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UK: London landmark Admiralty Arch is to be transformed in to a £100 million Armani hotel.
The 1912 building, designed by Aston Webb, was intended as a ceremonial passage from Trafalgar Square to Buckingham Palace but has had a variety of uses, including government offices, and recently has been left empty. The Grade I-listed building, which has three arches, was commissioned by Edward VII in memory of his mother, Queen Victoria.
Last year the building was bought by Rafael Sorrano’s London-based Prime Investors Capital for £60 million. Sorrano was the developer of the recently opened 85-room Bulgari Hotel & Residences in Knightsbridge.
Sorrano says the building’s original features will be preserved, with the hotel expected to open in 2015.
Armani is already involved with branded hotels in Dubai and Milan.
www.armanihotels.com
www.primeinvestors.com
