Luxury brand
A library of stylish books is set up for guests to enjoy in the privacy of their room.
The dazzle of fine jewels radiates in Bulgari's spa, where gold and emerald mosaics clad the steps and pool.
We are all familiar with branding. It’s that unique look, feel or taste of a product that sets it apart from other similar products.
Once a specific brand becomes recognized, for better or worse, that name carries a great deal of power. Trends work in a similar manner.
We think of decades of style, and there are specific elements of that decade that define the times. It’s fascinating to see how famous brands and fashion trends match up with home decor.
While it might not have seemed apparent in the ’80s when padded shoulders were all the rage, oversized, stuffed and padded sofas ruled the living and family rooms. The bold colors and geometric upholstery fabrics on the modular furniture of the ’60s mimicked the look of the A-line dress. The ’50s were synonymous with soft fluid lines that hugged the figure and accentuated curvy shapes.
Today, some very big brand names are taking their defining properties to a new level – they are designing and decorating fabulous hotels.
Expectations from guests at these hotels are driven by the aura that surrounds the brand name. A visit to the Bulgari Hotel in Milan, Italy, demonstrates the creative means by which branding can cross over from one product to another completely different entity, using the same premise and exacting standards in their design.
Notorious bad boy actor Richard Burton was quoted as saying, “The only Italian word Elizabeth (Taylor) knows is Bulgari.” The ultimate in luxury and glamour, Bulgari has always dressed the legends in their spectacular jewelry pieces. You may not own a Bulgari gem, but you can stay at one of their stunning hotels or spend an evening sipping Italian cocktails and people watching. The Bulgari Hotel in the center of Milan is hidden away among the most magical gardens. If your idea of the perfect getaway is world-class shopping, stylish restaurants and mingling among fashionistas for a few days, then Milan will have you swooning in your Jimmy Choo’s. Entering the hotel is like walking through fashion history. The lobby walls are graced with giant photographs of iconic women wearing, of course, Bulgari.
Stars such as such as Ingrid Bergman, Anita Ekberg, Sophia Loren and Isabella Rossellini personify Bulgari’s style and beauty.
The hotel is dark and sumptuous, reminiscent of a velvet jewelry box, but as you enter the bedrooms, the light from the floor-to-ceiling windows delight like the gems inside the box. Bulgari’s business is luxury, and it glows through the solid granite and oak building materials, rich draperies and upholstery, and the opulence of gold and emerald mosaics in the spa. Behind massive doors, rooms are decorated in quiet colors and neutral shades of fabrics that contrast with darker tones of furnishings and marble. En-suite bathrooms are warm, intimate and high style, with black Zimbabwe marble complemented by soft Navona travertine, and exclusive Bulgari toiletries.
The Bulgari Hotel, www.bulgarihotels.com, is as glamorous as its jewelry, whether you stay in the hotel or just spend an evening sipping champagne al fresco surrounded by the world’s most gorgeous people.
Please email your questions to house2home@debbietravis.com.