Introduction
Situated amidst Milan's trendy streets, where history and innovation intersect, is a sanctuary of elegant hospitality for the discerning traveller. Milan, known as Italy's centre of style and design, has a plethora of exquisite accommodations to match its major fashion firms and iconic landmarks. From historic palazzos oozing timeless elegance to sleek modern enterprises evoking contemporary chic, each hotel in this cosmopolitan city provides a distinct blend of comfort, refinement, and outstanding service. In this post, we'll take a tour of Milan's most luxurious hotels, where indulgence knows no bounds and every stay promises to be exceptional. Join us as we explore the heights of luxury and hospitality in the heart of Italy's fashion city.
Bulgari Hotel Milano
If you're familiar with the Bulgari name, you'll recognise the hotel: sleek and extravagant, with a polished if predictable contemporary edge — minimalist reception, teak and black granite everywhere, and uncluttered, large-windowed rooms in safe beige, cream, and grey colours.
The lovely, tree-shaded private garden, a rarity in Milan's centre, is a popular spot for power brunches, afternoon tea, and summer drinks.
The dazzling, gold-green-tiled indoor pool and the magnificent circular bar, whose sinuous curves are draped with as vibrant and bronzed a throng as you'll find in Milan, are equally appealing.
Portrait Milano
Over the previous decade, Italy's now-leafy design capital has evolved from a grey business haze to a dashing contemporary feather in the country's cap. It's a must-see weekend, with a slew of museum expansions, "centralissimo" eateries, and a second wave of hotel openings all within a five-minute ride from Linate Airport on the city's high-speed sustainable metro.
Portrait Milano restores this baroque religious college concealed in the acclaimed Fashion Quadrilateral, putting tourists at the city's physical, spiritual, and sumptuous centre. Its vast private courtyard was unveiled as a new public piazza by Milan’s mayor in December 2022.
Meanwhile, the ground floor will serve as a new Milanese playground, complete with Italian fashion, spa, and restaurant coups. Suites are spacious Milanese mid-century apartments in wood and cardinal red velvet, with luxurious touches such as antler-like leather handles by Florentine artisans and extensive vanity kits in the powder rooms.
Mandarin Oriental
The Mandarin, located in an early twentieth-century mansion just steps away from the Fashion District, features gentle, mellow tones and fine boiserie crafted by Italian artisans.
Locals and visitors rush to the Mandarin Bar & Bistrot to enjoy imaginative drinks in a bright geometric environment (in the summer, the action goes outside to the lush courtyard).
Executive Chef Antonio Guida of Michelin-starred Seta creates unique Italian cuisine inspired by his Apulian origins. Wellness enthusiasts go to the relaxing spa, which features a swimming pool, saunas, and steam rooms, as well as holistic treatments that mix the finest of Eastern and Western therapies.
Four Seasons Hotel Milano
Four Seasons Milano, housed in a 15th-century monastery, exudes tranquilly and quiet, with a cloistered courtyard filled with laurels and box trees.
The location is unbeatable; just step outside and you'll be on Via GesĂą, in the heart of Milan's Fashion District.
Stone sculptures, plaster ceilings, and frescoes are all original characteristics that have been wonderfully preserved. The decor is traditionally exquisite, featuring rich Fortuny textiles, burl and pearwood cabinetry, and Carrara marble bathrooms.
The convent's former cellar houses a lovely spa, complete with a swimming pool where you may swim a few laps beneath gorgeous, vaulted ceilings. Top tip: on Sundays, the hotel hosts a popular brunch, with delectable delights put out in the Chocolate Room, a room totally coated in 300kg of chocolate.
Park Hyatt Milan
Guests as diverse as Lady Gaga and Angela Merkel have found things to love at the Hyatt, perhaps due to its unrivalled city centre location: from the Dehors bar, you can see directly into the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, Milan's 19th-century shopping arcade, with La Scala opera house and the Duomo di Milano (Milan cathedral) a stone's throw to the north and south, respectively.
The soaring glass cupola beyond reception is spectacular, and some rooms—the Duomo Suite being the best—provide unparalleled views of the cathedral's fairy-tale towers and spires.
Hotel Principe di Savoia
This is one of Milan's grand dame hotels, with exquisite décor that combine traditional and Art Deco elements.
The lobby lounge features a large Murano glass chandelier and classical paintings by Luca Giordano, while the beautiful guestrooms are decorated with murals and bespoke Italian furnishings.
