Bulgari Hotel Milano

Italy
Europe

The Experience

The Bulgari Hotel is in Milan’s “golden triangle” of culture, history and style; yet its secluded location in a small street behind the La Scala Opera House provides an idyllic, cloistered retreat for businessmen, fashionistas and tourists alike. Architect Antonio Citterio has combined three buildings (one a former convent dating back to the 18th century) behind a modern facade that he describes as a “blank field,” featuring oak and black granite-framed windows, in contrast to the hotel’s neighboring massive concrete apartment buildings. Inside, open, rectilinear architecture combines with natural, opulent materials such as Zimbabwe marble and solid teak and contemporary Italian furniture for a sumptuous blend of old and new.

The Rooms

There are 58 rooms including 33 deluxe, seven superior, five special rooms, plus six suites and one Bulgari suite. All but four of the smaller rooms have meditation corners with tatami mat flooring, and teak balconies overlooking the hotel’s private gardens or neighboring villas. Most have walk-in closets with plenty of luggage-storing room, floor-to-ceiling windows thoughtfully outfitted with blackout drapes, huge Travertine marble tubs, mosaic-lined showers, English light-oak floors, contemporary Italian furnishings and natural brown-beige fabrics. Standard rooms are about 450 square feet, while the Bulgari Suite is on two levels with its own elevator entrance.

The Service

Impeccable standards without being obsequious, including twice-daily housekeeping, turndown service on request, an automatic do-not-disturb system, complimentary daily newspapers, valet parking in secured garage, a warm welcome for pets, concierges with connections to the best tables in town. And there are the only-in-Milan extras: Ferraris for hire, motorboat and helicopter trips to and across nearby Lake Como and personal shoppers.

The Highlights

Opened May 18, 2004 in partnership with Marriott Ritz-Carlton, the Bulgari Hotel is meant to promote the world-renowned Italian luxury brand. Open fireplaces, walls lined with bookshelves and contemporary art soften the open teak and marble lobby and public spaces. Floor-to-ceiling glass walls overlook the lush 4,000-square-foot private garden, (the only hotel garden in Milan)--itself the remains of a monastery garden plotted out in the 14th century. The hotel’s tiny spa and fitness center offer personalized treatments such as anti-jet-lag massage. The restaurant (unusual for a boutique hotel) offers Italian classics with a modern twist, while the cocktail bar attracts the cognoscenti and the fashionistas from the neighboring LaBrera university-gallery area and the Via Montenepoleone fashion district. Yet for all its high-tech design, modern convenience and opulent service, this is one of the most serene locations in the entire city of Milan. In case you really need to interrupt your repose with work, there's a boardroom and a private dining room accommodating up to a dozen people; laptops and printers are available free of charge.

 

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