen multicultural lifestyle management team-members are an extension of the Armani family, helping guests feel at home in the hotel and the city. The result is an extraordinary experience which realises the designer’s dream to create a space that embodies his own personal approach to hospitality and entertaining.

Marc Dardenne, Chief Executive Officer of Emaar Hotels & Resorts, said: “The opening of Armani Hotel Dubai is the culmination of a journey of innovation in hospitality, design aesthetics and style. Being the flagship hotel inside the iconic Burj Khalifa is in itself a historic position. Our vision is to bring together the design elegance of Armani with the graceful aesthetics of this landmark building. The result is a stunning property which offers our guests the opportunity to immerse themselves in the simplicity and comfort of the Armani lifestyle.”

The Armani Hotel features eight restaurants offering a myriad of world cuisines ranging from Japanese and Indian to Mediterranean and, of course, authentic fine-dining Italian. The impressive culinary options reflect the cosmopolitan nature of the city.

The hotel’s vast leisure and entertainment options also include the first in-hotel Armani/SPA in the world. The spa embodies the Armani lifestyle and design philosophies where each unique space provides the context for personalized individual treatments, personal fitness, sequential thermal bathing as well as private and social relaxation.

The hotel also boasts three exclusive retail outlets: Armani/Galleria a haute couture boutique offering fashion accessories previously available by invitation only – and the first and only place in Dubai where the Armani Prive collection is showcased; Armani/Dolci, a luxurious confectionary offering a sweet selection of biscuits, small savouries and more; and Armani/Fiori, a floral boutique offering exquisite fresh flower arrangements and exclusively designed vases by Giorgio Armani that follow the fluid shapes of the flowers themselves.

Complementing the hotel and located on levels 9 to 16 of Burj Khalifa are the Armani Residences, featuring 144 luxurious private residences, which, like the hotel, has been personally designed by Giorgio Armani reflecting his smooth, understated style.

Born of the collaboration between Giorgio Armani S.p.A. and Emaar Properties PJSC, the Armani Hotel Dubai is the first in a collection of hotels, resorts and residences to be unveiled in key international destinations. The second Armani Hotel will launch in Milan next year.

Other properties underway include the first Armani Resort, planned for Marrakech, and the first Armani Residences Villas in Marassi, Egypt. Further Armani hotels, resorts and residences will open in key markets such as New York, Tokyo, Shanghai and London.

Armani Hotels & Resorts was established in 2005 under an agreement between Giorgio Armani S.p.A. and Emaar Properties, with the objective to develop, own and operate an exclusive collection of hotels, resorts and residences in the world’s most important cities and holiday destinations. Armani Hotels & Resorts plans to open at least ten hotels and resorts within the next ten years. The GDS codes for reservations by travel agencies for Armani Hotel Dubai are: Sbare (AI 117453), Apollo/Galileo (AI 89776), Worldspan (AI 73769), Amadeus (AI DXBANI) and Pegasus (AI 73769). For online bookings visit www.armanihotels.com.

Giorgio Armani Group is one of the leading fashion and luxury goods groups in the world today with over 5,000 direct employees and 13 factories. It designs, manufactures, distributes and retails fashion and lifestyle products including apparel, accessories, eyewear, watches, jewellery, home furnishings, fragrances and cosmetics under a range of brand names: Giorgio Armani Privé, Giorgio Armani, Armani Collezioni, Emporio Armani, AJ | Armani Jeans, A/X Armani Exchange, Armani Junior, Armani Teen, Armani Baby and Armani Casa. The exclusive distribution network of the Group comprises 76 Giorgio Armani boutiques, 19 Armani Collezioni shops, 166 Emporio Armani shops, 165 A/X Armani Exchange shops, 17 AJ | Armani Jeans shops, 8 Armani Junior shops, 10 Giorgio Armani Accessori shops, 2 Emporio Armani Accessori shops, 29 Armani Casa shops and 14 Emporio Armani Caffés in 46 countries around the world.

Emaar Properties PJSC, listed on the Dubai Financial Market, is a global property developer with a significant presence in key markets world-wide. Besides building residential and commercial properties, the company also has proven competencies in shopping malls & retail, hospitality & leisure, healthcare and financial services sectors. Emaar inaugurated Burj Khalifa, the world's tallest building and free-standing structure on January 4, 2010, and has opened The Dubai Mall, the world’s largest shopping centre. In Saudi Arabia, Emaar is developing King Abdullah Economic City, the region's largest private sector-led project, featuring a Sea Port, Central Business District, Industrial Zone, Educational Zone, Residential Communities and Resort District. Emaar has joined with Giorgio Armani to strengthen its presence in hospitality. For more information visit www.emaar.com.