Visiting Milan’s CityLife district reveals a different side to Milan’s famous fashion glamour or historical centre. A visit to this impressive zone staying at the newly opened NH Collection Milano CityLive hotel is about breathtaking architecture versus eco-friendly natural spaces; luxury shopping and award winning residential zones; close to the city but closer to the Stadio San Siro. We took a trip to Milan’s CityLife to find out more.
Our arrival in Milan wasn’t exactly what we expected. We emerged from the Metro to 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 swirled around us. Being guided as you do these days via mobile phone apps we hastily made our way through the wind and rain towards the hotel.
Turning the last corner we spied the NH Collection hotel for the first time. You couldn’t really miss it. It made quite an impression. The hotel façade and front section are converted from a vast white marble church. The approach to the reception is semi-outdoors, open plan and laid out with high end soft furnishings – a perfect area to relax. The reception is stunning using the height of the church and the ecclesiastic history and style, but with modern styling and ambience. The reception staff were friendly, helpful, relaxed. All smiles and not any sense of dry formality. The feel is relaxed luxury, from the roof-top pool to the well equipped gym to the seating and restaurant areas.
We were whisked up to our suite by the Customer Experience Manager. The suites are set apart from the rest of the hotel. You enter through a larger glass frontage with water and chocolates on entry. Those free chocolate are quite delicious by the way. Ours was a duplex suite set in the top of the old church with long arched windows fashioned to the full height of the space. On the upper mezzanine, a generous double. On the ground floor a lounge area with a very comfortable sofa bed and smaller washroom. All beautifully designed and well thought out.
The NH Collection Milano CityLife is a unique hotel. And it’s great the architects have taken advantage of the opportunity to use the features of the vast church space. It still feels like it has that power as you enter the building. Sitting on the edge of the CityLife district, it’s sure to become a destination for anyone wanting to visit this side of the city, or indeed visiting central Milan and wanting somewhere special to stay.
The CityLife district itself is a whole new area of Milan. It includes office, residential and retail spaces as well as green zones and recreation areas. It feels very different than what you expect from this international city. It was a bigger area than I expected and felt much more organic with lawns, 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 our way towards the starkly modernist towers that impose themselves amongst the greenery.
Heading underground we investigated the retail centre. All very new and slick. There’s an excellent bookstore down there that we spent some time in, and great restaurants here too with food ideas from around the world and at much better prices than in the centre near the Duomo.
As we made our way back to the surface 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. The rabbits might not be so bold during the CityLife districts events programmes, which see outdoor cinema programmes and immersive performance troupes enlivening the space.
The NH Collection Milano CityLife is also a great base for visiting Milan’s famous San Siro, just a couple of quick Metro stops away. Just saying San Siro conjures up big dramatic nights of football over the years. Approaching from the Metro the sheer size of the stadium dominates everything around. 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 a temple of football afterall. Once in we entered the trophy room where people paraded past the massive collection of cups and trophies from different eras of Milan’s football history.
But that’s the strange side to the San Siro. Both AC Milan and Inter Milan play there so everything you see represents both teams. The Trophy room is for both. You can visit the two changing rooms and even the shop has two halves. You traverse the terraces, from high to low sections and can take a seat and imagine the roar of the crowd. Further on a corner of the hallowed turf is open to visitors. 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 bar serving drinks and snacks. 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 beautiful place just to relax and refresh yourself after your forays into all that Milan offers.
More information on our visit to Milan:-
NH Collection Milano CityLife hotel
