Bulgari Hotels & Resorts signed an agreement for the new Bulgari Hotel in London due to open in spring 2012.

The luxury hotel located in Knightsbridge, the most prestigious area of Central London next to Hyde Park, is the third hotel project of Bulgari Hotels & Resorts, after the opening of the Bulgari Hotel in Milan in 2004 and of the Bulgari Resort in Bali in 2006.

The Bulgari Hotel in London was designed for Bulgari by the renowned architectural firm Antonio Citterio, Patricia Viel & Partners, with Squire and Partners as the local architect for the project. With the contemporary style and outstanding service and design for which Bulgari is famous, the hotel will feature sleek lines and refined colour combinations created using a variety of marbles, fine woods, and unique details. Silver is the dominant theme of the interior design. The ancient yet timeless metal - a tribute to Bulgari’s origins as a silversmith and to Britain’s noble manufacturing traditions – expresses understated, poised elegance in line with the style of the Bulgari Hotels.

The Bulgari Hotel, London has been designed to incorporate the highest standards of environmental sustainability, and it has already been awarded Best Hotel and Development at the prestigious UK Property Awards 2010 in association with Bloomberg Television.

The hotel, with its 85 rooms and suites -- including seven extraordinary Bulgari suites, each more than 200 square meters large -- will offer a unique combination of refined amenities and exclusive services. Its restaurant and bar were designed to become the destination of choice in Knightsbridge.

The hotel will also feature a large ballroom, a private cinema and a 2,000 square meter SPA and fitness centre with 25 meter indoor pool.

Francesco Trapani, CEO of Bulgari Group, said, “We are extremely proud to be able to open a Bulgari Hotel in the heart of London, something that we have wanted to do for a long time. This hotel - - the first new hotel built in London in over 40 years – will be another important element in the Bulgari Hotels & Resorts project. I’m convinced that it will be a further statement of our brand in the UK, which is a strategic market for luxury goods.”

Antonio Citterio said, “Constructing a new building in this part of London is an event because the city tends to be extremely conservative due to its consolidated urban plan. The architectural style of the project reflects the rigour of the Bulgari Hotel in Milan: its classic, solid, contemporary style will consolidate the urban landscape in an area of London that is undergoing a profound transformation. In this sense, the use of Portland stone and bronze, which are typical materials of a certain architectural style of public buildings in London, and the precise façade design reveal a rigorous, modern approach to the theme.”

Lord David Puttnam, Chairman of Prime Development, said: " We are delighted to be working with Bulgari on this extremely exciting project. The hard work and dedication of everyone involved means we are firmly on track for the delivery in 2012 of an outstanding product which will raise the bar for standards of service and elegance within the Knightsbridge luxury hotel market while maintaining a modern approach to sustainability. The vision behind the Bulgari hotel and the attention to detail that characterises its design and construction epitomise the hard work that has been put in THE PROJECT and I look forward to its opening in 2012.