| |
On the second and third floor of two communicating residential buildings off the centrally-located Via Dante, you could easily walk past the Antica Locanda Dei Mercanti because there is no outdoor sign but it is a fantastic value hotel in comparison to the Four Seasons and the Bulgari. Homely and spacious, each chintzy room is individually decorated and four of the suites have the luxury of private roof terraces, for which you would pay a fortune anywhere else. At the moment there are no communal spaces, so if breakfast is requested, it is served in your room.
|
Just past the Dominican cloister of Santa Maria delle Grazie that houses Leonardo da Vinci’s celebrated Last Supper, Antica Locanda Leonardo is set back from the road in a 19th-century property. The bedrooms (most with French windows opening on to small balconies) are in keeping with the period, with polished wood floors and antique furniture. You enter the hotel through a charming, mosaic entrance. Upstairs the reception, breakfast room and bedrooms overlook a tree-shaded private terrace with painted wrought-iron furniture. Locanda Leonardo closes for three weeks in August and from the end of December until Epiphany
|
In very good taste, the discreet and unassuming Antica Locanda Solferino is a cosy and reasonably priced 1920s former tavern with personal touches including breakfast in bed. The location is perfect, being in the middle of Brera and the decoration is kept simple, with a mix of old and new 20th-century design classics and antiques. The suites, with their parquet floors, incorporate a large living room, bedroom and sunken bath with Jacuzzi.
|
A massive 1960s building in the Garibaldi zone of Milan with a modern but nondescript interior, the four-star Executive was given a makeover in 2003. The best reason to visit the Executive is for the Bedouin-tented bar, which has a Bali theme. Half indoors, half out, the marquee is furnished with cushion-stacked four-poster beds for cocktail hour. Close to trendy Corso Como and therefore popular with the fashion crowd, the bar is open until late; drinks cost from €10.
|
Perfectly located in the fashion district, overlooking cool and posh via della Spiga, Carlton Baglioni is one of the oldest hotels in Milan. Refined and elegant, the traditional bar has a gentlemen’s club feel and the suites are fantastically cosy, and completely over the top with leopard print armchairs, silk brocades and bold striped bed linen. There is a small meeting room, with capacity for 15 people.
|
Despite the various new hotel openings in Milan, the Four Seasons still stands as one of the city’s most exclusive in terms of accommodation: thanks not to fashion but understated elegance and incomparable service (where many other hotels let themselves down). Discreetly placed in the middle of the Quadrilatero d’Oro, where all the big-[name] boutiques are clustered, the Four Seasons is all quality, from the original Renaissance frescoes in the lobby to the high standard of the rooms. A 15th-century cloister and courtyard garden provides precious outdoor space. Meeting and conference facilities are available, as well as business services such as mobile phone rental, translation services and a 24-hour business centre. The less formal Veranda Restaurant is perfect for a light lunch. The Teatro (open only in the evening) is more suited for an elegant but yet intimate dinner.
|
Located a few minutes’ walk from La Scala and overlooking Via Montenapoleone, the Gran Hotel has always hosted celebrities: from Richard Wagner to Ernest Hemingway and Maria Callas to Richard Burton. The undeniably aristocratic atmosphere underlined by period furniture, mosaic flooring and Liberty-style chandeliers make it ideal for a luxury stay. But the business centre is basically a cupboard in the wall – charming, but for anything longer than short-term it’s probably not ideal.
|
Designed by Antonio Citterio, Bulgari’s flagship hotel is set within 4,000sqm of private botanical gardens. There is a restaurant and a large bar, where, although the service can be a little slow, the mood is tranquil and you can also sit outside and enjoy views of the garden. The spa (exclusive to residents) features a gold mosaic pool and green glass-walled steam room. The presidential suite has a huge decked terrace overlooking the gardens and a glass boxed in fireplace half on the inside and half on the deck. Bear in mind that the hotel is clearly not aimed at the business community and offers no business centre, in-room fax or conference facilities.
|
The Park Hyatt Milan is one of the best positioned hotels of its size. Housed in a 19th-century palazzo just off the Galleria, it’s a stone’s throw from the Cathedral and La Scala Opera House. Beyond the main entrance is an elegant bar and restaurant area covered by the great glass dome of the cupola. Just as grown up, but contemporary in style, is the hotel bar, popular for aperitivi. Great cocktails are accompanied by oriental appetisers including sushi. Service is excellent and there is a 24-hour mini-spa with a well-equipped gym and two marble steam rooms. Ask for a room with a view across the Galleria.
|
Five years of restoration work have uncovered the ancient stucco and finishes of a 17th-century building that once overlooked Milan’s city moat. The 18 suites are furnished with period furniture and the style is antique palace, all drapes and chandeliers. Although the Petit Palais is not exactly geared up for business in terms of services, there is a 30-seat conference hall and an elegant drawing room with fireplace that makes an unusual spot for a tête-à-tête with a client.
|
For those who like to keep it glamorous, the Principe de Savoia is fantastically opulent, with full-on Belle Epoque style from the grand Giardino d’Inverno bar to the Café Doney, which serves delicious pastries. You can’t help but be impressed with the 1930s grandeur of the building and by the extravagant 400 sq m Presidential Suite with private indoor pool. In contrast to this, the recently renovated top floor has an exclusive fitness centre and pool with floor-to-ceiling glass windows. There are 17 meeting rooms and any equipment required can be hired from the hotel. Renowned for its Lombard specialties is the Club Galleria Restaurant.
