Via Manzoni / Quadrilatero della Moda

Grand Hotel et de Milan

★★★★★

If Milan has a grand hotel with a soul, this is it. The Grand Hotel et de Milan opened on 23 May 1863 on Via Manzoni, the elegant street that runs from La Scala to the old city gates, and for more than a century and a half it has been the hotel of the opera. Giuseppe Verdi made it his Milan home for many years and composed here; when he lay dying in January 1901, crowds kept vigil in the street outside, and the city famously spread straw on the road to soften the noise of the carriages. His suite is still kept in his memory. The guest list since reads like a history of twentieth-century glamour, from Enrico Caruso and Maria Callas to Rudolf Nureyev, Richard Burton and Tamara de Lempicka, and many of the hotel's dedicated suites are named after them, along with figures such as Luchino Visconti, Giorgio Strehler, Eleonora Duse and the Duke and Duchess of Windsor. It was also, the hotel proudly notes, the first in Milan to offer postal and telegraph services. The interiors are classic rather than fashionable: antiques, parquet floors, rich fabrics and individually designed rooms, each with its own layout, refreshed in recent years without losing their period character. Downstairs, the Don Carlos restaurant, decorated with artworks inspired by La Scala, serves dinner and late post-theatre suppers; the Caruso Nuovo Bistrot is the more relaxed option, with outdoor tables looking toward Via Montenapoleone; and Gerry's Bar is the place for a cocktail. During works in 1993, a stretch of the Roman city wall built under the emperor Maximian in the third century was uncovered beneath the building, and it can still be seen in the Don Carlos wine cellars.

The location is ideal for a first visit with a cultural bent. La Scala is a few minutes' walk down Via Manzoni, the Galleria and the Duomo just beyond it, and the Quadrilatero della Moda, Milan's luxury shopping district around Via Montenapoleone and Via della Spiga, starts practically at the door. Brera's galleries and restaurants are ten minutes west, and the Montenapoleone stop on the yellow metro line M3 is close by for the station and longer trips. Via Manzoni is a busy street, so ask for a room on the quieter side if you are a light sleeper.

Living in it: this is a hotel for those who like the feel of history and attentive, old-school service rather than minimalist design. Room sizes and shapes vary, as they do in any nineteenth-century building, and the dedicated suites are worth considering for a special occasion. The concierge team is well connected with La Scala and can help with performance tickets and restaurant bookings, and a post-opera supper at Don Carlos is the most traditional way to end a night out. Facilities are those of a classic city hotel; do not expect a resort-style spa or pool.

Who it suits: opera lovers, couples marking a milestone, and travellers who want Milan's grand-hotel tradition in its purest form. It is one of the most expensive hotels in the city, especially during fashion weeks, Design Week and the opening of the opera season in December, when it is also heavily booked. For a more contemporary luxury stay a few minutes away, the Park Hyatt beside the Galleria is the alternative.