Armani to Open Hotel in Diriyah, Saudi Arabia
Located a 15-minute drive from Riyadh, the area is at the center of ambitious development plans in retail, hospitality and cultural offering.
After Dubai and Milan, an Armani Hotel will rise in Diriyah, a 300-year-old site located a 15-minute drive from Riyadh, in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
The area is home to the UNESCO world heritage site At-Turaif, recognized as one of the world’s foremost mud-brick cities and the valley and lush palm groves of Wadi Hanifah. It will soon include the Diriyah development, a pedestrian-centric project inspired by the country’s rich heritage.
Chosen by the Arab League Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization as the capital of Arab culture for 2030, Diriyah will comprise 13 districts filled with museums, cultural institutions, fine dining, residences, hospitality offerings, office space, retail and outdoor attractions.
The project — run by Diriyah Gate Development Authority, or DGDA — is one of the drivers of the Kingdom’s 2030 Vision, aimed at diversifying Saudi Arabia’s economy and developing public service sectors such as education, infrastructure and tourism.
“This is a pioneering project that was born from rediscovering Saudi Arabia’s roots: a dialogue between history and the present that I find very fascinating,” said Giorgio Armani.
“After celebrating the 10th anniversary of the opening of the Armani Hotels in Milan and Dubai, I am ready to take on this exciting new challenge. I am inspired by this initiative and delighted to be part of a project of such wide geographical and cultural scope.”
Diriyah Gate Development Authority’s group chief executive officer Jerry Inzerillo said Armani Hotels’ approach to modern hospitality “will bring a new dynamic to Diriyah’s hospitality offering, and bring with it an exciting guest experience to the Kingdom.”
Overlooking Diriyah’s luxury hospitality and retail quarter, the Armani Hotel Diriyah will include 70 rooms, two restaurants and a high-end spa, while suites will also have their own spa and a swimming pool. The hotel will be connected to 18 exclusive Armani-branded residences with spacious interiors and outdoor pools, terraces and rooftops.
The hotel is expected to echo the design of the Diriyah development, which will be built in the traditional Najdi architectural style typical of Saudi villages from past centuries. There will be low-rise, compact architecture, rooftop terraces, decorated doors and large courtyards.
Armani Hotel Diriyah will be developed under the Armani Hotels & Resorts banner, a venture between Giorgio Armani SpA and Dubai-based developer Emaar Properties PJSC that was established in 2005.
The designer’s hotel debut was in Dubai’s Burj Khalifa tower in 2010. That site has 160 rooms and suites, nine restaurants and a spa as well as 144 luxury residential flats, all furnished with Armani/Casa collections.
The following year, Armani Hotel Milano opened in a building originally designed in 1937, in Italian Rationalist style, by Enrico A. Griffini on Via Manzoni. The building also houses the brand’s megastore and the Armani Nobu restaurant.
The area is home to the UNESCO world heritage site At-Turaif, recognized as one of the world’s foremost mud-brick cities and the valley and lush palm groves of Wadi Hanifah. It will soon include the Diriyah development, a pedestrian-centric project inspired by the country’s rich heritage.
Chosen by the Arab League Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization as the capital of Arab culture for 2030, Diriyah will comprise 13 districts filled with museums, cultural institutions, fine dining, residences, hospitality offerings, office space, retail and outdoor attractions.
The project — run by Diriyah Gate Development Authority, or DGDA — is one of the drivers of the Kingdom’s 2030 Vision, aimed at diversifying Saudi Arabia’s economy and developing public service sectors such as education, infrastructure and tourism.
“This is a pioneering project that was born from rediscovering Saudi Arabia’s roots: a dialogue between history and the present that I find very fascinating,” said Giorgio Armani.
“After celebrating the 10th anniversary of the opening of the Armani Hotels in Milan and Dubai, I am ready to take on this exciting new challenge. I am inspired by this initiative and delighted to be part of a project of such wide geographical and cultural scope.”
Diriyah Gate Development Authority’s group chief executive officer Jerry Inzerillo said Armani Hotels’ approach to modern hospitality “will bring a new dynamic to Diriyah’s hospitality offering, and bring with it an exciting guest experience to the Kingdom.”
Overlooking Diriyah’s luxury hospitality and retail quarter, the Armani Hotel Diriyah will include 70 rooms, two restaurants and a high-end spa, while suites will also have their own spa and a swimming pool. The hotel will be connected to 18 exclusive Armani-branded residences with spacious interiors and outdoor pools, terraces and rooftops.
The hotel is expected to echo the design of the Diriyah development, which will be built in the traditional Najdi architectural style typical of Saudi villages from past centuries. There will be low-rise, compact architecture, rooftop terraces, decorated doors and large courtyards.
Armani Hotel Diriyah will be developed under the Armani Hotels & Resorts banner, a venture between Giorgio Armani SpA and Dubai-based developer Emaar Properties PJSC that was established in 2005.
The designer’s hotel debut was in Dubai’s Burj Khalifa tower in 2010. That site has 160 rooms and suites, nine restaurants and a spa as well as 144 luxury residential flats, all furnished with Armani/Casa collections.
The following year, Armani Hotel Milano opened in a building originally designed in 1937, in Italian Rationalist style, by Enrico A. Griffini on Via Manzoni. The building also houses the brand’s megastore and the Armani Nobu restaurant.