“As Honorary Director of the Luxury Real Estate, Hospitality & Retail Program, it is my distinct pleasure to introduce you to this immersive journey through the heart of luxury in Milan and Rome.
This course stands at the intersection of architecture, interior design, branding, and hospitality, offering participants an inside look at how the world’s most prestigious brands shape spaces into unforgettable experiences.
Guided by leading industry experts, this program combines site visits, exclusive lectures, and real-world encounters with those who define contemporary luxury. From branded hotels and majestic residences to flagship stores and innovative interiors, you will discover how exceptional craftsmanship, distinctive design identity, and strategic business acumen come together to create enduring prestige.”
HADRIAN BELTRAMETTI-WALKER
Vice-President – Legal EMEA & Caribbean,
Rosewood Hotels
Discover the Spaces Where Luxury Lives
In February 2026, Academia Cerebra introduces a one-week immersive journey through the world of Luxury Real Estate, Hospitality & Retail Program — a unique short program dedicated to the architecture, interiors, and branded spaces that define contemporary luxury.
Held across Milan and Rome, the course explores how the world’s most prestigious brands — from Armani and Bulgari to Fendi and Hermès — transform properties into experiences, blending design, craftsmanship, and brand storytelling into spaces of enduring allure.
Program Overview
From exclusive residences and retail spaces to branded hotels and resorts, participants will gain a deep understanding of how luxury takes shape — physically, emotionally, and commercially.
Guided by Honorary Director Hadrian Beltrametti-Walker (Hospitality) and Course Director Maria-Cecilia Pepponi Real Estate, Retail, & Visual Identity), this program blends academic insight, site visits, and real-world encounters
What You Will Explore
• Luxury Real Estate – evolution of branded residences, investments, returns, and image value for brands
• Luxury Interiors – how craftsmanship, materiality, and design identity define timeless prestige
• Retail Architecture – from flagship stores to experiential design and visual identity
• Luxury Hospitality – branded hotels and resorts by fashion houses (Armani, Bulgari, Fendi)
• The Business of Space – economics, project management, and the emerging phenomenon of luxury ‘flipping’
A Week in Milan & Rome
Monday 23rd – Milan
Welcome & introductions. Luxury Real Estate: The rise of branded developments and new luxury Speed networking and orientation walk through Milan’s design district.
Tuesday 24th – Milan
Luxury Residences & Interiors: typologies, craftsmanship, and detail. Visit to a boutique interior design studio and meeting with founders.
Wednesday 25th – Milan
Luxury Retail: expressing brand DNA through architecture and visual design. Visits to Hermès, Louis Vuitton, and other maisons in the Quadrilatero della Moda.
Thursday 26th – Rome
Field day in the Eternal City. Visit to branded hotels and flagship stores. Guided visit to the Bulgari Hotel and Palazzo Fendi, with talks by hotel and retail directors.
Friday 27th – Milan
Luxury Hospitality & The Business of Space: the economics of branded real estate, flipping, and project value. Round-table discussion and certificate ceremony.
Faculty
Course Director
Maria-Cecilia Pepponi
Architect & Interior Designer, specialist in luxury branded real estate,
branded retail & visual identity, formerly with Giorgio Armani Group.
Honorary Director
Hadrian Beltrametti-Walker
Vice President, Legal, EMEA + Caribbean, Rosewood Hotel Group, formerly with Kempinski Hotels
Participant Profile
Ideal for professionals and graduates in architecture, design, business, marketing, or law, as well as early-career individuals seeking to understand how luxury is conceived, built, and experienced.
No prior design background is required — only curiosity, motivation, and a passion for the world of luxury.
Certification
Participants will receive an Academia Cerebra Certificate in Luxury Real Estate, Interiors & Hospitality, equivalent to 3 micro-credits. Academia Cerebra is the only European academy specialising in luxury and fashion recognised by the British Accreditation Council (BAC).
Programme Details
Location: Milan & Rome
Duration: 1 Week (Face-to-Face)
Dates: 23rd – 27th February 2026
Tuition Fee: €2,600*
(Covers tuition, lunches, coee breaks, site visits, museum entries, train travel between Milan & Rome, and graduation aperitif.)
*10% Early-Bird Discount for enrolment before 31 January 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the course online or face-to-face?
It is entirely face-to-face in Milan and Rome — two of Europe’s most beautiful design capitals.
Who can apply?
Applicants must be 18 years or older, speak English, and complete a brief online interview with the Course Director.
How do I apply?
Submit your application via the link in this brochure and pay the standard application fee (€50).
Successful applicants will be invited for an interview before formal acceptance.