Armani Hotel Milano

The five-pearl Armani Hotel Milano is housed in a limestone building topped by a light box, with limited ornamentation. A member of the hotel staff guides arriving guests to an elevator and on to the seventh floor reception area, complete with city views, dark-wood floors, and leather armchairs in shades of oyster and pewter. Lighting from table lamps, a fabric column, and tiny buds concealed in the floor and ceiling create the effect of a light-filled vitrine. A selection of Armani purses are displayed like museum pieces in light boxes on this floor. This Armani Hotel is particularly service-oriented, making an effort to provide for every guest need with a "lifestyle concierge," whose job it is to anticipate the needs and whims of guests. Both business travelers and well-heeled travelers are drawn to this slick property; the location (and fashion-brand association) is particularly appealing to those visiting Milan for shopping. 

The Armani Hotel Milano sits, fittingly, at the northwest boundary of "quadrilatero della moda," the area for Milan's high-end retail shops. Armani Casa, the designer's furnishings store, is a five-minute walk from the hotel. Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II is a nine-minute walk away. The Museo Poldi Pezzoli, featuring Northern Italian and Flemish art, is a three-minute walk on the same street as the hotel. The famous La Scala Theatre is a five-minute walk away. The Montenapoleone metro stop is a one-minute walk from the hotel. Milano Centrale railway station is a 15-minute drive or a six-minute train ride. The Duomo of Milan is within a 10-minute walk while the Montanelli Gardens are a nine-minute walk. For nightlife, guests could drive 11 minutes or take a nine-minute train to the neighborhood of Porto Nuova or walk eight minutes to the Brea neighborhood. Milan's Malpensa Airport is a 53-minute drive or a 62-minute train ride. The Linate Airport is a 31-minute drive or a 41-minute train ride. 

Guest rooms at the Armani Hotel Milano use a minimalist color palette in the bedding, carpet, and walls. Oyster, pewter, cream, or black hues adorn the rooms' marble or leather-paneled walls; lacquered desks; tone-on-tone area rugs; and dark-wood, wide-plank flooring. The look is streamlined, and there's little ornamentation on the walls. Tasteful touches abound, including sleek cabinets at the foot of the bed that house flat-screen TVs in the Executive Suites and bold curved staircases connecting the two levels of Signature Suites. Beds float on simple, black platforms, with white linens, satin-finish spreads, and back-lit headboards. Wine glasses are stored in pull-out drawers. The bigger, more expensive rooms have sleek leather sofas and oversized coffee tables in separate areas. Each room has air-conditioning, a Nespresso machine, digital music player, minibar, and free Wi-Fi.  The bathrooms feel rich with striated, luminous marble walls, big, side-lit mirrors, double sinks with sleek polished chrome fixtures, and deep soaking tubs plus separate marble walk-in showers. Hairdryers and bidets are included. Toiletries, naturally, are Armani. Newspapers are delivered free of charge. Lighting can be controlled from iPads, and room service is available 24-hours a day.

The Armani Hotel Milano has a restaurant with a wine bar, a lounge bar, and 24-hour room service; breakfast is free with certain room categories. The restaurant and lounge feature cream leather seating, contemporary china and flatware, and floor-to-ceiling rooftop views of the city through black louvered windows. The lounge bar -- that includes a menu for all day dining -- displays its bottles against a back-lit marble panel. The hotel has a fitness center and spa with sauna and steam rooms as well as a heated, relaxation pool with views of the city. The pool, spa, and gym are in the glass box atop the hotel. The spa has six treatment rooms with curved, terry-covered loungers and limed wood walls. A fitness concierge is available for personal workouts. The hotel has a conference room and two board rooms with audio visual equipment. There's free Wi-Fi throughout the hotel. The hotel employs a lifestyle manager to assist with everything from tickets to dining and transportation options. There is also a 24-hour concierge and multilingual staff. Medical assistance is available 24 hours a day. Parking is either by guest or valet, both for a fee. Babysitting is available upon request.