The best Milan hotels for design lovers

Armani Hotel Milano

Blanketed in Armani’s instantly recognisable brand of understated chic, the luxe Italian fashion brand’s Milan hotel – the second from the label – isn’t so much a gateway into the Armani aesthetic as it is an experience of the Armani lifestyle. Fully furnished with pieces inspired by the Armani/Casa home collection, the property exudes Armani’s signature calm beauty while simultaneously respecting the 1937 rationalist style building in which it is housed, designed by Enrico A. Griffini. As such, the 95-room property features a plethora of stylish linear sofas covered in chic fabrics, walls lined with Silk Georgette, a smooth limestone from Asia, and striking swooped staircases in the Armani Presidential suites which allow guests to have the grand entrance they deserve.

Armani Hotel Milano is located at Via Alessandro Manzoni 31, armanihotelmilano.com

Bulgari Hotel Milano

Indoor swimming pool at Bulgari Hotel, Milan, Italy

The benchmark for luxury at any Bulgari Hotel is pretty high. And yet, perhaps unsurprisingly, the brand’s very first foray into hospitality continues to exceed expectations 20 years after opening. At Bulgari Hotel Milan, world-class design – by architects Antonio Citterio Patricia Viel and Partners – a multifaceted spa and five locally lauded food and drink outlets combine for the full luxury effect. But the stars of the show are undoubtedly the 58 contemporary rooms and suites, all generously lined with Zimbabwean marble, solid teak and oak, with most offering views over Il Giardino, the hotel’s multifunctioning gardens designed by Agata Ambroise.

Bulgari Hotel Milano is located at Via Privata Fratelli Gabba 7b, bulgarihotels.com

Casa Baglioni Milan

Casa Baglioni Milan exudes the retro 1960s aesthetic of Milan’s design district of Brera. Italian architecture firm Spagnulo and Partners were at the helm of the small space, which encompasses 30 suites and bedrooms as well as a living area, wine cellar and restaurant by Michelin-starred chef Claudio Sadler. Boasting an enviable location near the art galleries, antique markets and cocktail bars of Milan, the hotel celebrates its surroundings by offering private tours of the Brera district – Hannah Silver.

Casa Baglioni Milan is located at Via dei Giardini 21, milan.baglionihotels.com

Excelsior Hotel Gallia

The lobby at Excelsior Gallia hotel, Milan, Italy

Starwood Hotels and Resorts has never been short of statement accommodation. A case in point is the Excelsior Hotel Gallia, which is located in Milan’s former Palace Gallia – an iconic hotel designed by architects Giuseppe Laveni and Aldo Avati in 1927. Now reinvented by local studio Marco Piva, to include a sleek glass extension, the hotel has also been upgraded by furniture brand B&B Italia, whose use of materials such as aluminium, glass and marble tie in with an Art Deco-inspired theme. Guestrooms are a medley of custom-made pieces from brands ranging from Poltrona Frau to Cassina, while public spaces feature specially commissioned installations including a 30-metre high Murano glass chandelier by De Majo. The addition of a two-storey spa, a rooftop bar and a restaurant, completes this revamped landmark – Lauren Ho.

Excelsior Hotel Gallia is located at Piazza Duca D’Aosta 9, marriott.com

Fifty House Cellini

Suite at Fifty House Milan hotel, Milan, Italy

Defined by a seamless blend of luxury, design and informality, Fifty House Cellini exudes a haven of warmth and comfort in a city that constantly bustles. Housed in a building that was once a boarding school, the hotel feels more like a house – hence the name – than it does a traditional hotel, with smatterings of gathered objects, collected art and eclectic furnishings by Driade stylishly placed in and around the 50 suites. With walls draped with bold wallpaper by Flamant and lighting in both internal and external areas supplied by Antonangeli Illuminazione, each space here is touched by a penchant for the bold and the beautiful. An elegant and highly manicured courtyard garden rounds things off with Eastern-inspired statues and plant life.

Fifty House Cellini is located at Via Benvenuto Cellini 14, fiftyhouse.com

Hotel VIU Milan

Hotel VIU Milan, a striking member of Milan’s Porta Volta skyline, presents itself in a grand manner. Carved from a central block of glass panels bookended with green walls festooned with jasmine, ivy and clematis, the seven-storey building cuts a dramatic figure in this up-and-coming neighbourhood. Every aspect of the hotel – from the 124 guestrooms to the lobby and bar – has been furnished by Molteni&C who have injected the space with a unified mood board of warm brown tones and low-slung pieces framed by a backdrop of oak parquet flooring, black basalt tiles, and Rubelli textiles. A restaurant by the Michelin-lauded Giancarlo Morelli and Milan’s first hotel rooftop pool provides ample distraction, the latter an ideally positioned spot from which to enjoy the scent of rosemary and honeysuckle drifting up from the garden wall – Daven Wu.

