Reflections 76 Modern Legacy The guest apartment at Boucheron’s Paris flagship on 26 Place Vendôme A nice apartment is a nice apartment. A modern apartment is a modern apartment. But it’s the shape and style, which is unique. People like to buy a style rather than the building itself Bulgari, meanwhile, is a seasoned real-estate expert thanks to operating nine Bulgari Hotels, (bulgarihotels.com) which are still going from strength to strength. Three additional locations – Miami, Los Angeles and the Maldives – will open by 2026, joining those in the likes of Paris, Bali, Tokyo and Rome. Of the existing hotels, three – Dubai, London and Shanghai, as well as an upcoming property in LA – were constructed from the ground up and feature Bulgari Residences. CEO Jean-Christophe Babin says the residences offer “a real strong identity proposal”. The turnkey properties were designed wall-to-wall like a Bulgari Hotel, so one’s bedroom can look and feel like the brand’s hotel suite – which is exactly the point. “You are buying the brand style – the interior design is what really makes the difference, not the building itself,” he says. “A nice apartment is a nice apartment. A modern apartment is a modern apartment. But it’s the shape and style, which is unique. People like to buy a style rather than the building itself.” With such opportunities to deepen customer ties in an increasingly crowded luxury space, more property plays will be forthcoming – and, indeed, brands are already taking Bulgari’s lead and wetting their feet in the hospitality sector. When Audemars Piguet modernised its museum and manufacture in Switzerland’s Le Brassus in 2020, it also helped give its neighbouring Hôtel des Horlogers (hoteldeshorlogers.com) a serious facelift, turning the region’s sleepy local bolthole into a global design destination. Meanwhile, this past year, Chopard discreetly opened 1 Place Vendôme (1-placevendome.com), the maison’s first foray into hotels. The sanctuary-style, ifyou-know-you-know kind of property is located near its Paris flagship on Place Vendôme, the spiritual home of high jewellery. It joined Boucheron across the square (boucheron.com), which, in 2018, completely revamped its flagship to feel more like a private home (read: a place where clients can willingly while away the hours), and added the Boucheron Apartment above the ground floor and directly below the jeweller’s historic workshops. Here, select VIPs can be invited to spend the night at the oldest jeweller on Place Vendôme, stylishly looked after by the Ritz, which is just a diamond’s-throw away across the square – and be fully immersed in the unforgettable and exclusive, 360-degree Boucheron home experience. PHOTO OLIVIER HELBERT CENTURION-MAGAZINE.COM
PROMOTION Amex Takes You There Seeking inspiration for a trip of a lifetime? With your American Express Card so much is possible - here’s a guide to exciting destinations available
