MANILA, Philippines - The Armani Group and Emaar Properties PJSC opened in November last year the Armani Hotel Milano, the second hotel in the Armani Hotels & Resorts portfolio.
Exclusively situated in the Manzoni 31 building, right at the heart of the prestigious Quadrilatero della Moda, Armani Hotel Milano embodies, in all its facets, Giorgio Armani’s personal aesthetic philosophy, which was based on the signature qualities of elegance, sophistication and comfort.
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. The first hotel is in Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest building, developed by Emaar Properties within its flagship project, Downtown Dubai. The Armani Hotel Dubai includes 160 guest rooms and suites, several restaurants and a spa, and covers more than 40,000 square meters. Alongside the hotel, Burj Khalifa offers 144 luxury residential apartments, all designed by Giorgio Armani and fully furnished with a specially designed line of products from the Armani/Casa home furnishings collection.
Inside this building with its austere and powerful exterior, Giorgio Armani has created a world of harmony and privacy, with uncompromising attention to the requirements of guests. Here luxury, calm and beauty are fostered in pure Armani style, imparting a new aesthetic excellence to the concept of comfort. “I have concentrated all my efforts on delivering my personal aesthetic vision within a precisely defined ambience of total comfort,” explains the designer.
Mohamed Alabbar, chairman of Emaar Properties, noted: “Armani Hotel Milano, the newest addition to Emaar’s international portfolio of world-class lifestyle projects, is a testament to our confidence in the design philosophy of Giorgio Armani, who has changed the world of fashion.”
A key element of this approach is the decision to give every room a small vestibule that creates an intervening space before the intimacy of the bedroom is revealed. The 95 rooms and suites offer a variety of options: from Armani Deluxe Rooms (up to 45 square metres) to Armani Signature and Armani Presidential Suites, ranging from 170 to 200 square metres, on two levels connected by a magnificent stairway that makes a striking architectural impact. Minibars, high-tech amenities, cupboards that vanish into the walls — referencing the passion for order and sense of space pursued by Giorgio Armani over many years in his own homes — create an atmosphere of warmth and restraint within a commodious setting.
Each bathroom, structured for use by two people, features the very finest fittings, including a shower enclosure in discreet one-way glass that allows a view out from inside the shower cubicle, but no view in the other way. The floors and walls in natural nuances of creamy brown are clad in Silk Georgette, a smooth limestone from Asia. All the furnishings in the hotel share the Armani/Casa collection signature design philosophy but have been specifically devised in a range of precious finishes to reflect the period mood of the palazzo: from the elegant linear sofas covered in sophisticated fabrics, to the backlit wooden bed heads.
The Armani Hotel experience is epitomised by a unique concept of service delivered by the Lifestyle Department. Lifestyle Managers are the point of contact for guests, whose every need and wish will be fulfilled with discreet assistance at all times. Guests will be looked after from the moment they make a reservation, with personal care that facilitates every requirement and responds to every need. As soon as guests arrive in the lobby looking out on Via Manzoni, their lifestyle manager will be on hand to welcome them and take them to the seventh floor.
All the public areas are concentrated on the seventh and eighth floors in the so-called glass “hat,” which affords a spectacular and unexpected panorama encompassing the city, from the historic Duomo to the latest skyscrapers. The Armani/Ristorante is located on the seventh floor, where it offers superb traditional Italian gastronomy, an exclusive wine list, a private dining room and a Chef’s Table within the kitchen itself. On the opposite side, the Armani/Lounge with the Armani/bamboo bar looks out over the skyline: the double height ceiling, the wall with its huge window softened by louvered blinds and sections in backlit onyx and a good choice of music ensure a relaxed ambience in which to enjoy an informal meal, afternoon tea, or an aperitivo before dinner. An internal connecting bridgeway offers a dedicated area for smokers.
The eighth floor, covering an area of 1,200 square metres, is entirely devoted to beauty and relaxation, bringing together a range of treatments and therapies that promote physical and mental harmony and wellbeing. The Armani/SPA consists of six dedicated treatment rooms, a Couples Suite, a fitness gym and a pool designed for relaxation with a temperature control system for maximum comfort. The Armani Hotel Milano has been planned to satisfy the needs of work, relaxation and pleasure, conforming to that ideal combination of elegance and simplicity that defines the Armani style. “Stay with Armani” is not merely a slogan, but an expression of the hotel’s fundamental philosophy.
Interestingly, this Armani hotel, created within a palazzo, is shaped by the architectural ground plan as an immense “A”. This can be seen in the original Griffini drawings, and is something that is only visible from above. Maybe it was destined to be!
Bookings can be made online at: http://www.armanihotels.com.
In the Philippines Emporio Armani is exclusively distributed by Stores Specialists, Inc. (SSI) and is located at Greenbelt 4, Makati City.