Ed.: The Inspired Stays series highlights hotels we love around Italy. Each property is independently reviewed by an Italy Magazine writer, who is generally hosted on a complimentary basis. Our contributors do not accept compensation or gifts in exchange for specific types of coverage. We only showcase properties we would genuinely recommend overall.
Why we love it
The talk of the town is this fashionable new hotel — a member of the Leading Hotels of the World — from the Ferragamo family, which also runs a handful of luxurious hotels in Florence and one in Rome under the Portrait and Lungarno Collection brands.
What to expect
If you want to rub shoulders with Milan’s stylish denizens and sophisticated international travelers, this is the place to be. The Milanese have embraced the luxury hotel, dining at the restaurants and treating the bar like their living room.
Background
Built in 1564 as an archiepiscopal seminary, the building encloses a 32,000 square-foot piazza that has been opened up to the public for the first time in its history. Visitors coming in off Corso Venezia are greeted by a monumental Baroque entrance designed in 1652.
Location, location, location
The hotel is in the heart of Milan’s fashionable Quadrilatero della Moda, with a front entrance on Corso Venezia and a back entrance around the corner from Via della Spiga. It’s also around the corner from the Villa Necchi Campiglio and is just a ten-minute walk to the Duomo.
Where you'll sleep
Acclaimed designer Michele Bönan is known for creating luxe residential-inspired hotels and this one is no different. Rooms are done up in cardinal red or emerald green, with polished wood and rattan elements. The marble bathrooms feel especially luxurious thanks, in part, to the Ferragamo bath products. Entry-level rooms start at 344 square feet and there are plenty of suites, ranging from a 517-square-foot junior suite to the massive 1,776-square-foot Borromeo Suite.
Dining and drinks
Talented young chef Alberto Quadrio has worked in some of the world’s top kitchens, from Geranium in Copenhagen to Narisawa in Tokyo, and he’s working his magic at 10_11, a popular spot for Aperol Spritzes and other aperitivi. Everyone is buzzing about his elevated take on pasta in bianco, which he makes by cooking the pasta in a parmesan broth and tossing it tableside in a large silver tureen. The hotel is also home to an outpost of Beefbar, the trendy steakhouse created in Monte Carlo.
Service notes
During my visit, service was generally polite and professional, if a bit slow in the restaurant.
Spa time
Until the Longevity Suite opens in late 2023, guests have free access to a fitness center with a fully-equipped gym and wet area (including a 62-foot pool) a five-minutes walk away.
Family perks
The hotel prides itself on being family-oriented, with special family amenities and a kids menu at 10_11. There are a few two-bedroom family suites that can sleep up to six guests. Families can also request adjoining rooms, of which there are 22, including one group of four adjoining rooms.
You should know...
Dubbed the Piazza del Quadrilatero, the piazza at the center of the seminary now buzzes with life from passersby. There are a handful of upscale boutiques under the arcades, including an outpost of Antonia and Maria Sole Ferragamo’s SO-LE Studio, which sells daringly contemporary jewelry made with discarded leather and other materials.
Features & amenities
- City setting
- Restaurant
- Bar
- Free WiFi
- Parking (paid)
- Pets allowed
- Family-friendly
- Elevator
Contacts
Portrait Milano
Corso Venezia 11, Milan
+39 02367995800
Website
