Comfort hotels: 5 smart solutions to sleep in Milan

«Travel, like dreams, is a door that opens from the real world into a world that is yet to be discovered», Guy de Maupassant.

Vintage-style furniture, geometric motifs and sophisticated taste. Here is a list of 5 hotels to stay in Milan bonded by their smart approach — places that cater to contemporary travelers, who look for a “home” to stay in, as well as a dynamic location, in which details are well taken care of, places that might also become themselves a part of their travel experience.

ROOM MATE
A new design hotel near the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele, designed by the unerring Patricia Urquiola: 85 rooms that tell the life story and the passions of mysterious “Giulia”, a stylish, intellectual woman who furnished her house playing with elements and surfaces — a style choice visible in the geometric patterns, in the pastel seats, in the neon and in the paintings by Milanese novice artists, in the plexiglass tables and in the original furnishings. The ambience here abounds with cultural references, and it is definitely zestful inspiration for your discovery of Milan.

CASA BASE
Opened just a few years ago in the Tortona area, within the BASE creative and co-working space community, housed within the former buildings of the Ansaldo foundries, after a regeneration project. CasaBASE proposes a new form of hospitality: an interesting bond between artist residence and guest lodgings. This is a versatile environment, designed by studio h+, whose choice was to experiment with new expressions by going for a retro style, using 1950s modern antiques, as well as innovative Vitra furniture, or tailor-made pieces, produced in the carpenter’s workshop housed within the BASE complex. The place includes a common room and ten bedrooms, each with a very distinct personality, expressed in flooring from ancient Sicilian workshops and lighting that results in intense contrasts, and an interplay between past and present.

OSTELLO BELLO
Their first branch, very close to the Cathedral, has been the hipster go-to place for a while, for all the visitors who want to live a local experience, coming into contact with the local culture and style. The same team recently opened another location near Stazione Centrale, restoring old hotel Florida: the new branch’s self-explanatory name is Ostello Bello Grande (the Italian for Beautiful Large Hostel.) 6 floors, 55 rooms and about 500sqm of common spaces with vintage furniture, made for getting together, chatting, listening to a concert or enjoying an exhibition. The basic idea of this project, started by 3 young Milan locals, is to create an active center for cultural life. This is why the suites of the old Florida were converted into a common kitchen and a reading room, with guitars and a piano made available for anyone who wants to play them. Their rooftop hosts a relax area with lounge chairs and tables.

UN POSTO A MILANO – LA FORESTERIA
Cascina Cuccagna, a former farmstead in the Porta Romana area, did a great job of preserving its rural atmosphere of bygone times. The Foresteria has 16 beds, some in double rooms, some multiple, and a shared living room. This place is open to all, suitable for a very wide audience, going from families to young travelers, to businessmen who wish for a more authentic, dynamic experience. The farmstead offers a large range of activities and is a reference for a large audience in the city: Cascina Cuccagna is popular for breakfast, aperitif, lunch and dinner, but also for its beautiful garden, and maybe to go buy a plant at their florist’s. It’s a wonderful place to find yourself in the center of Milan’s dynamism.

SECONDO PENSIERO
Its façade with four rows of windows reminds us of renaissance Venetian loggias. This building is an interesting example of eclectic architecture and it was designed by Pestagalli for the Rossi family in 1860. Today, Casa Rossi houses B&B Secondo Pensiero, which includes four rooms, all with a distinct character; a large hall that houses the breakfast room, and a small gym for guests to use. The interiors are carefully taken care of, in every single detail, by owner Lucia Scognamiglio Pasini, and feature a rich collection of artwork, as well as sophisticated furniture and cultural objects from cultures far and near.