The best hotels in Milan

This chic five-star hotel courtesy of the Sina family has been done entirely along crisp modernist lines in gray, black and white picked out with red highlights and avant-garde styling. Best of all, it sits just steps away from Piazza del Duomo and the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II. ... » more

This nouveau boutique inn combines cutting-edge decor and tons of sometimes questionable modern art (some rooms are lovely, even stunning; others feel a bit like a show at a contemporary gallery you regret having come to but you now cannot escape). Like its neighbor, the Gray, it, too, is just half a block off the central Duomo Square. ... » more

The Manzoni is a nicely appointed but otherwise pretty nondescript four-star property, though it's very comfortable, comes with a friendly family management, and sits in the center of Milan's famed quadrilatero d'oro top shopping district. Its real selling points are the location and relatively low rates, for while it may enjoy only half the class of its top-flight neighbors—the Milan Four Seasons and the Grand Hotel—it also rings in at half the price, leaving you more in your pocket to hit the nearby boutiques. One suggestion: don't bother putting down the extra Euros for the suites, since they differ from regular rooms only in that they are slightly larger. ... » more

Some rooms of this Olde Wordle hotels in the Quadrilatero d'Oro high fashion shopping district are cutting-edge modern and stylish. Others are old-school luxury: silk brocades, parquet floors, and baths sheathed in black granite. ... » more

The place to stay since the 1863, halfway between La Scala opera house and the cathedral in the heart of the Quadrilatero d'Oro high fashion shopping district. Completely overhauled in 1993–95, it's now a mix of modern luxe and old-fashioned plush luxury, harking back to the days when Callas would stay nowhere else. Need more pedigree? Composer Giuseppe Verdi spent his final 30 years ensconced in the presidential-style suite, which retains the desk upon which he composed many of his operas... ... » more

Gorgeous pied à terre actually inside the swank Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II shopping center that connects the central Piazza del Duomo and its cathedral with La Scala opera house. You do pay (loads) for the location, though. ... » more

Milan's top five-star deluxe hotel lies just off Via Montenapoleone, the city's swankiest shopping boulevard. Though lacking the antiques-drawn style of its competitor Grand Hotel, it lays on more luxuries. Its central core retains many touches, including the lovely garden-planted cloisters, rediscovered during the seven-year restructuring that by 1993 had turned this 1476 convent into a hotel (the frescoes in the lobby hint that this room was once the convent's church). Rooms are terribly spacious, with thick runs on modern parquet, designer chairs in comfy sitting areas, large marble-sheathed bathrooms with heated floors, CD stereos, and walk-in closets. "Superior" rooms are on the street (protected from noise by effective double-paned windows) rather than the cloisters, with queen-size beds rather than the king-size in the "deluxe" category. "Executive" suites have a mid-size sitting area, and can be connected to deluxe doubles to form a family suite. Five bilevel suites on the ground floor of the cloisters have vaulted ceilings mostly re-frescoed (though one bit of the original painting remains), with a split-level sitting area and bedroom and the bathroom underneath, all overlooking a neighbor's quiet grassy garden. A new wing opened in 2001 in a vecchia Milano house with a central courtyard enclosed by a skylight and balcony running around each level, each of which hosts five rooms and suites. More recently, the hotel revamped the lobby and exercise room, and redid the Royal Suite. ... » more

This charming old hotel in the arty Brera neighborhood hadn't been discovered long ago by members of the fashion world and film stars (this was Marcello Mastroianni's preferred Milan hostelry) you would consider it a find. The rooms have more character than they do modern comforts, but, to the loyal guests, the eclectic smattering of country antiques and Art Nouveau pieces more than compensate for the absence of minibars. Nor do the repeat customers seem to mind that some of the bathrooms are miniscule (though modern), or that there is no lobby or breakfast room (coffee and rolls are delivered to your room). So be it—this is a delightful place to stay in one of Milan's most enticing neighborhoods, and reception manager Gerardo Vitolo is very friendly. New Jacuzzi baths and air conditioning in some rooms only add to the experience. The rooms on the tiny courtyard are quieter, but those on the street have plant-filled balconies (the best is no. 10 on the corner, if you don't mind a tub rather than a shower). ... » more

This 1937 bastion of Liberty-style luxury rises near the main train station—a thoroughly uninteresting area a 20-minute taxi ride from the center. It is convenient for late arrivals or early departures, and while the neighborhood is trafficky, the hotel is well sound-proofed. It's oriented toward business clients and conferences, so it's flush with amenities, but also charges expense-account rates. The granite columns and murals in the salon lend the hotel an antique air balanced by the modern art in the hallways. Each floor is done in a different pastel color scheme. The spacious, comfortable rooms are done in modern parquet (some are carpeted) with classy antiques and the occasional quirky touch such as a TV atop a column stump or a ceiling frescoed with puffy clouds. Bathrooms are clad in a variety of marbles, with heated towel racks, large tubs, and double sinks in all but "superior" type rooms. Superior rooms are a bit smaller but only slightly less fashionable (they retain the old, fairly fussy, repro Deco look). Even singles are unusually large and have extra-wide beds. ... » more

This luxury hotel offers enormously discounted weekend prices (the lower rates below, applied Friday to Sunday nights) that makes it reasonable on weekends, most of August, and the Christmas/New Year holiday (check for exact dates before booking; never applied during trade fairs). The Doriagrand is one of the large newer hotels that cluster around the station and is far more comfortable and stylish than most hotels in its luxury class. The good-sized guest rooms are exquisitely appointed with handsome wood and marble-toped furniture, rich fabric wall coverings and draperies, and amenities such as linen sheets, ISDN jacks, satellite channels and pay-per-view, and complimentary bedroom slippers and bathrobes. The beautiful marble bathrooms are equipped with generous sized tubs, vanities, hair dryers, and a generous selection of toiletries. A sumptuous buffet breakfast is served in a stylishly decorated room on a level above the lobby (where they also serve 28[eu]/$32 fixed menus at mealtimes), and Thursday and Friday evenings the piano bar becomes a jazz club. ... » more