Munich-based hotel group Ruby Hotels is set to make its Italian debut in the heart of the Tusan capital, Florence.
Scheduled to open in 2023, the 118-key hotel will occupy a 19th Century building on the Piazza della Libertà in the old town district of San Marco, and will feature a bar, a café, a courtyard terrace and a 300m² Ruby Workspace.
The historic building is owned by GB Holding Group, a real estate investor in the Italian market who will contribute to the renovations. Many of its original features will be preserved, with renovations under the direction of Florentine architects Genius Loci Architettura and interiors led by Ruby’s Head of Design, Matthew Balon. The traditional Florentine arcades on the ground floor provide high ceilings, allowing for some of the rooms to be redesigned as maisonettes.
This marks Ruby’s sixth European project as part of the group’s expansion, joining properties in Austria, Germany, Switzerland, Ireland and the UK, with a further 19 projects in development.
“We are very excited to enter the Italian market with this great project and bring our Lean Luxury philosophy to Southern Europe,” comments Julian Mörs, Group Director of Development at Ruby.
“By designing and building modularly, centralising more and automating consistently behind the scenes, we are making luxurious and unique hotel experiences affordable for our guests, while creating a leaner and more adaptable cost structure, which in turn means lower risks for our property partners,” adds Mörs. “Benefits like these set us apart from other competitors and support our development activities, especially in unpredictable times.”
