Ferragamo Seeks Partner to Accelerate Growth in the Hotel Sector

In a sector undergoing major restructuring, where fashion groups are seeking to expand their footprint beyond products, Ferragamo is banking on the hotel industry as a lever for transformation. The 2025 financial year confirmed the structural difficulties facing the Florentine group.

Annual revenue stood at around €977 million, down from 2024, when sales exceeded €1 billion. This contraction reflects a significant deterioration in performance, linked in particular to the decline in the wholesale channel and the slowdown in the Asian market.

In this context, management is seeking to diversify its sources of revenue in order to reduce its dependence on the fashion and accessories business. Luxury hotels appear to be a strategic opportunity. Owned by Ferragamo and controlled by the Palazzo Feroni Finanziaria holding company, Lungarno Collection manages several high-end establishments in Italy, including three premium locations in Florence, Rome, and Milan, all under the Portrait banner, the group's ultra-luxury collection.

Partially opening up the capital to a minority investor would strengthen investment capacity, accelerate international expansion, and pool financial risks. According to the Italian press, an investment bank has been commissioned to gauge the interest of financial institutions, including sovereign wealth funds.

Ferragamo is not an isolated case. Several major players in the fashion industry have invested heavily in the hotel sector in recent years, not only to diversify their revenues, but also to consolidate their lifestyle positioning. The integration of five-star hotels allows fashion houses to extend their brand universe beyond the product, strengthening their identity and desirability.

The Armani group illustrates this dynamic. In January 2026, the fashion house formalized a partnership with Symphony Global, led by Emirati entrepreneur Mohamed Alabbar, to accelerate the international development of Armani Hotels & Resorts.

For its part, Dolce & Gabbana is also expanding its projects in the hotel and luxury real estate sectors. The brand has partnered with developer Dar Global to open a luxury hotel in the Maldives and is developing a condo-hotel project in Miami under the 888 Brickell banner, combining high-end residences and hotel services.