“Hotel Missoni is dedicated to real people who laugh and cry, who appreciate and enjoy fashion and style as part of a real life of good coffee, hearty eating, love and light, the sea, the city, hard work and adventure, love of home, family, and an appreciation of the immense beauty of the natural world”— so claims the newest summer hit.

Ciao, Sold. It is virtually impossible to summon a more enticing portrayal of lodgings; the ever dynamic Missoni’s newest venture into hospitality seems more like a travel destination in itself. The Milan fashion house, in collaboration with the Rezidor Hotel Group and Rosita Missoni, will open its first hotel this June 2009 in Edinburgh. Inspired by the Missoni lifestyle and Italian passion, the hotel aspires to emulate the warmth of Italian family life and the glamour of the world of fashion and design.

While the idea of a fashion house venturing into hotel design might conjure images of angled, ultra modern minimalist décor, there is nothing pretentious or even overtly trendy about the design. Rather, color is abound, pattern thrives—naturally—and the furnishings are dynamic, and somehow reminiscent of the childlike, quirky aspects in all of us. Somehow, in the wake of so much color and history and flavor, the group behind Hotel Missoni has managed to create a world that is simultaneously iconic and contemporary. The website invites, “Welcome to a fashion lover’s playground.” The old is bridged with the new; not surprising, considering reinvention and past-present integration are key to fashion. And to quote the hokey pokey, and in this case such a reference seems particularly applicable among the flower speckled chairs and pink and teal bathrooms, isn’t that what it’s all about?

Think plush carpets in the trademark rainbow zigzag print, awaiting the mark of perfect summer slingbacks. Striped pillowcases and brightly colored furniture fill the space. A fusion of elegance with spunky vibrancy makes for a palatable aesthetic that invites the modern traveler (decked out in her Missoni duds, of course). Black, white, and silver characterize much of the space as well, adding a chic, sophisticated sheen. A June reservation at the Edinburgh location runs at about $257 per night, which is decidedly less than one night in most hotels in Manhattan (and that’s without the current weakness of the dollar).

However, if cross country travel isn’t on the upcoming agenda, don’t fret: Hotel Missoni has big plans in store right on American soil. 30 hotels are to be developing or in construction by 2012; rumor has it that Miami’s shores will provide the lucky grounds for the United States location. The Missoni design is applied to each hotel location as it best fits the area and ethos, so the Edinburgh hotel will certainly differ from the prospective Miami location; although both will feature the blazing prints we love so much. In the meantime, while the Scots enjoy Hotel Missoni this summer, slip on a rainbow knit frock and call it a day.

For more info: HotelMissoni.com