Emperor of elegant shoes & couture, Giorgio Armani was due to open his first hotel in Dubai’s Burj Khalifa today & rumour has it, the project will be delayed by more than a month.
Residing in 10 floors of the world’s tallest building, the luxury hotel is now scheduled to open on April 22, said people close to the project, who declined to be identified because there hasn’t been an official announcement. Neither Armani’s company nor Emaar Properties PJSC, the building’s developer & manager, would confirm that the opening won’t take place today.
The troubled skyscraper was opened in January 2010, more than 12mths late complete with light, water & firework displays. Within a month, the observation deck on the 124th floor was shut after a high-speed elevator stalled, stranding visitors inside & still remains closed. Armani Hotel’s last public statement, on Jan. 4, said the 160-room hotel would open today.
Bloomberg reports: “Emaar isn’t in a hurry to open this hotel,” said Majed Azzam, an analyst at Al-Futtaim HC Securities in Dubai. “They want to make sure everything is working properly because the Armani brand is on the line here.”
Emaar’s managing director, Ahmed Al Matrooshi, declined to comment on the delay when contacted by telephone, and e-mailed questions to the company’s public relations firm weren’t answered. A spokeswoman for Milan-based Giorgio Armani SpA, who asked not to be named, also declined to comment.
Designed by Armani himself, the hotel will include eight restaurants, a spa & a lounge, in addition to chocolate & flower shops.
(Source & Image Credit: Bloomberg)
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