Best Milan hotel for: a more private stay
In Milan, even with all its charms, it can sometimes feel a little hard to relax with the constant bustle of its department stores, piazzas, and galleries. There’s a madness to the city that is intoxicating but sometimes it’s nice to experience some quiet too—and that’s exactly what Rocco Forte’s new property offers, a place where you can feel at home, a quiet retreat from all the excitement. The hotel is even called Rocco Forte House, announcing off the bat that it offers something different from other hotels. It’s located at Via Manzoni 46, right in front of the 18th-century Palazzo Borromeo d’Adda and at the corner with Via della Spiga, in the middle of the Quadrilatero d’Oro, in English the “Golden Rectangle” of fashion. It’s also very close to another much-anticipated opening from Rocco Forte, the Carlton Hotel, which will welcome guests this November on Via Senato in front of the State Archives building.
This property, however, aims for the feeling of a private home. There are no grand hotel entrances; instead you ring a doorbell and are welcomed inside. It presents to the outside world a sense of discreet elegance; cross the threshold and you’ll find a courtyard that is a pleasant and hidden corner of Milan. Check-in is completed in the cozy, elegant lounge, and then you can head up to the apartments which have names instead of numbers: Duomo, Brera, Tortona… each one is named after one of the city’s neighborhoods.
There are both one- and two-bedroom options; some with small balconies with courtyard views and others with terraces that offer magnificent vistas of the city. The 11 apartments range in size from 775 to 1,453 square feet. The interiors were designed by Paolo Moschino in collaboration with Olga Polizzi, the design director of Rocco Forte Hotels, and the brand’s approach to hospitality is reflected in the comfortable, sumptuous furnishings; an abundance of velvet; parquet floors; the many books to read (or at least flip through their photos) and the state-of-the-art efficient marble kitchens that feel like ones from luxury homes.
You can arrange for a private chef to prepare meals in your apartment, have groceries brought in to cook your own meal, or simply order a pizza. Breakfast is provided by Marchesi 1824, a patisserie that is a Milan institution. In the hushed atmosphere of Rocco Forte House, almost surreal given its central location, you can plan your days of visiting the Brera Art Gallery or perhaps da Vinci’s Last Supper, or instead take part in that very Milanese activity, shopping. Just pick up the phone: The hotel’s concierges are waiting to help. —Maddalena Fossati
Address: Via Alessandro Manzoni, 46, 20121 Milano MI, Italy
