Fashion hotels more popular than ever as Missoni opens its doors

The new Missoni Hotel in Kuwait held its official launch party this week, a timely reminder that when it comes to fashion hotels, travelers just can't get enough.

Guests have been able to check in at Missoni since the hotel opened its doors in February, but this week's star-studded launch saw three generations of the Missoni family on hand to launch their second property - and confirm that properties in Oman, Brazil and Turkey are in the pipeline.

The Kuwait property now features the 18th floor Luna restaurant with views of the Gulf, although it's still not quite complete as the 1,500 Six Senses Spa still isn't open.

All 169 of the hotel's rooms face the sea and feature gold patterning and rich colors which the hotel describes as "unmistakably Missoni," with a further 63 suites that feature dining and lounge quarters in addition to the bedroom.

Hotels from the world's fashion houses are becoming commonplace in many cities now, even though the grand opening of one of the most anticipated, the Armani hotel in Dubai, was somewhat overshadowed by the country's crippling financial crisis.

Designers are still convinced that we want to sleep in rooms from our favorite brands though, with Bulgari planning a property in London, Elisabetta Gucci planning a series of hotels (though they're not strictly related to the Gucci brand) and Maison Moschino already open to guests in Milan.

Perhaps unsurprising, then, that even international television channel Fashion TV is getting in on the game, planning a new property in Dubai in partnership with Al Habtoor (which already operates Dubai's luxury Habtoor Grand Resort and Spa).

The five-star hotel hotel will rise 30 storeys and will be decorated with the world's largest LED screen, 100 meters tall, showing Fashion TV highlights.

For fashion lovers, that - and the 50,000-DVD 'history of fashion' film library - sounds like paradise. For everyone else, there's always the Burj Al Arab.

http://www.hotelmissoni.com