Our arrival in Milan wasn’t exactly what we expected. We emerged from the Metro in a city in the midst of a violent storm. It was late afternoon but the skies were black, the thunder was rumbling and leaves and debris were being blown around us. Being guided as you do these days via mobile phone we hastily made our way through the wind and rain towards the hotel.
When we turned the last comer we spied the hotel for the first time. It made quite an impression. The hotel façade and front are converted from a vast white marble church. The front part of the church is open plan set out as an area to relax. We walked through to the reception area. It’s quite stunning using some of the height of the church and the ecclesiastic history and style but with modern styling and ambience. The reception staff were all very friendly, helpful, relaxed. All smiles and not any sense of dry formality.
We were whisked away to out suite by the Customer Experience Manager. It was a duplex suite set in the top of the church with long arched windows fashioned to the full height of the room. It had a full bathroom on the floor above and a smaller washroom down below. Perfect for a family. The suites themselves are set apart. You enter with your card through a larger glass frontage. Nice touch to have free water and chocolates on entering the area. Those free chocolate are quite delicious by the way. In the suite they opened up the downstairs sofa bed and made it up for us. Luckily it was a very good quality one and felt very comfortable. Like a real bed. So no waking up in the middle of the night aching on a squeaky camp bed. The suites are nicely designed and well thought out.
It is a pretty unique hotel. It’d great they haven’t spoilt the opportunity of converting a cavernous church. It still feels like it has that power as you enter the building. It’s one of the centrepieces of a whole new area of Milan that has been masterminded for the city.
The CityLife district that the hotel is in the edge of is a whole new area of Milan. It includes residential, retail as well as green spaces and recreation. It seemed very different than what you expect in Milan. It was a bigger area than I expected and mush greener too. There is lots of grass, trees and planting criss-crossed with paths. We discovered later that parking for the area is underground and apart from a distant hum it is a place of quiet and calm. There were a few joggers passing us as we made out way to the starkly modernist architecture that impose themselves amongst the greenery.
We went underground and investigated the retail centre. All very new and slick. There’s an excellent bookstore down there that we spent some time in. Most of the restaurants were not yet open when we were exploring but there looked some great food places with food ideas from around the world and at much better prices than in the centre near the Duomo (which can be toe curling).
As we made our way back to the surface as we admired the boldly shaped office and residential buildings soaring their way up to the sky we spotted something rustling in the undergrowth. A fluffy rabbit hopped its way onto the path seemingly oblivious to our presence. Very different this new area of Milan.
We then too the Metro to the San Siro. Just saying San Siro conjures up big dramatic nights of football over the years. As we arrived into the sub baked metro station we baulked at the sheer size of the stadium. We’d promised my son we’d visit as part of our Milan trip and it adds something different to visiting the usual Duomo or museums. This is more a temple of football. Once in we entered the trophy room where people paraded past the enormity of cups and trophies from different eras of Milan teams.
But that’s the strange side to the San Siro. Both Milan teams play there so it has to represent both teams. The Trophy room is for both. You can visit the two changing rooms and even the shop has two halves, one for each team, AC Milan and Inter. You’re allowed to tread on one small patch of the hallowed turf as you imagine the crowd roar and then you’re outside blinking in the harsh, sun-baked Milanese square that leads up to the stadium. We scurried back to the shade of the Metro station.
Back at the hotel it was time to check out the rooftop pool for the first time. I was much ridiculed for opting to don a bathrobe as we entered the lift. Okay it felt awkward, but I felt a little less self-conscious as I entered the pool area itself. It’s a nice sized pool surrounded by sunbeds and there’s a corner bar serving drinks and snacks. The bar staff and pool attendants are all very friendly and relaxed and the atmosphere very chilled. There were a couple of preening fashionistas (it is Milan after all) but on the whole it had a very laid back and welcoming feel. There are views across the San Siro and the city centre. It’s nice place just to relax and refresh yourself after your hot forays into all that Milan offers.
