Studio SAOTA and Antonio Citterio Patricia Viel are creating a hillside resort for Bulgari in LA
– Jean-Christophe Babin
Bulgari Hotels & Resorts will open a luxury resort in Los Angeles in 2025. The foundation of the development – a property formerly known as The Retreat – will be upgraded and expanded with the addition of new structures, all built to LEED Platinum standards.
Located in the Santa Monica Mountains, less than five miles from Rodeo Drive, the property is surrounded by 33 acres of hillside parkland, with striking views. The contemporary architecture of the new buildings will draw inspiration from this natural setting.
The architects for the project have been announced as South African design firm Studio SAOTA, with Antonio Citterio Patricia Viel doing the interiors.
The resort will have 58 rooms and suites, as well as eight private residences. A number of guest rooms and suites will occupy standalone bungalows ranged across the eastern half of the property, while the residential developments will vary size from 12,000 - 48,000sq ft (1,115 - 4,459sq m), each with a private land parcel of between one and five acres.
Wellness will be fundamental to the resort, with plans including a 10,000sq ft (929sq m) Bulgari spa and a gym delivering Bulgari’s exclusive Workshop training method.
The mix will be completed by a signature Bulgari dining experience called 'Il Ristorante - Niko Romito', an eight-seat sushi bar and a private cinema.
The development will have strong eco-credentials, with old-growth and native canopy trees being preserved on-site during building work and 1,000 additional mature trees being planted to provide shade and habitat for wildlife.
Ponds, dry riverbeds, and vegetated bioswales will also be introduced across the property to capture and filter stormwater for irrigation and to maintain habitats.
The Bulgari Resort Los Angeles will be the twelfth in the Bulgari Hotels & Resorts portfolio, following openings in Milan, London, Bali, Beijing, Shanghai and Dubai.
In addition to the opening in Los Angeles, five new Bulgari Hotels are due to open between 2021 and 2023 in Paris, Rome, Moscow, Miami and Tokyo.
Bulgari has been a part of LVMH since 2011.
Los Angeles Jean-Christophe Babin LVMH Bulgari Studio SAOTA Antonio Citterio Patricia Viel