As the sun sets, celebrities and socialites enjoy cocktails at Principe Bar, which features an eye-catching sculpted tinted crystal bar and a back-lit mirrored wall, before heading over to Acanto for Italian cuisine accompanied by one of Milan's best wine lists.
Early risers work out in Club 10, the hotel's luxury 10th-floor fitness room, while taking in the city views from the floor-to-ceiling windows.
Armani Hotel Milano
Giorgio Armani's self-styled hotel, located in the city's noticeably opulent Montenapoleone neighbourhood, serves as a haven for the worldwide catwalk scene during Fashion Week.
Expect the same level of high-end minimalism as the apparel brand, with floor-to-ceiling windows, natural light-filled rooms and a soothing, modern palette of grey, powder blue and pearl.
The entire room is controlled by an iPad, including the curtains, lighting, and room service. When the sun goes down, guests flock to the Michelin-starred Armani/Ristorante for Italian dishes with an international flair, such as lasagne with langoustines, baby squid sauce, and tomato confit.
The nearby Armani/Bamboo Bar offers postcard-worthy vistas of the city and the Duomo, as well as a bespoke Milanese cocktail list (try the herb-infused Bosco Verticale). We suggest that you book a table on a Sunday evening for its live jazz sessions.
Casa Baglioni
Brera, Milan's art quarter, is no stranger to major hotel openings. In February 2023 – just in time for fashion week – Casa Baglioni officially opened its doors, joining the ranks of Bulgari, Armani and Mandarin Oriental along these little lanes crammed with designer boutiques and hidden art studios.
It's part of the Baglioni family, of course, and the Italian-founded company flourishes best at home. This is an extremely comfortable bed. But the fact that its most appealing feature - its celebration of mid-century Milanese artists everywhere you look, from the enormous chandelier in the lobby to the little art pocket-guide left in your room - creeps up on you rather than slaps you in the face - is a welcome change from some of the more overtly flashy hotels in the area.
Everything has been properly picked, and the end effect is fashionable and mature. The team is proud of their new location; Brera is still a locals' district, and one of the most artistic in Italy; book a tour with one of the exceptional tour guides the team has discovered to get under the skin of the place, from private museum tours to the opportunity to poke around fascinatingly quirky artist studios.
The team is proud of their new location; Brera is still a locals' district, and one of the most artistic in Italy; book a tour with one of the exceptional tour guides the team has discovered to get under the skin of the place, from private museum tours to the opportunity to poke around fascinatingly quirky artist studios.
Palazzo Parigi
The Parigi is grand—and romantic—but it's difficult to know where you are amid a decorative and architectural mash-up that includes a (really fine) spa and Islamic arabesques.
Expect Balinese or Swedish-themed treatment rooms, classical marble columns, belle Ă©poque chandeliers, and antiques and Old Masters worthy of an English stately mansion.
Rooms range from beige and sleek to chintzy and luxurious, as well as examples of contemporary Milanese design. The expansive picture windows and terrace overlooking the private garden are excellent, but the location — on a nondescript road near the Brera art gallery — is less so.
Senato Hotel Milano
This classy hideaway is a world away from the hectic Via Senato; cross the street and you'll be sucked into the cobblestone streets of the Fashion District.
A modest courtyard pool at the hotel's entryway seeps tranquilly, while handcrafted lamps in the shape of ginkgo leaves float over the reception area. Black, white, and brass are prominent colours, with all-white rooms furnished in contemporary Milanese style.
This sleek den is run by the Ranza family (the five-story Neoclassical building was previously their private residence), who wanted to give it a strong Milanese stamp - furnishings are made by local craftsmen, and ingredients at Senato Caffè are carefully sourced from small and medium-sized producers in Lombardy.
Conclusion
As our tour of Milan's greatest hotels concludes, it's clear that this city provides an unrivalled combination of luxury, culture, and refinement. From the grandiosity of historic palazzos to the sleek elegance of contemporary design, each hotel we've visited captures the essence of Milan's cosmopolitanism. Whether indulging in Michelin-starred meals, unwinding in exquisite spas, or simply marveling at spectacular city vistas, these hotels promise an exceptional stay for every traveler. Aside from their luxurious amenities, Milan's hotels serve as portals to the city's vibrant culture, rich history, and world-renowned fashion industry.
