Hungarian Design Furniture in an Italian Luxury Hotel

After several years of renovation, the iconic Art Nouveau building, once known as the Grand Hotel Milano, is set to open in one of the hearts of Italian luxury, towering over Lake Como. The historic building will soon be revitalized as the Nuvole Garden, with a vision by Hungarian designer Zoltán Varró.

According to a statement released, the 80-room luxury hotel not only combines stunning scenery and architectural heritage, but also sets a unique benchmark in the world of design, with unique furniture created in collaboration between Zoltán Varró and furniture brand Dublino. Designed for the Nuvole Garden Hotel, the furniture collection was first presented in the premises of the Hungarian State Opera House.

Formerly known as the Grand Hotel Milano, the hotel was designed by Italian architect Achille Manfredini in 1910-11 and opened by the legendary Venetian hotelier Luigi Nardi. The hotel and its casino became a destination for wealthy Milanese between the two world wars, and was discovered by the film industry in the 1940s and 1950s, with Anna Magnani, Gregory Peck and Vittorio De Sica visiting the elegant resort. After the well-known Indian guru Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, who was also associated with the Beatles, turned up at the door to buy the place, the hotel became a spiritual retreat. However, with the dawn of the new century, it fell into disrepair until engineer-businessman Emilio Polillo was captivated by its unique location 700 meters above the lake, atop the funicolare (funicular railway). The Florentine businessman, who owns several hotels, called in Zoltán Varró, who came up with a completely new concept and operating model. The interior designer designed the building, which comprises 80 rooms and suites, a spa, three restaurants - including a rooftop fine dining restaurant - and a cocktail bar, down to the smallest detail.

Zoltán Varró designed custom furniture for the hotel, which he created with the help of Dublin, a leading wholesaler of design furniture specializing in public spaces. The result is the Dublino by Varrodesign series, which is both timeless and, in the typical way of its creators, has a contemporary elegance and sophistication. Comprising armchairs, dining chairs, bar stools, coffee tables, dining tables and accessories, the collection also includes a unique sofa innovation. The Esteban Lounge Sofa is unique in that it integrates dual functions: one side for relaxation and lounging, the other for socializing. In addition, the Esteban Lounge Sofa is available with variable elements and a customizable design for both public and private use.

The furniture features textiles from Varrodesign's Attitude collection, in collaboration with JAB Anstoetz, which evokes the centuries-old splendor of Lake Como, the surrounding mountains, the peacock as a symbol of prosperity, and the villas and gardens of Como, but also some pieces that evoke the designer's travels in recent years, the corals of Zanzibar, and the Japanese spring and cherry blossom.

The 'premiere' presentation of the Como furniture and textiles took place at the Hungarian State Opera House. The international public will see the pieces for the first time at the Nuvole Garden Hotel, in close harmony with the hotel's design: inside the building, like Sleeping Beauty awakened from her dream, the boundaries between inside and outside are blurred; inside, the world of the gardens is revealed, while in the hotel gardens the designer evokes the atmosphere of the interiors of the Como villas.

Zoltán Varró, the founder of Varrodesign, is an award-winning, internationally renowned interior designer who has left his mark in places from London to Koh Samui. In recent years he has designed over eighteen hotels and has won the Gold Key Award (New York), the World Luxury Hotel Award (Hong Kong) and the Boutique Hotel Award (London). One of his landmark projects, the Aria Hotel Budapest, was voted the best hotel in the world at the TripAdvisor Travelers' Choice Awards. The designer is currently working on the renovation of Colombia's first luxury hotel, the Sofitel Legend Santa Clara, located in the building of the Convent of St Clare, founded in 1621.

Dublino, founded by businessman Zoltán Majoros, has become a major player in the production and distribution of public furniture over the last two decades. The company now has showrooms in five European cities and projects in most countries of the continent, including now with pieces from the Dublino by Varrodesign collection.