Luxury and boutique hotel destinations

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Boutique hotels in Milan

City break, Milan, Italy

Milan Overview

Italy

Cityscape
Ultra-urban
City life
One long catwalk

Art, fashion, furniture and football are Milan’s healthy obsessions.

The hub of the designer shopping area around Via Montenapoleone is gold-card nirvana, where you’ll find local heroes Missoni, Armani and Etro, fantastic vintage, and highly covetable design and kitchenwares. Eating and partying here are equally as stylish, with bars and clubs designed to appeal to the crème de la cognoscenti, and sushi fit for the fussiest supermodel.

Marvellously Milan

Find a bargain at the antiques fair in Navigli, 8.30am–6.30pm, on the last Sunday of every month except July and August. Have a treatment at the Gianfranco Ferré spa (+39 02 7601 7526). Walk from the Duomo to La Scala via the elegant shopping arcade Galleria Vittorio Emanuele, window-shopping all the way.

 

Local knowledge

Taxis
Taxis are dear, and you’ll need to ring one, or find an elusive cab rank.

Tipping culture
In restaurants, the cover charge represents your tip.

Packing tips
Your most fashionista outfits; huge, extra-dark sunglasses.

Recommended reads
Italian Hours by Henry James; Insider’s Guide to Shopping by Jill Fairchild and Gerri Gallagher. The Betrothed by Alessandro Manzoni, considered by many to be the first Italian novel.

Cuisine
Risotto alla Milanese, tomato-and-mozzarella-filled panzerotto.

Currency
Euro.

Dialling codes
Country code for Italy: 39. Milan: 02 – code always required.

Do go/don't go
Everybody heads out to the lakes in high summer, when the city can feel deserted. The best times are the January sales, or spring, when it’s warm and buzzing.

Don't go home without

… poking your nose into Milan's foremost fashion mecca, X Corso Como (+39 (0)2 2900 2674): this boutique is to Milan what Colette is to Paris (only better), and stocks probably the best selection of labels you're ever likely to find under one roof. Fashion-forward? This place is beyond next year…