As a native of Scotland, I couldn't quite see how Missoni's signature stripes and zigzags would translate when the Italian fashion house opened its first hotel in Edinburgh last month. While the brand also does interiors, would vivid bedspreads and décor throughout a whole hotel invoke a Seventies trip out?

Thankfully, the collaboration between Creative Director Rosita Missoni and the Rezidor Hotel Group is restrained in the all the right places, but not without a bit of fun too. The 136-room establishment features sultry purple bathrooms with dark gray iridescent mosaic tiling, a hip little DeLonghi espresso machine for a morning caffeine hit, and glamorous silver bed headrests. Also worth noting is the prime location. Stationed along the historic Royal Mile, the floor to ceiling windows offer impressive views over the city's spires to the dramatic countryside beyond.


Elsewhere, the company's matriarch allowed just enough of the label's colors and patterns in the hotel's décor to stamp the Missoni identity on the place, but added ample neutrals to stop you from reaching for your sunglasses. (The glowing exception being if you've succumbed to the extensive grappa menu in the passeggiata-esque lobby bar or Cucina restaurant.)

Rates for the hotel start at $344 per night and include a complimentary breakfast, high-speed wireless internet, over 100 films on-demand, and specially-commissioned Missoni toiletries. These amenities will also be featured in the brand's upcoming properties planned in the coming months for South Africa, Oman, Kuwait, and Brazil.

Perhaps these are bold ventures to be making in these troubled times, but I must admit, I like their style.

Hotel Missoni Edinburgh rates start at $344 per night; tel: +44 131 220 6666