Laura Ashley to open boutique hotel
The fashion firm Laura Ashley - famous for its flowery decor - unveiled plans to open a boutique hotel in the United Kingdom's Hertfordshire, according to The Guardian.
The paper says Laura Ashley bought the hotel (actual address still unknown) for around $9.2 million (£5.8 million) as a unique way to showcase its home accessories, furniture and decorations.
The hotel hopes to attract Laura Ashley fans to its 49 rooms, each outfitted with matching fabrics on the bed, sofa, curtains and wallpaper. The company's Chief Operating Officer, Seán Anglim, told The Guardian the hotel would become a "brand showcase" for its products and interior design service when it opens later this year.
Apparently, that's all the people at Laura Ashley are willing to discuss.
"We are not disclosing how much we will spend on the refurbishment but we are going to turn it into something special," Anglim told the paper. "The concept of a Laura Ashley hotel has not come out of the blue."
When the Laura Ashley hotel opens, it will be part of a growing trend of hotels owned and designed by fashion moguls including Ralph Lauren, Armani, Versace, and Missoni.
Readers: Your thoughts? What do you think about fashion houses opening hotels?
Photo credit: CountryLiving.com
The author is solely responsible for the content.
About the author
Melanie Nayer is a travel writer who spent many years in the newsroom before jetting off to see the world. Her goal is to bring readers the best insider information More »Recent blog posts
- Dramatic Designs: B2Hotel's Library Lounge and Wine Bar
- Give Mom the day off with these Mother's Day hotel deals
- Ritz-Carlton debuts mobile app packed with personalized info, hotel insights
- Dining in: Top hotel room service
- Drunk passengers, playboy pilots and life in the sky: Flight attendant reveals secrets of the industry in new book
