The new Bvlgari hotel brings modern brilliance to Paris, the city of light

The Brigali Hotel in Paris celebrated its grand opening with a spectacular reception and dinner for 60 guests at the hotel's Il Ristorante Niko Romito.

Bvlgari Hotels Open One After Another

　On December 2, 2021, Bvlgari Hotels & Resorts announced the official opening of the Bvlgari Hotel Paris, located on Avenue George V in the heart of Paris. The hotel currently operates in Milan, London, Bali, Beijing, Dubai, and Shanghai. Between 2021 and 2025, it plans to expand to Paris, Rome, Moscow, Tokyo, Miami, and Los Angeles.

　Both hotels offer distinctive architectural designs, contemporary Italian cuisine, luxurious spas, and the highest level of hospitality as luxury hotels. The hotels were designed by the architectural firm Antonio Citteo Patricia Veal, and blend traditional design with dramatic contemporary Italian architecture.

　Located in a historic, exclusive residential area, the Bvlgari Hotel Paris features 76 luxuriously appointed rooms and suites. The hotel's public spaces were designed by Milan-based architecture studio Antonio Citterio Patricia Viel, who collaborated with architects Valode & Pistole to renovate the facade and construct the building.

A private evening to celebrate the opening

　Guests attending the private 60-guest reception and dinner included model and singer Carla Bruni, model Tina Kunakey, actor and Bvlgari ambassador François Civil, Adèle Exelkopoulos, Léa Seydoux, and model and philanthropist Natalia Vodianova.

　The event began with the unveiling of a site-specific artwork, an oil portrait of Italian film icon Monica Vitti wearing a Bvlgari high jewelry necklace, created specially for the hotel by renowned artist Yan Pei-ming. Site-specific is a term used to describe artworks or projects that belong to a specific location or make use of the characteristics of the place in which they are placed, or the nature and method of such artworks. This portrait, created specifically to be placed here, is sure to be one of the highlights to be seen when visiting the hotel.

　Artist Yang Pei-ming specializes in portraits, and some of his work has been exhibited at the National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo, among other venues, so some of you may have seen it. Yang Pei-ming also attended the unveiling ceremony, and the hotel lobby was decorated with an eye-catching floor decorated with the maison's symbol, an eight-point star.

　The opening of the Bvlgari Hotel Paris in the heart of the Golden Triangle of the Champs-Élysées district marks a milestone for the Parisian hotel industry, offering the City of Light an Italian-style residential space in harmony with local history and tradition.

　Sylvain F. Ercoli, General Manager of the Bulgari Hotel Paris, said: "As General Manager of the Bulgari Hotel Paris, I am delighted to have the honour of opening a new hotel, setting a new jewel in the Bulgari crown. I look forward to leading a world-class team of professionals to deliver a service that lives up to the name of the Italian jeweller in the hotel industry."

　After a full aperitif, renowned Italian magician "Eddie" entertained guests with his amazing tricks and canapés such as "Bompa with Vitello Tonnato," "Frittata di Pasta" and "Scampo Catafoi," guests then moved to "Il Ristorante Niko Romito" where dinner was prepared by multi-award winning Italian chef Niko Romito.

　Niko Romito revisits Italian dining traditions with a unique, cutting-edge menu, featuring Tortelli al Tartufo Bianco and Guancia di Vitello al Barolo, paired with a special Imperial bottle of Sassicaia 2016.

　Additionally, guests enjoyed a private concert by Carla Bruni, one of the iconic brand ambassadors with deep roots in Italy and France, at the Bvlgari Bar, where the backlit onyx bar brought the jet-black walls to life, creating a warm and sophisticated atmosphere. In Japan, Carla Bruni is best known as the former model wife of former French President Sarkozy, but in the 90s she was a successful supermodel alongside Claudia Schiffer and also achieved success in the music industry, having been named Best Female Artist at the Victoires de la Musique, France's equivalent of the Grammy Awards.

　With no sign of the coronavirus pandemic coming to an end, it will likely be some time before we can travel to Europe easily, but it might be a good option for those staying in Paris.