Duomo / Galleria

Park Hyatt Milan

★★★★★

For a luxury stay at the exact centre of Milan, the Park Hyatt is hard to beat. It occupies a nineteenth-century palazzo on Via Tommaso Grossi, directly beside the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, so the Duomo and its square are a two-minute walk one way and La Scala a few minutes the other, with the Duomo metro station almost at the door. Where the Grand Hotel et de Milan is all period character, the Park Hyatt is quiet, contemporary elegance: the interiors are calm and pale, with travertine, warm woods and contemporary art, and the scale is intimate rather than grand. Rooms are spacious by Milanese standards, and the bathrooms, finished in marble with deep tubs and separate showers, are among the most generous in the city. The best rooms and suites have private terraces with views over the rooftops and towards the spires of the cathedral, and they are worth the premium for a special trip. The social heart of the hotel is the lobby lounge under a glass cupola, where guests and Milanese meet for breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea and drinks, and the hotel's bar is a favourite for an aperitivo after shopping in the Galleria. The hotel has long been a destination for fine dining as well, with a restaurant that has held Michelin recognition, and the kitchen's offering is worth checking when you book, since chefs and concepts change. There is a fitness centre and spa facilities for recovering after long days of walking, and the service is polished, discreet and multilingual, as you would expect from the brand. Pets are welcome, and covered parking can be arranged, which is unusual this close to the Duomo.

The location is the main reason to choose it. Staying beside the Galleria means you can be on the Duomo terraces at opening time, back for a rest at midday and out again for an evening at La Scala without ever needing transport. Via Montenapoleone and the fashion district are ten minutes on foot, Brera fifteen. The flip side is that the streets around the hotel are busy with visitors during the day, though the hotel itself is quiet and well insulated.

Living in it: expect five-star comfort without fuss. The design favours calm and space over decoration, which many guests find restful after the visual overload of central Milan. Terrace rooms are the ones to book for a special occasion; standard rooms face the internal courtyard or surrounding streets. Breakfast is excellent but priced accordingly, and the domed lounge is a pleasant place for it. The concierge can help with Last Supper tours, La Scala tickets and restaurant reservations, which is worth using in busy weeks.

Who it suits: couples and luxury travellers who want a modern five-star hotel in the most central location in Milan, business travellers, and shoppers. Rates are among the highest in the city, especially during fashion weeks and Design Week. For more historic atmosphere, the Grand Hotel et de Milan is a few minutes away; for design-led style at a lower price, Room Mate Giulia is around the corner.