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The Latest Hotels: Shangri La, St Regis & Prince de Galles
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Shangri-La celebrates the launch of its second European property in Istanbul, as St Regis debuts in Mauritius and W Hotels in Mainland China St. Regis, Mauritius Oetker Collection, owner of…
Over the last decade, collaborations between luxury brands and contemporary artists have gone beyond mere artistic partnerships towards a new kind of luxury branding.
PARIS – Art and fashion have always developed side by side, for fashion, like art, often gives visual expression to the cultural zeitgeist. During the 1920s, Salvador Dalí created dresses for Coco Chanel and Elsa Schiapparelli. In the 1930s, Ferragamo’s shoes commissioned designs for advertisements from Futurist painter Lucio Venna, while Gianni Versace commissioned works from artists such as Alighiero Boetti and Roy Lichtenstein for the launch of his collections. Yves Saint Laurent’s vast art collection, recently auctioned at Christie’s in Paris, testified to his great love of art and revealed the influence of a variety of artists on his own designs.
In the 1980s, relationships between luxury brands and artists were advanced when Alain Dominique Perrin created the Fondation Cartier. In the Fondation Cartier pour l’Art Contemporain, a book marking the foundation’s 20th anniversary, Perrin says he makes “a connection between all the different sorts of arts, and luxury goods are a kind of art. Luxury goods are handicrafts of art, applied art.”
The Fondation Cartier pour l’Art Contemparain building in Paris
Shangri-La celebrates the launch of its second European property in Istanbul, as St Regis debuts in Mauritius and W Hotels in Mainland China
St. Regis, Mauritius
Oetker Collection, owner of Le Bristol (Paris), Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc (Antibes),
Palais Namaskar (Marrakech) and Hotel Saint-Barth Isle de France (Saint-Barthelemy), has abandoned plans for a luxury hotel project in Abu Dhabi.
In a statement to CPP Luxury, Oetker Collection’s Alain Briere, Vice President Sales and Marketing revealed: ”Oetker Collection and the National Corporation for Tourism and Hotels (NCTH) have decided not to proceed anymore with their joint efforts to build Hotel Le Bristol Abu Dhabi and to operate it as part of the Oetker Collection.
“After an intensive analysis both parties came to the conclusion that their initial plans for the hotel, which already date back to February 2009, cannot be executed to an extent necessary to make the project a long-term success.”
Swiss luxury hotel chain Kempinski has also decided to drop its plans to open a huge pyramid-shaped hotel that has stood half-built for decades in North Korea amid escalating tensions on the Korean peninsula.
“Kempinski Hotels confirms that KEY International, its joint venture partner in China with Beijing Tourism Group (BTG), had initial discussions to operate a hotel in Pyongyang, North Korea,” explained Brigitte Hohl Taylor to AFP. “However no agreement has been signed since market entry is not currently possible,” she said, adding in a phone conversation that the discussions had been halted.
W Hotel, Guangzhou
W Guangzhou, the first W Hotel in Mainland China, has opened the ancient Pearl River. The 44th W Hotel globally, the hotel is equipped with 317 guest rooms and suites, designed by Yabu Pushelberg as a retreat away from the hustle and bright lights of the city. All rooms and suites feature LED HD TV, state-of-the-art surround sound system, high-speed Wi-Fi, and MP3 player plug-and-play device.
Website & Source: starwoodhotels.com/whotels
Shangri-La, Istanbul
Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts has opened its second European property with the Shangri-La Bosphorus, Istanbul. The opulent 186-room hotel features the most spacious guestrooms in Istanbul with dazzling Bosphorus views. Bathrooms are decked in dramatic Turkish marble complete with heated floors and Bvlgari bath amenities.
Website: shangri-la.com
Source: TTG Luxury, Hospitality Net
St Regis, Mauritius
The St. Regis Mauritius Resort is located on the pristine white natural beaches at the UNESCO World Heritage site of Le Morne, bordered by a turquoise lagoon. Designed by Stauch Vorster Architects with interiors by Trevor Julius of celebrated design firm dsgn, The 172 room St. Regis Mauritius Resort is modelled on a Victorian sugar-baron’s manor house set in a historical estate.
Website: stregismauritius.com
Source: Luxury Travel Magazine
Prince de Galles, Paris
Starwood have re-opened the iconic Art Deco Prince de Galles hotel on Avenue George V, Paris, following two years of extensive renovation. The Luxury Collection hotel has been re-imagined by interior designers Pierre-Yves Rochon (lobby, suites, rooms & fitness/spa) and Bruno Borrione (restaurant, bar and terrace). Suites have been furnished with Makassar furniture including custom-built cabinets and shagreen-covered writing desks.
Website: princedegallesparis.com
Source: The Luxe Chronicles
Westin, Sacramento
Westin Hotels has opened the Westin Sacramento, owned by Urban Commons/Brighton Management, following a $3.2 million renovation of Le Rivage Hotel. Located alongside the Sacramento River, The Westin Sacramento features 100 guestrooms and suites, many with balconies where guests can enjoy stunning water views.
Website: starwoodhotels.com/westin
Source: Hospitality.net
Grand Kempinski Hotel, Shanghai
Kempinski Hotels, has signed an agreement with Shanghai Suncuba Co. Ltd to take over the management of the Gran Meliá Hotel Shanghai in Pudong, and rebrand as Grand Kempinski Hotel Shanghai. The 678 room and suite hotel overlook the dramatic Bund skyline, with four restaurants, three bars and a full-scale fitness centre and spa.
Website: kempinski.com//shanghai
Source: CPP Luxury
Vivanta by Taj Bentota, Sri Lanka
Taj Hotels has completed the $12.5 million renovation of the Vivanta by Taj Bentota, Sri Lanka. The resort now enjoys a new look in all its public areas, lobby, bar, all-day dining restaurant, banquet hall, lobby lounge and pool area as well as newly renovated rooms. Located on the island’s south west coast, the resort’s new design by Nic Proud is a blend of contemporary style with colonial charm.
Website & Source: vivantabytaj.com/Bentota
For more in the series of The Latest Hotels, please see our most recent editions as follows:
– The Latest Hotels: Sofitel, Kempinski & The Stairs
– The Latest Hotels: Mandarin Oriental, Luxury Collection & W Hotels
– The Latest Hotels: St. Regis, Ritz Carlton & Aman Resorts
Creative Strategist, Digital
Sophie Doran is currently Senior Creative Strategist, Digital at Karla Otto. Prior to this role, she was the Paris-based editor-in-chief of Luxury Society. Prior to joining Luxury Society, Sophie completed her MBA in Melbourne, Australia, with a focus on luxury brand dynamics and leadership, whilst simultaneously working in management roles for several luxury retailers.
