Laura Ashley to Open Boutique English Hotel

Britain's hotel scene keeps on evolving: In the wake of hotels from Armani and Missoni, The Guardian is reporting that Laura Ashley, the English company famous for its floral prints, has bought a hotel in Hertfordshire for $9 million.

We hear that all 49 rooms will have beds, sofa, wallpaper and curtains in matching fabrics from the popular design shop. (The Amelie bedlinen is pictured here.) Its chief operating officer, Seán Anglim, said the hotel would become a "brand showcase" for its products and interior design service when it opens later this year.

Anglim told the paper that the hotel is currently trading under another, undisclosed, name, and would not say how much would be spent on renovation.