The allure of hotel couture

The Gallery Hotel Art Fashion designers are increasingly turning their skills to hotel interiors, creating slick places to kip around the globe Vicolo dell'Oro 5, 50123, Florence, Italy (00 39 0552 7263, www.designhotels.com).

One of three Salvatore Ferragamo-owned hotels in his home town, The Gallery displays contemporary art, has an airy, minimalist lobby and leather headboards in the bedrooms to remind guests of those divine shoes and bags.

Double rooms with breakfast from 200 to 640.

Bvlgari Hotel Spa Via Privata Fratelli Gabba 7, 20100 Milan (www.bvlgari.com).

In May 2004 the contemporary Italian jeweller's opens its first hotel in conjunction with Marriott International in a former Milanese nunnery. Just like its eponymous label, the 58-room property will blend lavish materials, such as oak and bronze. Doubles from 420 per night.

Borgo Nuovo Via Roma 38, 47837, Castelo di Montegridolfo, Italy 00 39 0541 855350 (www.palazzoviviani.

com).

Italian design diva Alberta Ferretti has just opened the stylishly simple, 30-room Borgo Nuovo next door to her Hotel Palazzo Viviani in the village of Castelo di Montegridolfo, 25 kilometres from Rimini, the Italian resort that is looking set to enjoy something of a renaissance in 2004. Double rooms from 98 per night.

Palazzo Versace Sea World Drive, Main Beach, Queensland, Australia (00 61755098000, www.palazzoversace.com).

Gold Coast hotel with hot colours, bold prints and lashings of gold and gilt. The mosaic pebble driveway and lobby chandelier, which once hung in the State Library of Milan, are a suitable welcome.

Double rooms from 120.

Pelican Hotel 826 Ocean Drive, Miami, USA (00 1 305 673 3373, www.pelicanhotel.com) Diesel's yoof style is written all over its hotel wonderland on South Beach. Each of the 30 rooms is like a film set, with outlandish themes including Jesus Christ Megastar and Psychedelic(ate) Girl.

Double rooms from 85 per night.

(c)2003. Associated Newspapers Ltd.. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning Company. All rights Reserved.