Hotel VIU Milan is located at Via Aristotile Fioravanti 6, hotelviumilan.com

Mandarin Oriental, Milan

Lounge at Mandarin Oriental hotel, Milan, Italy

Presenting 104 rooms carved out of three 19th-century piles, Milan’s outpost of the Mandarin Oriental wholly embodies the grand elegance that is now firmly the brand’s motto. Located near La Scala, and just a stone’s throw from the city’s smart Brera quarter, the property screams high-end glamour, bolstered by decor by Antonio Citterio Patricia Viel Interiors, who have stuck to Mandarin’s signature mood board of muted hues and Asia-lite touches, accented with timber floors, customised Egyptian cotton bed linen and organic Panpuri bathroom products. The indoor swimming pool isn’t bad either – Daven Wu.

Mandarin Oriental, Milan is located at Via Andegari 9, mandarinoriental.com

ME Milan II Duca

The location of ME Mila II Duca is by no means a fluke. Conveniently positioned on Brera’s Piazza della Repubblica at the edge of the city’s fashion and design district, the property steadily draws in the fashion crowd it has set out to court. Originally designed by late architect Aldo Rossi the building is characterised by its large Carrara columns, green Mergano stone and expansive windows. Now, it’s just as noteworthy for its interiors by local outfit Mortini’s Studio, which have provided a balance of traditional and contemporary Italian design. This is best exemplified in the 132 guest rooms; each a medley of muted tones unified by luxe textures and furniture designed by an Italian dream team of Gio Ponti and Luca Meda in collaboration with Rossi – Ella Marshall.

ME Milan II Duca is located at Piazza della Repubblica 13, melia.com

Palazzo Cordusio, a Gran Meliá Hotel

Gran Meliá’s first Milan property, Palazzo Cordusio, is situated just a stone’s throw away from the fabled Duomo Square and the Quadrilatero della Moda. The breathtaking hotel is housed within the Palazzo Venezia, a 19th-century architectural masterpiece designed by the Italian architect Luca Beltrami, which overlooks the Piazza Cordusio. Studio ASAH, by Alvaro and Adriana Sans, was enlisted to transform the building’s internal spaces and create 84 guest rooms and luxurious suites. Rubelli fabrics and tasteful furnishings from prestigious Italian brands, including Molteni, Cassina, Fornasetti, Flos, Oluce and Foscarini, enhance the hotel’s overall classical allure with a hint of cutting-edge style.

Palazzo Cordusio is located at Piazza Cordusio 2, melia.com

Park Hyatt Milan

There are at least two reasons why the Park Hyatt Milan invariably smites savvy travellers: one is the property’s faultless location. A smart left turn at its exit takes guests straight onto Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, the Piazza Duomo and Teatro alla Scala. Another is designer Ed Tuttle’s soothing interiors of cool stone, marble and warm fabrics, which dress 106 chic guestrooms and suites that are also outfitted with Tai Ping rugs and hand-blown Murano glass lamps. The property’s four food and drink outposts include the two Michelin-starred VUN Andrea Aprea, where modern Italian cuisine made with locally sourced ingredients charms both visitors and locals.

Park Hyatt Milan is located at Via Tommaso Grossi 1, hyatt.com

Room Mate Giulia Hotel

Located in Milan’s city centre and a quick two-minute stride from the Piazza del Duomo, the 85-room Room Mate Giulia Hotel was born from a canny collaboration between Spanish architect and designer Patricia Urquiola and the budget-friendly hotel group Room Mate. The rates might be economical, but the finishings are top-rate, with most of the furnishings designed by Urquiola herself and custom-made by Cassina. In guestrooms, bold armchairs by Kartell and Moroso sit alongside lamps by Flos and Oluce, while grid-patterned Kvadrat curtains provide visual texture. Downstairs, an eclectic mishmash of furnishings and colour combinations form the lobby space, lined with artwork by local creatives – JJ Martin.

Room Mate Giulia Hotel is located at Via Silvio Pellico 4, room-matehotels.com

Senato Hotel Milano

Run by the Ranza family – fourth-generation Milanese entrepreneurs – Senato Hotel Milano unfolds within a five-storey neo-classic building that was once their private residence. For the interiors, architect Alessandro Bianchi has roped in a host of local Milanese talent – including lighting company Bottega Gadda – to build on his sleek interiors, which are an assembly of plush materials; marble, brass and rich velvet furnishings amongst a palette of matt black, bottle green and shimmering gold. For the courtyard, Bianchi unusually opted to create a novel slate grey stone pool of shallow water that reflects the building’s architecture – JJ Martin.

Senato Hotel Milano is located at Via Senato 22, senatohotelmilano.it

What is any Milanese trip without a slice of pie? See our guide to the best pizza in Milan.

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Sofia de la Cruz is the Travel Editor at Wallpaper*. A self-declared flâneuse, she feels most inspired when taking the role of a cultural observer – chronicling the essence of cities and remote corners through their nuances, rituals, and people. Her work lives at the intersection of art, design, and culture, often shaped by conversations with the photographers who capture these worlds through their lens.

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