The Luxury Collection® Hotels & Resorts Collaborates with Sofia Sanchez de Betak to Create Limited-Edition Line of Globe-Trotter Luggage

With the summer travel season fast-approaching, The Luxury Collection Hotels & Resorts, part of Starwood Hotels & Resorts, Inc. (NYSE:HOT), unveils its first-ever collaboration with British luxury luggage brand Globe-Trotter: an exclusive, limited-edition suitcase collection. Imagined by designer and creative director Sofia Sanchez de Betak, the collection is inspired by her recent summer vacation in Greece, where she experienced four destinations through the lens of The Luxury Collection brand’s indigenous hotels and resorts, including Santa Marina in Mykonos; The Romanos in Costa Navarino; Hotel Grande Bretagne in Athens; and Vedema and Mystique in Santorini. The collection is available for retail at www.luxurycollectionstore.com.

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THE LUXURY COLLECTION® HOTELS & RESORTS COLLABORATES WITH SOFIA SANCHEZ DE BETAK TO CREATE LIMITED-EDITION LINE OF GLOBE-TROTTER LUGGAGE (Photo: Business Wire)

"As a creative force, fashion muse, and world traveler, Sofia embodies the values and spirit of a global explorer, and like our guests, she is a traveler who truly understands and personifies experiential luxury,” said Meredith Dichter, Global Brand Director, The Luxury Collection Hotels & Resorts. "Our hotels and resorts define their destinations, and we are thrilled that our portfolio in Greece inspired Sofia to create this one-of-a-kind luggage collection for Globe-Trotter.”

The four unique pieces of luggage include: ‘Santorini,’ inspired by Sofia’s stay at The Luxury Collection’s Vedema and Mystique, both truly unique hotels located on one of the world’s most celebrated islands; ‘Mykonos,’ influenced by her experience at the brand’s exclusive beachfront oasis, Santa Marina; ‘Athena,’ which celebrates Sofia’s visit to the iconic Hotel Grande Bretagne, which overlooks the fabled Acropolis and Syntagma Square in Athens; and ‘Messinia,’ a tribute to the beautiful destination of Costa Navarino, where Sofia stayed at The Romanos, The Luxury Collection’s stunning resort situated among the olive groves and sparkling turquoise waters.

"For me, traveling is a treasure hunt—I love exploring new places and creating my own memorable experiences,” said Sofia Sanchez de Betak. "For the design of this luggage collection, I wanted to create a scavenger hunt map inspired by my trip to Greece for fellow travelers to follow. A combination of insider tips from The Luxury Collection concierges and personal recommendations from locals and experts allowed me to curate the ‘must sees’ on my maps for global explorers to find!”

Influenced by Greece’s characteristic colors, the collection’s exterior features shades of blue and white, accented by touches of black as well as Globe-Trotter’s iconic handmade leather trim and gold hardware. The interior of each piece is lined with cotton linen and features a colorfully illustrated scavenger map of the destination of which it was inspired, highlighting the hidden treasures and off-the-beaten-path experiences that Sofia discovered while exploring The Luxury Collection’s destinations in Greece.

"This project is very close to Globe-Trotter's heart. The journey with Sofia - literally and figuratively - has been a special one for me; as a designer for a company so passionate about telling stories about travel, the opportunity to distill somebody's real experiences into physical products has been a great journey,” said Charlotte Seddon, Designer, Globe-Trotter. "For me personally, the project also has real meaning - I honeymooned across the Greek islands, and some of my most special memories were captured in these places. The result, we hope, is that a genuine and personal sense of warmth lives within these cases."

Exclusively offered at www.luxurycollectionstore.com, Globe-Trotter’s flagship boutique in London and www.globe-trotter.com, the individual luggage pieces retail for USD $2,005. The limited-edition luggage collection comes in one convenient size, 22x15x8”, and each piece was made with wheels and a retractable handle for practical travel.

About The Luxury Collection® Hotels & Resorts

The Luxury Collection® brand is comprised of world-renowned hotels and resorts offering unique, authentic experiences that evoke lasting, treasured memories. For the global explorer, The Luxury Collection offers a gateway to the world's most exciting and desirable destinations. Each hotel and resort is a unique and cherished expression of its location; a portal to the destination's indigenous charms and treasures. Originated in 1906 under the CIGA® brand as a collection of Europe's most celebrated and iconic properties, today The Luxury Collection brand is a glittering ensemble, recently surpassing 100 of the world's finest hotels and resorts in more than 30 countries. All of these hotels, many of them centuries old, are internationally recognized as being among the world's finest. For more information and new openings, visit theluxurycollection.com or follow Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

About Globe-Trotter

Synonymous with great British design, Globe-Trotter is a luxury travel lifestyle brand producing handcrafted luggage and leather collections. Established in 1897, all Globe-Trotter suitcases and travel accessories are handcrafted in Hertfordshire, England by highly skilled artisans using original manufacturing methods and machinery that date back to the Victorian era. For 120 years the brand philosophy has remained unchanged: an uncompromising integrity of craftsmanship. Globe-Trotter cases have been used by an enviable client list over the years from Captain Robert Falcon Scott, Sir Winston Churchill and HM Queen Elizabeth II to Daniel Craig, Eddie Redmayne and Kate Moss. Collections are available to purchase online at globe-trotter.com and in the Globe-Trotter flagship stores, along with a bespoke service, at 35 Albemarle Street, London W1S 4JD, UK and 5-2-1 Ginza, Chuo-Ku, Tokyo, Japan.

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