Karl Lagerfeld Hotel Macau, Designed By Him, to Open June 2023

Karl Lagerfeld’s (though admittedly problematic) legacy lives on in yet another form: a hotel in China the fashion designer styled entirely himself. The Karl Lagerfeld Macau Hotel, located within The Grand Lisboa Palace Resort Macau precinct, will open in June 2023.

It’ll be the only hotel in the world fully designed by the late Chanel creative director, down to the bathrobes and bedsheets. The 271-room hotel will feature a book lounge with over 4,000 hand-picked books inspired by his home library in Paris, a spa with an indoor and outdoor pool and a restaurant Mesa by celebrity chef Jose Avillez.

“Discover fashion, luxury and beauty fused together into a one-of-a-kind reflection of the world of Karl,” reads the hotel’s site.

The hotel concept reimagines modern Chinoiserie mixed with traditional craftsmanship, using bold colours and patterns. Think custom headboards reflecting motifs found on coins, porcelain vases handmade in Jingdezhen and circular room dividers based on traditional Chinese moon gates.

Lagerfeld was passionate about artist collaboration throughout his career, and that’s shown throughout the space. Specially commissioned furnishings include exquisite sculptures by Dutch artist Marcel Wanders, French artist Jean-Michel Othoniel, and Terzani chandeliers.

Rooms start at entry-level, 60sqm Klassik Room, looking out Cotai, and go all the way up to the Autograph Suite, which sits at a whopping 350sqm and where you can “discover the true depth and breadth of Karl Lagerfeld’s whimsical yet edgy vision in an extraordinary suite”. The suite even features a massage room, dining room and media room with a karaoke set-up.

Lagerfeld worked closely with the hotel’s owner SJM Resorts, on the project for several years before his death. As Harper’s Bazaar UK puts it, “If there ever were a truly couture hotel experience, this hotel fits the fashionable bill.”

The Karl Lagerfield Hotel Macau — Image: The Karl Lagerfeld Hotel Macau

Macau is an autonomous region on the south coast of China, across the Pearl River Delta from Hong Kong.

Lagerfeld frequently gave unsolicited comments on the bodies of female public figures. He called Adele “too fat” and Heidi Klum “too heavy”. He also mocked movements, including body positivity and once said that fashion is “the healthiest motivation for losing weight.”