Everyday, Luxury Travel, Italy

24 Hours in Milan and a Stay at Four Seasons Hotel Milano

June 8, 2017

In my mind I cannot think of anywhere more glamorous than the Italian city of Milan. A place the conjures up images of the most exquisite designer boutiques, gorgeous hotels and super chic bars and restaurants. Mr S and I have visited Milan once before and where better to kick off our three year anniversary in style, especially with a stay at Four Seasons Hotel Milano.
You already know that I’m a huge fan of the Four Seasons and have stayed in their properties across the world. One of the big appeals of the luxury brand is the sense of place and the history behind every hotel. Fours Seasons Hotel Milano is not exception as the location is a converted 15th Century convent.

For example the gorgeous lobby lounge, Il Foyer still boasts original frescoes and large granite pillars that once supported the church of the convent. And there are reminders of Milan’s operatic connection as the walls are adorned with sketches created by nineteenth century set designer and costumer, Filippo Peroni, originally made for Teatro Alla Scala.
Nowadays Il Foyer is one of the most stylish bars in Milan, known for their diverse selection of gin and tonics, one to suit every mood!
After a speedy check in we headed up to our Deluxe room for a quick change and freshen up. With a short hour and half flight from London and a twenty minutes drive from Linate airport we had arrived fresh and raring to explore Milan as we only had a short time in the city.

Our room epitomised understated elegance, where nothing is too flashy but everything is of the utmost quality. Sheets like silk against your skin, handmade carpets and cabinetry and exquisite designer fabric in shades of green and gold.

It was spacious too with plenty of room for a desk and seating area.

Some rooms over look the private garden though we had a stunning view across hotel’s beautiful the main courtyard.
And we’d been left a bottle of Ferrari prosecco and monogrammed Four Seasons chocolate covered strawberries to get stuck into.
Our marble-clad bathroom just dripped with old-fashioned Hollywood glamour with a mirror surrounded by lights, a huge sunken soaking tub and luxurious Italian-made Acqua di Parma products.
Despite being in a hurry to get going, there is quite frankly always time for chocolate covered strawberries – and quite right too. They were fat and juicy and covered in the most delicious dark chocolate.
I’ve mentioned before that Italy is my favourite European country. The food being one of the prime reasons for that and I couldn’t wait to have my first taste of authentic Italian food. We headed down to La Veranda, the hotel’s main restaurant and promptly ordered two glasses of prosecco as a delicious bread selection was placed on our table. La Veranda offer indoor and outdoor seating and though the skies were slightly moody, there was no way I missing out on lunch on the terrace in the perfectly manicured gardens of the hotel’s cloistered courtyard.
I always get far too overexcited about ordering food in Italy and we’ve been know to have five course lunches and leave the table unable to move for the rest of the day. This time I was determined to keep it light and started off with a zesty mango and tuna ceviche.

And shared an artichokes and rocket salad with Parmigiano cheese with Mr S.

Fresh pasta is basically my go-to carb in Italy as I just don’t think that you can get anything like it in the UK. My lemon-flavoured linguine had quite literally the perfect bite with a richly flavoured sauce and the most beautifully cooked seafood.
`
Mr S’s roasted sea bass with artichokes, chopped Tomatoes and black olives was also a big hit for both of us!
I was determined to save room for huge cone of gelato later but the lovely staff at La Veranda came out of an anniversary surprise of champagne and macarons, a really lovely and thoughtful touch. Something typical of Four Seasons Hotel Milano, and Four Seasons as a whole.

With shopping (and ice cream) on our minds we headed out the door to the streets of Milan. The location of Four Seasons Hotel couldn’t be better, right in the centre of Milan’s Quadrilatero district but with a discreet entrance on Via Gesù so that it still feels tranquil. Some of the best boutiques are just steps so you can grab your Gucci, pick up a Prada or buy Bulgari! Last time we were in Milan we stayed at Hotel Principe di Savoia by the Dorchester Collection which is a beautiful hotel but quite a bit out of the city centre.

After totally destroying his credit card in Dolce & Gabanna, Mr S and I picked up a cute summer dress in Red Valentino (perfect for my upcoming trip to Santorini) for me before heading to Piazza del Duomo to see Milan Cathedral. It’s actually the fifth largest church in the world and took nearly six centuries to complete!

One thing I love about Milan is that it’s less crowded and touristy than some major Italian cities but the Piazza del Duomo is the main square and hub of Milan. Fringed with museums, shops and cafes, you definitely can’t escape the crowds here.

But there’s plenty of place to find your favourite ice cream flavours. I’m obsessed with stracciatella so it had to be a big creamy cone of the milk-based ice cream with chocolate chips for me!

Mindful of the time, we had to head back the to hotel as I had a hair appointment in preparation for our big anniversary night out.
The hotel’s spa is located in the basement of the building and it’s a calming environment with minimalist decor and hues of grey and white. The signature gold ritual sounds like the perfect way to relax and rejuvenate after a few busy days in Milan.

The indoor heated pool is something rather special too and one of the spa therapists told me it’s actually a former wine cellar and and still has the original ceilings. With my hair perfectly coiffed at the Rossano Ferretti I headed back to the room to get ready and have a glass of that prosecco with Mr S.

Piano music gets going in the evenings at Il Foyer and guests can head down there for some delicious aperitivo and cocktails. Aperol spritz, anyone?
I also loved this gorgeous staircase in the centre of the courtyard and perfect for a few outfit shots.

All dressed up and ready to go, Mr S and I headed to dinner at Michelin-starred LUME and followed up with drinks and a gorgeous bar called Ceresio 7 but I’ll save that for another post.

Breakfast is served the next day back at La Veranda with the option of a buffet breakfast or dishes made to order from the a la carte.
I love that in Italy there’s always a bottle of prosecco on the buffet. Mr S says he can’t think of anything worse than bubbles in the morning – I can’t think of anything better!
After we popped into the beautiful courtyard to get a few final pictures in the garden and of the beautiful hotel. With 118 rooms, the Four Seasons Hotel Milano is not too big and not too small but just right!
Then it was back out to do a few last bits and pieces of shopping but unfortunately a huge downpour thwarted us a little and we ran out of time to revisit some of our favourites including the beautiful Bulgari hotel and the super sleek Armani hotel.

Our time in Milan was over all too quickly and it was soon time to meet our car bound for three nights in beautiful Lake Como!