Influx

Some hotel brands are going to need to try to sharpen their brand status before the real fashion brands move into their territory. Another name to add to the growing list of new entrants that now includes; Bulgari, Cerruti and Missoni, is Armani, who announced earlier in the month that will open its first hotel in Dubai in 2008. The 160-room hotel will be housed in the world’s tallest building, Burj Dubai. Additional Armani hotels will be built in New York, London and Milan.

Giorgio Armani justified his decision with the following statement:

This marks the beginning of a new chapter in the Armani story which will bring to life the Armani philosophy of style and design in a collection of exclusive hotels and resorts. Today, more than ever before fashion has expanded to encompass our way of life, not just how we dress, but where we live, which restaurants we eat at, where we holiday and which hotels we stay in.”

“I strongly believe that for those people who enjoy the Armani fashion and home furnishings collections; there will be a real enthusiasm for the possibility to now stay at an Armani hotel or resort. This continues our ongoing strategy of building the Armani universe into a comprehensive lifestyle brand.”

Whether people want to live their lives completely through the lens of a single brand remains to be seen. However, if the hotel business proves successful for Armani, perhaps its next move will be into residential property development.