07 Mar 2016
Italian fashion brand Fendi opens luxury hotel in centre of Rome
BY Kim Megson
Italian luxury fashion house Fendi has opened seven private designer suites above its flagship store in the heart of Rome.
The luxury hotel and boutique shop are both located in Palazzo Fendi, a five-storey 17th-century residence overlooking Via dei Condotti and the city’s famous Spanish Steps.
Each suite covers over 1,000sq ft (92.9sq m) and features original Karl Lagerfeld photographs and fur made by the brand’s own artisans.
The design, by the company’s furniture and interiors branch Fendi Casa, balances the elegance of the original structure – which was a home for the aristocratic Boncompagni-Ludovisi family – with innovative new uses of the space.
“Guiding the architecture and design of the private suites was an aesthetic of strong contrasts,” said Fendi in a statement. “The palace has been restored and restyled to create a temple of beautiful design and high-end luxury. Now there is a unique chance not to just shop at Fendi, but to step into its world.
“The building has a history and tradition of aristocratic Roman elegance, combined with breathtakingly intelligent juxtapositions of contemporary design. It reflects the very Italian ability to merge different eras and styles.”
The Japanese award-winning restaurant Zuma, co-founded by German star chef Rainer Becker, is located on the top two floors of the Palazzo Fendi.
The concept for the building’s renovations was provided by architect Marco Costanzi, who designed Fendi’s new headquarters in Rome’s brutalist Palazzo della Civiltà Italiana, a landmark building commissioned by Italian dictator Benito Mussolini but never previously occupied.
Other well-known fashion brands who have moved into the world of hospitality include Versace and Bulgari, who are both behind luxury hotel developments in Dubai.
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