Italian hotel’s $100-million renovation wins it two Michelin keys

The hotel

The Carlton, Milan, Italy

Check-in

Italy’s economic powerhouse, Milan, is one of my favourite Italian cities to visit: its energy fuelled not by tourism but fashion, design, finance, media and manufacturing. There are myriad good hotel choices here but The Carlton – a property that opened last year and just won two Michelin keys off the bat in the 2026 guide – understands the city’s appreciation for form and function, aiming to draw the international elite away from the established grande dames.

If you’re arriving by hire car or taxi, a discreet driveway rescues you from the traffic of Via Senato, directly into an understated reception area. On foot, the back entrance on pedestrianised Via Della Spiga is a much more colourful arrival, through a spectacular flower shop curated by renowned Milanese florist Vincenzo Dascanio.

The look

The hotel is the latest from the family-run Rocco Forte group, co-founded by Sir Rocco Forte and his sister Olga Polizzi in 1996 (see also Brown’s in London and the Hotel de Russie in Rome). A five-year, €60 million ($96.6 million) renovation of the former Baglioni hotel, it takes up two buildings: a former private home dating back to the late 1800s, and the original Carlton hotel with its mid-century roots.

Polizzi, collaborating with London-based design studio Paolo Moschino, has delivered a master class in restrained Milanese design. As someone whose amateur decorating ability is often inspired by good hotel interiors, I’m especially seduced by the bold colours: burgundy, olive, deep terracotta, dusky rose and cobalt accents punch through an otherwise sober palette of cream, tobacco and mustard. It’s a sharp, confident aesthetic with a sense of playfulness also coming from bespoke wallpapers and geometric patterns.

The room

During renovations, the room count was reduced from 87 to 71, allowing for a more generous footprint, particularly in the suites. Our 34-square-metre Deluxe Room is relatively compact but supremely comfortable, with a plush bed with leather headboard, custom Italian fabrics, parquet flooring, and graphic artworks.

The Carrara marble bathroom is stocked with generous bath towels and products from daughter Irene Forte’s Sicilian skincare range. The windows face Via Senato, but the building is set well back from the road, and we don’t notice any noise; other rooms face the central courtyard or Via Della Spiga, while the best suites have their own terraces with lounges, sun umbrellas and outdoor dining.

Food + drink

Our stay gets off to a particularly good start when we bump into legendary mixologist Salvatore Calabrese in Cafe Floretta, the conservatory-style all-day restaurant. Not only has Calabrese designed the menu at The Carlton Bar, which leads down to a garden area that lends itself to summer aperitivi, but the drinks maestro is also generous enough to recommend some of Milan’s best places for cocktails.

We could jolt ourselves into action with one of his breakfast martinis (gin, Cointreau, lemon and orange marmalade) but we stick to freshly squeezed juice and the crostata of the day, lush with berries and creme patissiere. There’s a small but perfectly formed continental buffet, while the a la carte menu includes a very good carbonara omelette. We don’t try the 46-seat Spiga restaurant but with its panelled leather walls, silver trolleys and linen-topped tables, it looks like the epitome of big-night-out dining.

Out + about

Milan is one of the most walkable cities in Europe, and The Carlton’s location in the historic fashion district means window shopping (or credit-card damage) at the likes of La DoubleJ and Acqua di Parma on your way to its spectacular Gothic cathedral. Once there, book a ticket to take the lift to the Duomo’s sprawling marble roof where you’ll get a panoramic view through a forest of pinnacles, spires and stone gargoyles.

Mix with locals in creative hub Isola, a traditionally working-class district with independent restaurants and design shops; check out Porta Nuova’s vertical-garden (Bosco Verticale) skyscraper or join the bar scene around Via Lecco and Via Alessandro Tadino in Porta Venezia. The streets lining Navigli’s canals have got a little touristy, especially at weekends, but Rita’s is just off to the side and has a chilled vibe.

The verdict

A sophisticated, deeply comfortable base for those who want formidable mid-century room design and a first-rate location without the fuss of traditional luxury.

Essentials

Rooms from €1500 ($2400) a night. There are four accessible guest rooms and all the public spaces were redesigned to be fully accessible for guests.

Via Senato, 5, 20121 Milan, Italy. roccofortehotels.com

Our score out of five

★★★★

Highlight

The flower shop on Via Della Spiga is a riot of orchids, pineapple plants and calla lilies, making for a beautiful entrance.

Lowlight

The lack of storage space for large suitcases in standard rooms, often a bugbear for Australian travellers in Europe.

The writer stayed as a guest of The Carlton Milan.