Where to Match Your Hotel to Your Outfit

MILAN, Italy (MainStreet) -- In a crowded marketplace of international hotel chains it can often be little more than a name -- a fashion name -- that might oust even the most famous brands from the top slot. That's the case in Milan, which had no shortage of luxury hotels such as Four Seasons, Park Hyatt(H) and Baglioni but now have to compete also with such virtual synonyms for fashion and glamour as Armani and Bulgari.

Bulgari Hotel was one of the first designer hotels in Milan, and it was a wow of one at that: an 18th century palazzo floating in a dreamy garden of rolling, including nearly neon-green lawns and an elevated outdoor lounge with sexy decor and fichus trees as manicured as the patrons. Interiors live up to even the loftiest of architectural expectations with Zimbabwe black marble and zen undertones. But more interesting than the full-size Bulgari bath toiletries in guest rooms and Espa Spa is that that Bulgari is a joint venture between Bulgari S.p.A. and Marriott International(MAR) , which also manages the Ritz-Carlton portfolio. (The collection also operates the revered Bulgari Bali Hotel in Indonesia and Bulgari Hotel London opening this spring, which could be a competition killer in the lead-up to the Olympics.)

Maison Martin Margiela brought its usual elegance to designing the interiors at La Maison Champs Elysees.