As Bulgari Hotel celebrates its 10-year anniversary, Hospitality Interiors takes a look at its newly refreshed interiors, courtesy of renowned architectural and interior design firm, Antonio Citterio Patricia Viel (ACPV).
Bulgari Hotel London opened in May 2012 to great acclaim, marking one of the first new luxury hotel builds in the city for 40 years. The project was particularly notable for its meticulous facade, constructed in Portland stone and bronze with a sympathetic eye to Knightbridge’s architectural landscape.
Having crafted the property’s original interiors, Antonio Citterio Patricia Viel has returned to create a fresh new look, true to Bulgari’s heritage. The brand’s silversmith origins and Britain’s noble manufacturing traditions come together with sustainable design features and state-of-the-art technology to create an understated yet elegant design concept.
The pinnacle of the new design is The Bulgari Lounge, a sumptous all-day dining venue created in the style of a modern Italian living room. The newly defined space will pay host to a new ‘Dolci’ experience, with a one-year residency from eminent Italian pastry chef and chocolatier, Gianluca Fusto.
Inherently Bulgari in style, the interior reveals striking, gem-coloured wild silk rugs in emerald, blue diamond and citrine. This injection of colour is offset by cognac-hued sofas and armchairs in more neutral tones, with Calacatta marble coffee tables and a central table in black oak. The Bulgari eight-point star makes a subtle yet impactful appearance on the bespoke green-silk wall hangings, embroidered in gold.
Elsewhere, a custom-made polished chrome-and-silver mesh partition creates its own distinct destination, with smaller seating areas and half-height curtains in a soft boucle sheer for added privacy.
Throughout the hotel’s public spaces and guest rooms, Bulgari’s strong link with the art of silversmithery – alongside ‘noble’ woods and fine craftsmanship – becomes an underlying thread of the interior design.
The reception lobby features polished black granite floors, combined in the walls with glossy sapele mahogany, alongside screens in brushed, mirrored and mesh steel to demarcate the space. The reception and concierge counters have been clad in black leather, while a gallery dedicated to a collection of contemporary Bulgari silver draws the eye.
The spa is a particularly impressive aspect of the hotel, and is among the largest in central London. The three-lane, 25m swimming pool is lined with mosaic tiles in green and gold, while an additional vitality pool has been tiled completely with yellow gold leaf mosaic.
The walls and floors are made of sandblasted Vicenza stone, a material known for its porosity and the presence of clearly recognisable fossil. This is complemented by oak wood, stained to a cognac-coloured, golden tone to emphasise the natural feel of the space. Within the spa reception area, the welcome desk has been formed of green onyx and glass, and has been backlit for a sense of warmth.
The 12 treatment rooms are accessed via a striking wooden stairway, and include a special double suite with changing room, steam shower and private relaxation room. Adjacent to the treatment rooms are the saunas, steam rooms and ice shower facilities, all culimanating in a soothing relaxation room lined entirely in Vicenza stone and dominated by an impressive vertical fireplace.
An entire floor has been dedicated to the ballroom, permitting a capacity of 150 guests for dinner. The focal point of the space from a design perspective are two impressive chandliers, designed and made for Bulgari by Padgham and Putland. They were inspired by a dance sequence, and create a “sinuous sense of movement” when lit. Each chandelier has been enriched with 260 LED lightings, with each and every single piece fitted and cleaned by hand.
The ballroom is complete with a pre-function foyer area with a bar of ribbed steel, glass and mirrors, and a cupola lined with white gold mosaic, created and applied by Italian artisans.
London’s nautical tradition, meanwhile, acted as Antonio Citterio Patricia Viel’s inspiration within the hotel’s 85 rooms and suites. Woodwork in polished mahogany, chrome details, and a minibar incorporated into a custom-designed leather-covered traveller’s trunk, help to create a comfortable and inviting feel, complete with custom virgin wool carpeting and silk wallcoverings.
The headboards, too, have been custom designed. The striking fabric, adorned with gold and silver thread, was inspired by the original drawings of the earliest creations of Sotirio Bulgari, the brand’s founder, in the late 19th century. These designs are replicated in the curtains, where the effect is accentuated by soft lighting from below.
The seven Bulgari suites take things up a notch, offering two bedrooms, a master bathroom with combined steam and shower room, a contemporary kitchen and a generous living area and dining room. Exclusive details set these rooms apart, from showers in ivory onyx and carefully selected vintage Moroccan carpets from the Beni Ouarain tribes, to contemporary chandeliers in Murano glass and upholstery fabrics specially designed and woven in Italy.
