By Ritu Upadhyay and Luisa Zargani  www.wwd.com 

DUBAI – Giorgio Armani saw the Armani Hotel Dubai in the world’s tallest tower here for the first time Monday night and said he’s “thrilled” with the result.

Armani Hotel lobby unveiled in the Burj Khalifa, Dubai
Armani Hotel lobby unveiled in the Burj Khalifa, Dubai

Speaking at a press conference this morning, Armani said he followed every step in the design of the 160-room hotel, which also boasts eight restaurants with a variety of international cuisines, a spa and Armani retail concepts for couture, flowers and sweets.

“Yesterday when I arrived and saw the hotel, I felt really emotional,” the designer said. “After five years of working on this project, I finally saw how it all came to life. Working with me is not always easy, I think everyone here would agree because my standards are very high.”

The hotel, located in the Burj Khalifa and covering eight floors, was developed under an agreement signed in 2005 with Dubai-based Emaar Properties PJSC. In addition, 144 Armani Residences are located on floors 9 to 16.

Armani is to officially cut the ribbon on the hotel at 7 p.m. Dubai time, to be followed by a fashion show and party.

For complete coverage, see Wednesday’s WWD.