BVLGARI Hôtel à Milan

Having received an invitation from BVLGARI during Milan Fashion Week, we couldn’t restrain ourselves from introducing you to the BULGARI Hotel, a veritable haven of peace in the heart of the frenetic city centre.

Personally designed and decorated by the architect Antonio Citterio, the hotel pays tribute to the world of jewellery by combining contemporary design with total comfort. The 4000m² garden is situated next to the botanical gardens, and provides a verdant refuge from the surrounding urban environment.

Antonio Citterio has combined rare and precious materials to create new combinations of surfaces and astonishing chromatic harmonies: black marble from Zimbabwe in the public areas, Vicenza stone and Turkish aphyon in the spa, hard teak and traditional white oak in the intimate bedrooms and suites.

All of the rooms were designed by the architect, and the furniture combines well with elements of contemporary Italian décor.

An enormous oval bar divides the hotel restaurant, and dominates the cocktail lounge that looks out over the veranda. This space has been intelligently separated into two parts to avoid destroying the harmony of the restaurant. We were only able to try the delicious cappuccino and the Spumante with accompanying mignardises, but critics have been very positive about their food, which offers a unique interpretation of Italian cuisine, embellished with a contemporary touch.

For cigar and spirit connoisseurs, a very cosy smoking-room is available adjacent to the restaurant – perfect if the weather is good.

We were taken aback by the hotel spa where, in sumptuous and elegant surroundings, the daylight shines through the glass façade and glints off of the golden mosaics in the swimming pool. As for the Turkish bath, its green-tinted glass walls bring to mind the mysterious emerald, BVLGARI’s signature gem.

When we first visited suite 405, we understood why the hotel is only home to some twenty clients at any one time.

The extremely spacious suites include a bedroom, a large lounge and a bathroom complete with freestanding bath and separate shower and toilet cubicles, entirely decorated in creamy travertine to accentuate the bright décor. The corridor, with its filtered lighting, instils a feeling of calmness and intimacy after entering through the impressively wide, airlock-style front doors.

The 24/7-concierge service notably offers:

• -Complimentary suitcase packing and unpacking
• -Room service
• -Personal shopper
• -Personal trainer
• -Personal image consultant, hairdresser and makeup artist
• -Luxury car hire (Ferrari, Porsche, BMW X5, Mini Cooper S, Audi Q7, Audi S3)

As well as an activity programme designed to help you discover the city and its surrounding area:

• -Lake Como by seaplane
• -Lake Maggiore by helicopter
• -Experience the most luxurious of Italian experiences (private jet, limousine, yacht)
• -Private visit to the vineyards and farms of Northern Italy
• -Monza rally school
• -Golf and leisure club
• -“Last-minute” Bulgari shopping programme

Unfortunately the BVLGARI suite was occupied but we won’t miss the chance to check it out on our next stay.

We greatly appreciated Citterio’s attention to detail in the bathroom, as well as the intimate yet transparent partition between the bathroom and bedroom. The large window lets your mind run free in the vast garden and bathe in the soothing natural light.

To bring an end to our visit, we took advantage of the hotel’s ideal location, in the trendiest quarter of Milan, to walk with Helene and Jessie towards Via Montenapoleone, Via della Spiga, Milan cathedral, the Scala theatre and the Brera Academy. A quarter of an hour later and we arrived at the famous 10 Corso Como.

We also must not forget to mention and thank the hotel manager, to whom we quickly warmed due to his extreme generosity and charm.

BVLGARI Hotel

Via Privata Fratelli Gabba 7/b -?Milano

http://www.bulgarihotels.com/home.html?param_id_lingua=7