Introducing The Dedica Anthology: Europe’s Most Anticipated Luxury Hotel Brand of 2019
A new brand in luxury hôtellerie, The Dedica Anthology, is officially launching to the UK market this year. Headquartered in Milan, The Dedica Anthology is a portfolio of seven distinctive hotels in select European cities: Rome, Venice, Milan, Prague, Budapest, Florence and Nice, with associate properties in Venice and Budapest and further projects under consideration. The brand is led by visionary hotelier and successful builder of international luxury hotel brands Stephen Alden, previously CEO of the Maybourne Hotel Group and The Set.
Together with his team, Stephen is shaping a new form of curated, contemporary hôtellerie, based on his guiding principle to create places where people want to be and return to. Stephen Alden comments: “We have launched The Dedica Anthology at a time when the global hotel industry and the luxury sector in particular are evolving, and an opportunity exists to challenge and reinvent the category, creating inspiring spaces and relaxed rituals that are consciously in rhythm with our guests’ contemporary lives. A beautiful hotel has the power to transform you and I think this is the new language of luxury. I feel the time is right for a champion for Italian hôtellerie to emerge, and with our particular style of hotelcraft, we are well positioned to be that champion.”
The brand name derives from the Latin verb ‘Dedicare’, meaning to devote one’s time and effort to a task or purpose, or ceremoniously to assign a work of art in someone’s honour. This reflects the sense of curation and dedication to the guest experience that are at the heart of the brand. ‘Anthology’ is a reference to the rich collection of stories represented by the hotels and their guests. Based on values of curiosity, authenticity and open-mindedness, The Dedica Anthology holds a passionate belief that travelling should be an immersive and transformative experience in the present. Whether travelling for work, exploring a destination or just enjoying some downtime, The Dedica Anthology aims to create meaningful moments in which guests can feel alive to the vibrant pulse of life.
Each of The Dedica Anthology’s exceptional landmark properties is steeped in the soul and spirit of its location, providing the inspiration for how each is being brought up-to-date for the contemporary luxury traveller. A robust programme of investment in design and technology is being rolled out, to ensure the hotels can feel confident and relevant to how people want to travel for the next five to 10 years. The brand is working with international design specialists such as David Collins Studio, Guy Oliver, Patrizia Quartero and Yvette Adams Interiors YAI.
A historic palace providing 21st-century comfort and style, Palazzo Naiadi offers a unique perspective on the Eternal City of Rome. Meanwhile, stylish, contemporary and conveniently central is Palazzo Matteotti in Milan, which offers sensational views of the cathedral from its rooftop terrace. A hidden gem whilst near to the buzz of Venetian culture, Grand Hotel dei Dogi combines an authentic sense of 17th-century nobility with a modern outlook, and has one of the city’s largest private gardens.
The opulent New York Palace seamlessly links 19th-century Budapest with the energetic, artistic city of today as well as housing ‘The world’s most beautiful café’: the New York Café. In Prague, Carlo IV beams as a vibrant hotel housed in a splendid neo-Renaissance building and channels the magic of both ancient and modern-day Prague. Hotel Plaza, Nice and Palazzo Gaddi in Florence are currently undergoing a pause in operations for transformational renovations. Palazzo Gaddi, which contains important paintings, sculptures, furnishings and frescoes, is being lovingly restored and enhanced.
Hotel Plaza is being dynamically remodelled and will reopen as the full expression of the Dedica vision, reclaiming its historic position as an emblem of luxury hospitality on the Côte d’Azur. Both properties will be ready to welcome guests in 2020.
The Dedica Anthology (www.dahotels.com; +800 8099 8099) offers rooms at Palazzo Naiadi from €300/£267 a night based on two sharing a double room with breakfast.