Wild Group co-founder Elmira Amdiy is expanding her hospitality interests on the French Riviera with two new projects, including Hotel Les Chardons and a seven-bedroom private villa at Hostellerie La Farandole.
Amdiy, a former investment banking director whose career included Barclays Capital, Nomura and UBS, has spent the past five years developing Wild Group alongside her partners and team.
The London hospitality group now comprises seven venues including Belvedere, Wild Tavern, Wild Izakaya, Wild Corner, Wild Notting Hill, Chelsea Grill and Pinna Mayfair, employing more than 300 people.
In France, Amdiy is preparing to restore and redevelop a collection of historic buildings into Hotel Les Chardons.
Plans currently being developed include landscaped gardens, restaurant terraces overlooking the French Riviera, an outdoor swimming pool and poolside lounge.
Amdiy is also considering positioning the property around wellness and longevity.
She said: “Hotel Les Chardons is a significant project for us. We’re taking a collection of existing buildings and creating something new around them, while also being very conscious of what is already there and what we can restore.
“If we do take Les Chardons in the wellness and longevity direction, we will make sure there is real substance behind it, and a reason for people to travel specifically to stay with us.”
Alongside the hotel development, Amdiy is creating a seven-bedroom private villa within the grounds of Hostellerie La Farandole, where she was involved in ownership before investing in Wild Tavern in 2020.
The villa is being developed in collaboration with artist and sculptor Grishi Giano, who is working across its interiors, materials, furniture, lighting and original sculptures.
The property will include a private swimming pool and pétanque area and is expected to become available through Hostellerie La Farandole by the end of 2026.
Amdiy said: “I didn’t want us to design the villa and then decide what art to put on the walls afterwards. Grishi has been involved from the very beginning, so the art is part of the design rather than something added at the end.
“We have quite different instincts, which is what makes the collaboration interesting. My taste is far more classical, while Grishi will push things much further. We challenge each other, and that’s often how we get to the best result.”
Giano describes the concept as “Mediterranean art living”, combining contemporary sculpture with vintage furniture, natural materials and the architecture of the property.
Materials including marble, onyx and travertine will feature throughout, with sculptures created specifically for individual spaces within the villa.
Amdiy and Giano have also travelled to Pietrasanta in Italy to source stone for a major sculpture intended to become a focal point of the property.
Giano said: “I don’t really separate the process of creating a sculpture from the process of creating an interior. Choosing materials, combining textures, colours, furniture and objects is also a form of artistic expression. I see the villa itself as a work of art.”
He added: “I think of this particular sculpture as the heart of the villa. There will be other artworks throughout the interiors and outdoor spaces, but this particular piece should become something that guests remember, an object that gives the villa its own identity and, over time, becomes inseparable from the place itself.”
Amdiy said the projects represent an opportunity to expand her hospitality portfolio without replicating the same approach across different properties.
She added: “I’m not interested in growing simply for the sake of having more properties. If we take something on, there has to be a clear reason for it and we have to believe we can make it exceptional.
“The villa and Hotel Les Chardons are completely different projects, but both give us the opportunity to do something we haven’t done before.
“I don’t want to keep repeating the same formula. I want us to keep taking on projects that challenge us both creatively and commercially.”
The villa is expected to open to guests by the end of 2026, with further details on Hotel Les Chardons and its final concept to be announced as development progresses.
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Experience Hospitality Service Robotics Live in Action at Robot Week
Hospitality and catering operators can explore emerging service technology at Robot Week in London, with dedicated sessions on 9 and 10 September covering robotics across food and drink service, coffee, cooking, cleaning and back-of-house operations.
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