Three weeks ago I travelled to Milan to speak at food blogger conference FoodCamp and it was a pleasure to be back in Milan after two years. I never say no to a few days of Italian sun and food! I often go to Milan for events and work meetings and usually I stay with friends, but this time I stayed at the marvellous Principe di Savoia Hotel. I think it was the first time I ever stayed in a hotel in Milan, and what an amazing place to start!
Principe di Savoia Hotel
Principe di Savoia is one of the most beautiful five-star hotels in Milan, located in a landmark building with a spectacular neo classical facade that dominates Piazza della Repubblica. It’s also one of ten iconic and luxury hotels around the world that are part of the Dorchester Collection.
The hotel was opened in 1927 and recently refurbished to modernise the facilities, without losing any of the classic and alegant character of the original Liberty style design.
The Location
Principe di Savoia’s location in the heart of Milan means the hotel is perfectly placed for tourists as well as businessmen. The new business district of Porta Nuova is right by the hotel and you can admire its skyline from the rooftop terrace on the 10th floor.
Stazione Centrale, the main railway station, is a five-minute walk from the hotel. Milan’s most popular tourist attractions such as Duomo, Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, Teatro della Scala and Castello Sforzesco are further away, about 15-20 minutes walk, but they are easy to reach by metro. Repubblica station (metro and railway) is literally three minutes away from the hotel. I travelled from Linate Airport to Principe di Savoia by public transport, it took around 30 minutes and cost just €1.50.
Principe di Savoia Hotel offers a complimentary limousine service to and from the historical centre (Piazza della Scala) via the luxury shopping district of Montenapoleone (every 20 minutes, from 10am to 7pm). The limousine is not only very luxurious, it’s also convenient as you can be in Duomo in about ten minutes (and without paying anything extra).
The Rooms
Principe di Savoia offers a wide range of rooms, from classic and deluxe rooms to junior, imperial and presidential suites. I stayed in a Classic Room on the 8th floor, which was very spacious and decorated in an elegant 19th-century Lombard style.
The highlights for me were a walk-in wardrobe, a 40” Samsung flat screen TV and complimentary Wi-Fi and large opening windows to allow for fresh air to circulate (often hotel rooms cannot be opened for safety reasons).
Each room features an en-suite marble bathroom with shower and bath and Acqua di Parma toiletries.
I was surprised to see that there was no coffee machine or kettle in my room. I knew from experience that 5-star hotels usually offer complimentary coffee / tea facilities, so I called Guest Services to inquire about it. Ten minutes later a Nespresso machine was delivered to my room together a wide selection of Nespresso pods, tea and fine porcelain espresso cups.
The Restaurant
Principe di Savoia’s restaurant is located on the ground floor with a beautiful light-washed veranda overlooking the garden. Acanto is very popular with hotel guests as well as with the Milanese crowd. It offers A La Carte menus for lunch and dinner and also a “Champagne & Swing” Sunday buffet brunch. Chef Alessandro Buffolino has re-interpreted classic Italian dishes using local and seasonal ingredients.
I tried Acanto’s buffet breakfast and I was very impressed by the quality of the food. Large buffets are not easy to manage, especially when it comes to hot food, so often I have eaten tepid and tasteless eggs. At Acanto I ate delicious scrambled eggs with mushrooms and salmon, freshly baked bread and croissant, and a flavourful fruit salad. It was a great breakfast!
I also loved Il Salotto, the hotel’s lobby lounge, a great place to relax over a coffee or wine. I was there in the morning for a meeting with the hotel’s PR and again in the afternoon to rest after a long day of walking around the city and to do some work on my laptop taking advantage of the free WiFi.
The Spa
Club 10 is the penthouse fitness and beauty centre of the Principe di Savoia and also my favourite part of the hotel. Having access to a large and well-equipped gym and spa is very important for me when I travel, as I like to go for a run early in the morning and relax in the sauna or steam room in the evening. I’m always disappointed when I stay at luxury hotels where the spa facilities are either not open to all the guests or are just not that great.
I was impressed by Club 10 at Principe di Savoia because the facilities are spacious and beautiful. The club features a heated swimming pool (10.5-metre long and deep enough to swim), hydro-massage tub, sauna and Turkish bath, 120 sqm high-tech gym, beauty treatment area and a roof terrace with stunning views over the city.
My Verdict
It was easy to fall in love with Principe di Savoia in Milan. This 5-star hotel ticks all the boxes when it comes to location, luxury rooms, nice toiletries, top class service, friendly and helpful staff, beautiful spa, great local food.
Perhaps the only thing missing from Principe di Savoia Hotel is a rooftop bar. The only guests who take advantage of the rooftop terrace are the ones going to the gym and I guess that’s maybe half of the guests. It’s a bit of a shame. Don’t get me wrong, I loved doing my morning run on the treadmill overlooking a beautiful and sunny Milan, but I would have loved even more sitting on the terrace with a Negroni in hand for a Milan-style aperitivo.
The Bed & Breakfast rate at Principe di Savoia starts from €280 a night for a Classic Room and it includes a full buffet breakfast at Acanto Restaurant, access to Club 10 Fitness & Beauty Center, Limousine service to and from the historical centre.
Disclaimer: I was a guest of the hotel for one night. All opinions are my own.
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I’ve stayed here! Beautiful right? I’m back in Milan in a May, any favourite restaurants you could tell me about?
There are so many! I like family-run style restaurants around the Navigli and Porta Romana. I can recommend Trippa, Pasta Madre, Le Api, Frijenno Magnanno, Ratanà, Manna and Sorbillo. For aperitivo: Taglio. For cakes and coffee: Pave or Pave Break. Bar Luce at Fondazione Prada is a bit further out but SO PRETTY!