Fledgling fashion designers, their demanding customers, sumptuously dressed models striding with their heads above the crowd—these will be your neighbours at this boutique Milan hotel on the edge of the city's high-end clothing district. Guests at Hotel Indigo Milan® soon find themselves in a fashionable frame of mind. Rooms in the former palace showcase exclusive fabrics that wouldn't be out of place on a catwalk. Such luxurious materials might make you want to hit the streets in your most stylish threads—or just watch others parading theirs – but there are plenty of reasons to linger at the hotel, too: rainfall showers, rooms overlooking the rooftops in Milan's ancient centre and a courtyard bar for pre-dinner aperitivi.
Like a live high-end fashion show without the catwalk, the Quadrilatero d'Oro (Golden Rectangle) is the impeccably styled centre of the city's fashion quarter and a good place to start exploring Milan attractions, just a short stroll from Hotel Indigo.
Within the quarter, the flagship Gucci and Fendi stores on Monte Napoleone show off the exuberant and extravagant ethos of a neighbourhood that deserves a place at the top of any list of things to see in Milan.
Dedicated followers of fashion planning what do in Milan might also want to drop in at Armani/Silos—a museum showing 600 works from the past 40 years of this fashion icon who started his career in the quarter. Costume Moda Immagine museum reveals a more eclectic wardrobe, from floating Renaissance ballgowns to the stiff-collared suits of Enlightenment dandies.
Follow local office workers (those reliable culinary guides) to this Milanese foodie institution dishing up treats resembling little folded-over pizzas—panzerotti—and stuffed with mozzarella and tomato, or ricotta and spinach, and served piping hot. Delicious sweet versions of the originally Puglian dish contain cocoa, figs and nuts.
Literally a moveable feast, these restored vintage Milan trams—all lustrous original teak benches, white tablecloths and soft period lighting—tour the city while serving up restaurant-quality four-course meals. There are vegetarian choices (and, yes, the trams do have bathrooms onboard).
The cute, cobbled thoroughfare via della Spiga makes an atmospheric start to a Milan designer-clothes buying spree. Part of the Quadrilatero d'Oro, one of the world's chicest shopping districts, it houses couture legends Prada and Tiffany & Co. There's an Armani Megastore nearby, and you'll find Gucci and Fendi outlets equally close.
Wonder where Giorgio Armani, Miuccia Prada and their gifted brethren got their creative inspiration from? Milan's elaborate, pink-tinged cathedral—the Duomo—is one possible source. Hundreds of spires and thousands of statues adorn the lavish exterior; within, some of the world's largest stained glass windows recall a fantastically vibrant catwalk gown.
Milan was bound to do a stylish shopping mall, and Galleria Vittorio Emanuelle II doesn't disappoint. The spectacular, glass-domed structure in Milan's historic heart, one of the world's oldest malls, now shelters high-end tenants such as Valentino, Gucci and Louis Vuitton. Look out for symbols in the floor mosaic depicting Italian cities, such as a wolf for Rome and a white flag with red cross for Milan.
Meander through Brera, an arty neighbourhood of narrow, stone-paved streets packed with fashion boutiques, antique stores and galleries. More bohemian than the Quadrilatero d'Oro, it's particularly lively at night and during the extravaganza of Milan's Design Week. Another highlight is the Pinacoteca Gallery, rich with old master paintings.
Sublime performances of Verdi, Mozart and Strauss are only part of the appeal at this, one of the world's best-known opera houses. The ornate crystal chandeliers, plush red seats and gilt-encrusted boxes—not to mention the equally resplendent Milanese audience members—make a night at this 18th-century temple to classical music one to remember for a lifetime.
Although named after the great opera composer Verdi, this prestigious music school actually rejected him as a student, giving you an idea of its strict entry requirements. Besides its study programme, it also opens its doors to the public for symphonic and chamber music performances in the Sala Puccini and Sala Verdi concert halls.
The first in Italy to be lit by electricity, this 19th-century theatre in the heart of Milan's fashion quarter remains one of the country's most esteemed. Sculptures and frescoes embellish the plush, balcony-lined interior. If your Italian isn't up to a full play, the theatre also stages musicals and cabaret shows with dinner and wine.
Milan's elegant 1930s 'New Theatre' remains one of the city's premier entertainment venues, now hosting runs of popular shows such as 'Monty Python's Spamalot', 'Elvis the Musical' and Abba tribute acts. Shorter performances for kids include 'Rapunzel' and 'Hotel Transylvania'. Even if you don't speak Italian, the crowd-pleasing tunes make for a jolly night.
Our meeting room is an informal space which can hold up to 8 people in a boardroom style, you can project via the tv screen.