Milan is known for many things—art, design, decor and most importantly, fashion—but when it comes to hotels, Milan continuously fights for the spotlight against its sister cities of Rome and Venice. So when Starhotels’ boutique E.c.ho. opened in September 2011, it brought not only a new energy to the hotel industry in the trendy Italian city, it added a new trend: green.
“Even though Milan is the ‘undisputable fashion capitol of Italy’, they’ve been really late to the game as far as luxe and/or design hotel brands,” said John Clifford, president of International Travel Management.
“There haven’t been a lot of new hotels in Milan, except for Armani in 2011. The market is still really sluggish, but it’s got a really healthy economy,” he said.
Italy’s hotel industry posted a slight year-over-year decline in revenue per available room in local currency during February, according to STR Global. Milan’s decrease was more pronounced at 4.8%. During 2011, however, the market recorded a RevPAR increase of 7%. There are more than 600 new hotels throughout Italy since December 2010, according to STR Global.
While Italy’s economy has experienced its fair amount of volatility, its designers are continuing on a path of expansion, particularly in the hotel industry. From Missoni to Armani and Bulgari to Ferragamo, fashion-inspired hotels have defined the travel personality of the city in recent years.
Read more about the opening of Hotel E.c.ho in my report on HotelNewsNow.com
