A magnet for designers, models and A-listers during Milan Fashion Week, Bvlgari Hotel Milano is where the likes of Bella Hadid hang out in between parties and shows.
Where is it?
Tucked off the cobbled streets of Milan’s historic district of Brera, with its own private drive and serene botanical garden, the hotel is a lush oasis that offers ample discretion for its many VIP guests.
Steps away from the fashion quarter — Via Montenapoleone, La Scala opera house and the Duomo are all in touching distance — and adjacent to the botanical gardens, you’d be hard pushed to find a more prestigious address in Italy’s fashion capital.
Style
Glamorous, slick and minimalist. Set in an 18th-century Milanese palazzo which has been completely renovated with a modern and (very) polished finish, Bvlgari Milano is the original of the group’s hotels, and most iconic. The palette is simple, mostly black, brown and cream, with Zimbabwean marble and touches of teak and oak. Stacks of art and fashion-themed books sit on coffee tables in the lounge where a fire roars and sketches of Bulgari jewels adorn the walls in rooms.
Service is taken seriously here, guests can call on staff for everything from personal training, personal shopping, luxury car rental, Tesla charging, packing, unpacking and, of course, in-room check, for those VIPs who don’t wish to cause a stir.
Which room?
Why have one bathroom when you can have three? That was presumably the thinking behind the design of our junior suite, which featured access via a private lift, a walk-in wardrobe, lounge area and bathroom suite. Bath time quickly became a decadent affair, with an entire room dedicated to a large granite tub and a separate rain shower. Next door there was a lavatory and large hair and makeup station, joined by a basin room with his’n’hers sinks and endless Bvlgari-themed amenities, including incense and bath salts, as well as plenty of thoughtful extras, like yoga mats and hand weights for wellness seekers.
Our ginormous bed smelt like it had been spritzed all over Bulgari perfume, and I’m sure it had. Each of the 61 rooms and suites, is complete with floor-to-ceiling windows with Juliet balconies overlooking the hotel’s garden or Milanese courtyard — ours had two, and we made a ritual of enjoying a pre-dinner tipple as we listened to the it-crowd make an entrance below.
Food & Drink
The Bvlgari Milano and its buzzing garden are where it’s at to be seen indulging in the Milanese tradition of aperitivo. Come 6pm Bentleys, Aston Martins and Ferraris can be heard purring up the drive as the glitterati descend on the hotel for cocktails and pre-dinner drinks. The people-watching is worth the trip alone, as is the Milano, a potent blend of pisco, bitters, spice and clarified lemon, finished with saffron foam.
Three michelin-starred Chef Niko Romito has mastered contemporary, yet refined Italian cuisine at Il Ristorante for fine dining. The tasting menu with wine pairing is well worth the investment — you’re at the Bvlgari after all — we feasted our way through a grand tour of all Italy’s regions with the astonishing Antipasto all’Italiana’ for starters, which is served with plenty of his famous freshly-baked artisanal bread. We tucked in to spaghetti with lobster and jumbo red prawns and attempted to finish the traditional Milanese veal, finished off with melt-in-your mouth tiramisu.
By day the garden buzzes as well-heeled Milanese hold business meetings in sharp suits, while others meet for the famous Bvlgari brunch, and guests can enjoy detoxing breakfast juices should you have overindulged the night before.
The spa
Bvlgari does spas very well, and the Milano is no exception. Complete with a pool featuring glittering golden tiles and sauna, the jewel in its crown is a huge open-air hot tub which looks out onto the lush greenery of the garden, and we enjoyed it all to ourselves. Facials, massages and rejuvenating body treatments are all on offer to soothe weary guests after a busy schedule in the city.
Best for
Fancy living like a fashionista for the day? This iconic hotel is the perfect base for a blow-out weekend of aperitivi, designer shopping and people watching in what is one of Italy’s most underrated cities.
