Milan is a unique city in northern Italy where the past and the future meet. A handful of dazzling and intriguing skyscrapers dot the landscape, but there are still many well-preserved historical sights. The city is well-known for fashion, exquisite dining, and impressive museums.
Despite being Italy’s second-largest city, many tourists overlook Milan, visiting Rome, Florence, and Venice instead. However, Milan is worth a visit.
The municipality has stunning architectural wonders such as the Duomo di Milano, the world’s largest gothic cathedral (Milan Cathedral), and the Galleria Vittorio Emanuelle II.
Museum-lovers will be in heaven at the Pinacoteca di Brera. While there, try some local delicacies such as risotto, panettone, gorgonzola, and polenta. Since Milan is known as the world’s fashion capital, you can do some serious shopping there. At the end of the day, watch a performance at the La Scala opera house.
If you’re visiting, here are Milan’s five best boutique hotels.
Elizabeth Lifestyle Hotel
The Elizabeth Lifestyle Hotel is a colorful and modern accommodation just a five-minute walk from the Duomo. This hotel will appeal to all your senses from the moment you walk inside it, with an exclusive fragrance created by Laura Tonatto wafting down its corridors.
You’ll find a blue, green, and yellow color scheme that perfectly complements each other. Rooms are bright and uncluttered, with punches of the hotel’s colors woven in.
While the design is a work of art on its own, the hotel has a private art collection worthy of recognition. In the beautiful courtyard, there are daily mouthwatering breakfast buffets for guests to enjoy.
People who visited Elizabeth Lifestyle love its modern décor, comfortable rooms, and friendly service.
Hotel details
Address:
Corso Italia 11/a, Milan, MI, 20121, Italy.
Guest rating:
4.4 out of 5
Price per night:
From $176
Hotel Viu Milan
Milan is a worldwide fashion destination, and this hotel is as fashionable as the city itself. You can find this boutique hotel tucked into the trendy Porta Volta neighborhood and just ten minutes away from the Piazza Gae Aulenti.
Nicola Gallizia, artistic director at Molteni&C, designed all of Hotel Viu‘s 124 bedrooms and 30 suites. Rooms have stunning dark wood paneling, floor-to-ceiling windows, and contemporary artwork. On its roof, you can enjoy the city views from the open-air pool.
Lounging out on the rooftop isn’t the only relaxing thing to do at this hotel. There is a full spa located on the premises, including a hammam, ice room, and sauna.
Visitors loved the brand-new amenities, great design, and welcoming staff.
Hotel details
Address:
6 Via Aristotile Fioravanti, Garibaldi Station, 20154 Milan, Italy.
Guest rating:
4.5 out of 5
Price per night:
From $225
Senato Hotel
You wouldn’t know from this hotel’s relatively straightforward façade how sleek and modern the interior is. Walk inside, however, and you’ll find an elegant and stylish renovated Neoclassical mansion from the early 1900s custom-designed by Alessandro Bianchi.
There aren’t many nods to its historic past other than the overall luxurious experience the place provides. Senato instead has carved out its own sophisticated path. Here, the devil is in the details.
Its 43 guest rooms have Carrara marble bathrooms, herringbone oak floors, and handcrafted brass light fixtures. The property exudes tranquility, allowing you to relax and enjoy beautiful garden terrace views of the Duomo and cityscape.
This hotel’s highlights are that it is well-located, has a stylish decor, and a stunning garden.
New York Times review:
“Beside the city’s fashion district, the Senato Hotel is an elegant 43-room boutique property that opened in 2015 in a neoclassical palazzo that was formerly a private family residence.”
Hotel details
Address:
Via Senato 22, Milan City Center, 20121 Milan, Italy.
Guest rating:
4.6 out of 5
Price per night:
From $225
Maison Borella
Maison Borella is a timeless hotel that overlooks one of Milan’s canals. Its building is an ancient balustrade house expertly transformed into a luxurious boutique hotel with plenty of character. The hotel’s location is just outside the city center, so you’ll have a local experience.
Rooms are spacious for this part of town and have either courtyard or canal views. The hotel’s overall décor injects the historic building with modern design aesthetics. Every room has fun splashes of color and personality.
Guests can enjoy delicious Milanese cuisine at the hotel’s restaurant, Bugandè. If you want to relax before retreating to your room, there is a charming common area in the lobby.
Guests enjoyed its lively location, courteous staff, and well-appointed rooms.
Lonely Planet review:
“With geranium-clad balconies overhanging the Naviglio Grande and striking period decor, this canalside hotel offers a touch of class in a dedicated bohemian neighbourhood.”
Hotel details
Address:
Alzaia Naviglio Grande, 8, 20144 Milano MI, Italy.
Guest rating:
4.6 out of 5
Price per night:
From $205
The Yard
Yards are not something that Milan is known for, so the hotel’s name stands out. This family-owned bed and breakfast hotel’s property is as much of a head-turner as its name. While the “yard” or outdoor courtyard is impressive, it’s the interior that’s attention-grabbing.
It seems as if every inch of this hotel’s lobby has some loud pattern or trinket. Rooms have white walls and bright pops of color, and suites have a sports theme.
The hotel’s grounds provide numerous spaces to sit down, relax, and mingle with other guests. Duke’s bar, the lobby lounge, and the courtyard are all great places to unwind after a day of sightseeing.
Visitors of The Yard loved the original design, excellent public spaces, and terrific location.
Hotel details
Address:
Piazza XXIV Maggio 8, Milan City Center, 20123 Milan, Italy.
Guest rating:
4.6 out of 5
Price per night:
From $235
About our boutique hotel recommendations in Milan
We are a travel research company. We help you discover the best boutique hotels in Milan by researching the internet for you. It’s not just our opinion, it’s the opinion of many travelers who have been there before you.
We make it easy for you to find out about cool design hotels and unique design hotels in the city. Some of them might be so romantic you might not want to leave your room.
Please note, we only list hotels that have an aggregated guest review rating of at least 4.0 out of 5. We aggregate all reviews from different booking sites and other unbiased review websites. Hence, you can be certain all hotels listed above offer you a great stay in Milan.
Best price guarantee
We partner with Booking.com and Hotels.com to provide you with the lowest price guarantee on your stay in Milan! Both those websites offer price matching. That ensures that you are paying the lowest price available online.
If you find a cheaper offer on another website for the same cool hotel in Milan at least 24 hours before check-in, contact them to claim a refund of the difference!
Top 5 boutique hotels in Milan
Before you go, let’s summarize this guide. Based on thousands of guest reviews and tips from travel experts, these are the best boutique hotels in Milan:
More Milan tips
If you like our guide above, you should also check out our other articles about Milan: