Milan has all the hallmarks of a memorable European city break: great restaurants, world-class galleries rich in art and history, excellent bars (this is the hometown of Campari, after all) and outstanding espresso.
The northern city’s agreeable climate makes year-round visits more appealing than in some of Italy’s more southerly cities, while its location puts Lake Como and the Italian Dolomites within easy reach for a two-center vacation. Or, stay put and spend your days embracing the ritual of aperitivo, strolling the cobbled streets of the city center, and exploring landmarks including the Duomo and Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II.
But where to stay? Milan has no shortage of luxury hotels, with many of the world’s biggest hospitality names holding a firm presence in the city. We’ve hand-picked the very best hotels in Milan, including the top suite to book at each one.
The best hotels and suites to book in Milan
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Mandarin Oriental Milan
Mandarin Oriental Milan occupies four adjoining 18th-century buildings on Via Andegari, a quiet side street just off Via Manzoni. The location is hard to beat: La Scala is next door, while the Duomo, Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, and Via Montenapoleone are all within a few minutes’ walk.
For in-house dining, there are two restaurants to choose from, with two-Michelin-starred Seta by Antonio Guida being the more formal option. Request the private dining room, created with Milanese design house Fornasetti. Mandarin Garden is more relaxed, and can take you from aperitivo hour through to a late Italian dinner.
The hotel’s 68 guestrooms and 36 suites are spread across five floors, looking either onto the central courtyard or across Milan’s historic rooftops. Four signature suites sit at the top of the room categories: the Presidential, Fornasetti, Designer, and Royal suites. The most characterful is the Fornasetti Suite, the only hotel suite in the world created in collaboration with Barnaba Fornasetti, artistic director of the Milanese design house.
After even more space? Opt for the Royal Suite. An expansion of the Designer Suite, it is the largest accommodation at the property, with three bedrooms, two living rooms, and three marble bathrooms. The master bedroom pays homage to Italian architect and designer Gio Ponti, while the second is arranged in the style of a Middle Eastern majlis.
The spa is another reason to book. Alongside six treatment rooms, guests can make use of the indoor swimming pool, fitness center, and hair salon.
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Hotel Principe di Savoia
Established in 1896, Hotel Principe di Savoia has been a fixture of Milanese hospitality for well over a century. Yet despite its late-19th-century roots, the hotel remains firmly connected to modern Milan – come Fashion Week, it is still one of the places to spot style heavyweights and A-listers.
The three-bedroom Presidential Suite is one of the most glamorous stays in the city. The suite pairs Art Deco influences with one of Milan’s more unexpected hotel amenities: a private heated swimming pool. Part of the suite’s own private spa, the pool sits beneath a hand-painted ceiling decorated with Pompeii-inspired frescoes, alongside a sauna and Turkish bath.
The glamor continues in the suite’s living room, with a grand piano and fireplace, and a dining room set for 12. A private balcony looks across Milan’s rooftops, and the accommodation comes with the services of a dedicated butler.
The hotel has one Italian restaurant, Acanto, where the Tavolo Cristallo private dining room provides a particularly memorable Swarovski-decorated setting. For coffee and light bites, the recently renovated Il Salotto serves as the hotel’s all-day living room, and the Principe Bar remains a popular evening address with cocktails and live music.
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Bulgari Hotel Milano
Da Niko is the hotel’s signature dining destination, created in collaboration with chef Niko Romito. The contemporary Italian restaurant takes its cues from a Milanese home, both in its warm interiors and approach to traditional dishes. Elsewhere, afternoon tea is served throughout the day, and the Bulgari Bar comes into its own at aperitivo hour.
As with other Bulgari properties, the spa is a major draw. At its center is a long, gold-tiled swimming pool, complemented by a steam bath, ice bath, and Swedish sauna.
The hotel’s top accommodation, the Bulgari Suite, takes a contemporary approach to design, with interiors curated by architect Flaviano Capriotti. The one-bedroom suite has a large living room, private terrace, and a library stocked with rare art and design books. For larger groups, the room can connect to an adjacent Junior Suite to create a two-bedroom residence.
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Armani Hotel Milano
This is Milan, so it makes sense that fashion houses didn’t stop at one branded hotel. Armani Hotel Milano immerses guests in the sleek, sophisticated Armani universe. The Armani/Ristorante serves contemporary Italian cuisine from the seventh floor, and an Armani/Bamboo Bar occupies a rooftop setting. There’s also the nearly 11,000-sq-ft Armani/Spa that you can make use of during your stay.
The hotel sits in the Quadrilatero della Moda, the city’s fashion district, and is conveniently within walking distance of major Milan landmarks including the Duomo and Teatro alla Scala.
At the top of the room categories is the Armani Presidential Two Bedroom Suite. The suite has its own private terrace, a large living room with a cocktail bar, and a dining area with a private kitchen.
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The Carlton
The Carlton, a Rocco Forte Hotel, is one of Milan’s newest luxury arrivals. The opening is the latest addition to the family-run Rocco Forte Hotels portfolio, a group that counts The Balmoral in Edinburgh, Hotel de Russie in Rome, and Villa Igiea in Sicily among its properties.
The Carlton Presidential Suite is the hotel’s top accommodation, with multiple terraces overlooking Via della Spiga. Mid-century-inspired furnishings are paired with rich burgundy and mustard velvet, while the bathrooms are finished in Carrara marble and accompanied by generous walk-in wardrobes.
The property’s food and beverage program is overseen by Fulvio Pierangelini, Rocco Forte’s creative director of food. The hotel’s main restaurant is Spiga, an intimate dining room with paneled leather walls and circular banquettes. Or, for breakfast and all-day dining, head to Café Floretta under the hotel’s central glass dome.
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Portrait Milano
Portrait Milano occupies the former Archbishop’s Seminary in the heart of Milan’s Fashion District. Entered through a Baroque archway between Corso Venezia and Via Sant’Andrea, the hotel is arranged around a 32,000-sq-ft public piazza framed by 17th-century colonnades.
Dining is a major part of Portrait Milano. 10_11, named after the hotel’s entrances at Via Sant’Andrea 10 and Corso Venezia 11, extends across a bar, restaurant, garden, and colonnade, serving everything from breakfast through to late-night drinks. The hotel is also home to international steakhouse dining concept Beefbar, with interiors by Humbert & Poyet inspired by traditional Milanese cafés.
The top accommodation, the three-bedroom Borromeo Suite, overlooks the hotel’s garden. The trio of bedrooms are joined by multiple living areas, a private bar corner, and marble bathrooms, creating one of the hotel’s most spacious options for families or larger groups.
How we chose the best luxury hotels in Milan
Each hotel and suite featured is independently selected by Elite Traveler’s editors and contributors, informed by first-hand experience where possible and in-depth research where not. Our curation spans the world’s most luxurious properties and in-the-know addresses, chosen for their uncompromising standards, exceptional service, and access to the extraordinary.