|
Ten minutes from the centre, but perfectly located for the City Fiera Milano (the trade-fair centre), the Regency is a small-sized hotel located in a beautiful 19th century Revival style palazzo. Reminiscent of a medieval castle, the Regency lacks no comforts at all. Decorated in what could be termed “old lady” style, rooms have full-on floral interiors (on the walls, ceiling, beds and bouquets on the table); those on the top floor also have wooden beams and sloping ceilings. Communal areas ooze a sense of intimacy and cosiness enhanced by log fires in winter. The hotel has an inner court with plants and a fountain.
|
A perfectly good hotel, 10 minutes’ walking distance from the centre, beyond the Giardini Pubblici at Porta Venezia. Built on the premises of Diana’s Baths, Italy’s first swimming pool for ladies, the hotel still retains its art deco charm despite a recent refurbishment. A must at Sheraton Diana is Sunday’s buffet brunch and the aperitivo hour at the ever-changing Bar club, featuring in the summer season a live DJ every evening and seductive fountain garden where you can lounge on the funky outdoor furniture. If your need is for peace and quiet, request a room not overlooking the garden. There are four meeting rooms, including the high-tech Black Label Room, which can be hired for presentations, shoots and private cocktails.
|
For a city that calls itself the fashion capital of the world, there are relatively few design hotels in comparison to that found in London or Paris. The extremely central Spadari al Duomo, tucked in the medieval quarter of the city overlooking the ancient sword-makers’ street, is an exception; it’s a contemporary, toned-down hotel with a pretty inner courtyard (on to which you want to make sure your room looks, as opposed to the tram-lined street). This is an excellent value hotel, and features a fireplace in the lounge designed by sculptor Giò Pomodoro. Rooms are furnished in post-modern style with light colour wood panelling. “Special” rooms have balconies, and “de luxe” rooms boast cathedral views and hydromassage tubs as well.
|
Renovated according to a cosmopolitan, chic style, the Starhotel’s design now lies midway between ethnic and art deco-inspired contemporary. Despite its location in a converted 1960s office block, the look is sophisticated and modern. Rooms are fitted with oversized leather-panelled headboards and exotic wood furniture. The bar and restaurant have black lacquered walls and deep red curtains for a funky, lounge-style vibe.
|
Appealing to design-minded tourists, concrete walls, metallic fabrics and moody lighting give this boutique hotel an extreme, industrial-chic look. Behind the 19th-century neoclassical facade of the outside, the rooms (all with plasma TV), are decorated in dark chocolate browns and greys with huge, blown-up photo murals plastered over the walls. Doors, floors and walls are made from brass, iron, scratched mirrors and cement. There is a very smart (and popular) lounge bar, and the hotel has a fully equipped gym and, for meetings and presentations, a small 30-person conference room.
|
This achingly cool boutique hotel has smartly designed, bachelor pad bedrooms (they’re less gimmicky than the dubious red upholstered swing in the centre of the lobby). Part of the Design Hotel group, The Gray is sited on a side street right next to the Duomo, with a tiny cocktail bar and restaurant that gives the intimate appeal of a private members’ club. Although it’s without a pool, there is access to one at their sister hotel 50m away. Rooms have either en-suite private sauna or gym with state-of-the-art weights and cardio machines.
|
It may be housed in an uninspiring 1950s tower, but the Westin provides eyecatching views of the city, particularly from the hotel’s roof garden. And the Westin Palace is quite something on the inside. Opulent and classy, the hotel is adorned with chandeliers and marble in the 18th-century French style. There are 12 meeting rooms and a newly inaugurated spa open from 7.00 am to 11.00 pm. Adding to the luxury, 10 of the hotel suites are fitted with private Turkish baths. Based in the business part of town, the hotel is ideal for business travellers and tourists alike, with excellent service.
|
This three-room B&B is tucked into a corner of Carla Sozzani’s cult fashion complex 10 Corso Como, which is known as the place for art, photography, music, literature and fashion. And it’s a very nice place to spend the night, too. US designer Kris Ruhs has created individual apartments, where the decor combines clean white walls with 20th-century design classics, such as Arne Jacobsen’s Swan and Egg chairs, Bisazza bathroom mosaic tiles and high-tech luxuries such as Bang & Olufsen television and music systems. The breakfast is room service, with a huge choice available. Three Rooms offers courier, photocopying, parking and laundry services, and the rooms are fitted with video and DVD, CD players, radio, internet, voicemail and fax facilities. If you drop the [name] of this hotel to a local Milano they will be impressed.
|
Situated on a residential street 15 minutes’ walk from the financial district of San Babila, Townhouse 31 is a typical 19th-century palazzo, very distinguished and compact in size. The classic cream interiors with an oriental twist are by Architectural Digest editor Ettore Mochetti. The entrance lounge functions as the breakfast room and lounge bar from 6pm to 9pm, and is open for locals as well as guests. Over four floors, the rooms are individually styled and the overall feel is of personal service and a home from home.
|
| |