By any standards, London has been experiencing an extraordinary spring. In the lead up to July’s Olympic Games, the city is blooming with new hotels, the latest being the Bulgari. This is only the third Bulgari hotel in the world, following the much lauded properties in Bali and Milan.
Housed in an entirely new building among Knightsbridge’s traditional architecture, it features a façade constructed from Portland Stone, a material that also adorns London’s most important sights, including St Paul's Cathedral, Buckingham Palace, the National Gallery and the British Museum.
Leading the design team is the architect and Bulgari stalwart Antonio Citterio, who has furnished the 85 rooms and suites with his trademark palette of stained oak and glossy Sapele mahogany, plus acres of leather, masculine furnishings and silver, the latter a subtle nod towards the brand's heritage of silverwork. Much of it is Italian designed, of course, from the solid-silver chandeliers and thick textiles to the custom-made silk curtains and bedside lamps that pay homage to Bulgari’s classic range of candlesticks. Many of the upholstered furnishings are collaborations between Citterio and B&B Italia for its Maxalto collections.
Robbie Pepin, who opened Alain Ducasse’s Italian restaurant La Trattoria in Monaco, headlines the in-house restaurant Il Ristorante with a Brit-influenced Italian menu. And for a post-prandial treat, there’s something to be said for settling into a plush 47-seat private cinema, which boasts a library of around 500 films, curated by British producer, David Puttnam.
But best of all is, of course, the spa, one of the largest in London, which takes over the two lower floors of the building. The pool area is faced in sandblasted Vicenza stone and features a 25m pool lined with mosaic tiles in nuances of green and gold.
The main lounge incorporates Italian-designed furnishings and a honed-granite fireplace, with a steel curtain
The design team was lead by architect and Bulgari stalwart Antonio Citterio, who also designed the oversized sectional sofa in the lounge. Many of the upholstered furnishings are collaborations between Citterio and B&B Italia for its Maxalto collections
Citterio furnished the 85 rooms and suites in his trademark palette of stained oak, mahogany and granite with leather furnishings and silver (the latter a subtle nod towards the brand's heritage of silverwork). He gave the lobby an intimate feel with dividing screens dimmed with brushed, mirrored and mesh steel
Most furnishings and accessories are Italian designed, from the solid-silver chandeliers and sturdy upholsteries to the custom-made silk curtains and bedside lamps that pay homage to Bulgari’s classic silver ranges
Mirrored surfaces abound in the 85 guest rooms, fitted with glossy Sapele mahogany and modular privacy screens
Above the restaurant - headlined by Robbie Pepin, and offering a Brit-influenced Italian menu - is a bar, featuring a sweeping oval counter, handcrafted in Italy from stainless steel
The spa is one of London's largest, and takes over the two lower floors of the building. The pool area is faced in sandblasted Vicenza stone and features a 25m pool lined with mosaic tiles in nuances of green and gold
ADDRESS
171 Knightsbridge
London SW7 1DW
-
Inside Christian de Portzamparc’s showstopping House of Dior Beijing: ‘sculptural, structural, alive’Daven Wu travels to Beijing to discover Dior’s dramatic new store, a vast temple to fashion that translates haute couture into architectural form
-
A music player for the mindful, Sleevenote shuns streaming in favour of focused listeningDevised by musician Tom Vek, Sleevenote is a new music player that places artist intent and the lost art of record collecting at the forefront of the experience
-
Take a tour of the 'architectural kingdom' of JapanJapan's Seto Inland Sea offers some of the finest architecture in the country – we tour its rich selection of contemporary buildings by some of the industry's biggest names
-
How to elevate a rental with minimal interventions? Charu Gandhi has nailed it with her London homeFocus on key spaces, work with inherited details, and go big on colour and texture, says Gandhi, an interior designer set on beautifying her tired rental
-
The Stuff That Surrounds You: Inside the home of designer Michael AnastassiadesIn The Stuff That Surrounds You, Wallpaper* explores a life through objects. In this episode, we step inside one of the most considered homes we've ever seen, where Anastassiades test drives his own creations
-
Francis Sultana and Roberto Ruspoli’s Greco-Roman-inspired furniture feels fresh and contemporaryA new collection, launching at David Gill Gallery in London, presents furniture and decorative pieces inspired by Mediterranean villas, French art and Etruscan engraving
-
The new office of the Italian embassy in London is a love letter to the country’s creativityWallpaper* takes a peek inside Casa Italia, the new Italian embassy in London, designed by our long-time collaborator Nick Vinson
-
Sophie Smallhorn’s plywood tables for Uncommon Projects are colourful and modularThese modular tables by the artist and the plywood specialist play with colour for function, fun and flexibility
-
American vision meets British craft in Billy Cotton’s new collaboration with Soane BritainYes, there’s rattan, but the lauded New York designer also brought in brass, oak and more. ‘There’s a sort of alchemy to these materials,’ he says
-
A new coffee table book proves that one designer’s trash is another’s treasureThe Rizzoli tome, launching today (16 September 2025), delves into the philosophy and process of Retrouvius, a design studio reclaiming salvaged materials in weird and wonderful ways
-
Welcome to Salt, a London hair salon-turned-immersive audio experienceStyling meets sound design at Salt’s second London outpost, a high-concept space by Unknown Works designed to be heard as much as seen
