Luxury hotel brand The Dedica Anthology makes UK debut

Milan-based, The Dedica Anthology currently has hotels in Italy, France, Hungary and the Czech Republic.

It will look to announce as many as four more in the coming months, according to Stephen Alden, previously chief executive of Maybourne Group and The Set and now spearheading the new brand.

“A group of investors saw the opportunity to invest in a portfolio of hotels steeped in the legacy of the cities in which they are located,” Alden told TTG. “It’s a source of great inspiration for me to be able to reimagine their history and value; the hotels we are now creating have a sense of curiosity, open-mindedness, authenticity and a millennial mindset.”

The hotels are Palazzo Naiadi in Rome; Palazzo Matteotti in Milan; Grand Hotel dei Dogi in Venice; New York Palace in Budapest; Carlo IV in Prague; Palazzo Gaddi in Florence; and Hotel Plaza in Nice.

Palazzo Gaddi and Hotel Plaza are closed for a total renovation, with Alden saying they would “best represent the brand” when completed next year. The five other hotels are also undergoing renovations throughout this year but are still open for business as normal.

There are also two “associate properties” – Hotel Bellini in Venice and the New York Residence in Budapest – but they do not currently sit under the Dedica branding.

The Dedica Anthology is working with interior designers such as Guy Oliver, David Collins Studio, Patrizia Quartero and Yvette Adams Interiors to renovate the hotels and, in addition, every one of the hotels will be doing something “culturally relevant locally”.

The genesis of the hotels is the former Boscolo portfolio, which was acquired by investment firm Varde Partners in 2017, which then completed a €337 million refinancing by Blackstone at the end of 2018.

While the hotels are currently all historic city properties in Europe, Alden said that would not always be the case for future hotels.

UK visitors constitute around 12% of guest make-up, Alden said, adding that a UK sales presence would be created next year.

He said he was also considering taking travel buyers attending ILTM in Cannes to Nice in order to get a flavour of the brand at Hotel Plaza.

“Throughout my career I have seen the importance of engaging with the travel community and it’s no different now; they know their customers so well and can introduce us,” Alden said.