The New Hotel Defining Milan’s Moment

Milan is in a moment of transformation—and senior editor Elizabeth Harvey got a first look at its new boutique hotel darling, The Carlton, just in time for the kickoff of the winter Olympics on February 6. Get the inside scoop on the property—the latest addition to the Rocco Forte collection, which is equal parts glamour and familial soul—and discover why the time to experience Italy’s ever-evolving culture capital is now.

Next to its ancient, achingly beautiful siblings—Rome, Venice, Florence, Palermo—Milan is often likened to the “ugly stepsister,” offering gray weather, charmless postwar architecture, average food and little allure for those outside of the fashion and design circles. Of course, this caricature is not true.

On the other hand, the trope that Milan shows its beauty slowly—that it’s a city discovered behind closed doors—is very much true. The density of Gothic, Brutalist and Modernist buildings that arrest initial glances belies an urban footprint that is actually quite modest and walkable, with quiet courtyards and graceful façades presenting themselves when you least expect them. Just around the corner from the glossy designer storefronts is a wealth of inventive boutiques and unassuming neighborhood haunts. Where the Tuscan or Sicilian spirit favors a naked (and sometimes ferocious) regional pride, I have found that the Milanese tend to nurture a more gentle, reserved patriotism. (I have been traveling to Italy at least every few years since infancy and have come to honor it as an adopted home. Over the course of countless visits up and down the boot, including a three-month residency in Florence, I have learned that travelers must remember that the country was unified only some 150 years ago—more recently than the United States. It is important to keep in mind the unique history and character of the regione one is passing through; the locals certainly do.)

It is almost as if Milan has chosen to embrace its “ugly” mantle, letting its sisters stay in the spotlight—and become increasingly crowded: “We’ll enjoy our treasures here, thank you very much, and welcome with warmth all those with good enough taste to come seek them.”

Milan is one of Italy’s most international and cosmopolitan destinations—and as the northernmost of its major ancient metropolises, it is differentiated by influence from the Austrian, Spanish and French empires. (Napoleon, for instance, raided many of Milan’s finest artworks to bring to the Louvre.) A greater receptiveness to foreign exchange continues to set the fashion capital apart. Only here would a born-and-bred local recommend both Sant Ambroeus (which was founded in Milan in 1936) and the Via della Spiga outpost of Ralph Lauren’s Polo Bar as must-visit restaurants (apparently the burger is just as good there as in New York—and it’s far easier to get a table).

As one spends more time behind Milan’s closed doors, more of these oddities and opposites emerge. While having dinner at another local institution, La Briciola—with a childhood friend from New York who has moved to Milan—I noticed a group of impeccably dressed, 50-something-year-old revelers (who were likely in fact 60-to-70-something, with enhancements) at the next table. As we were discussing just how draining New York has become—and how much my friend is enjoying raising her family in the more relaxed cradle of Milan—our stiletto-, diamond- and fur-clad neighbors were laughing, dancing and taking tipsy pictures with the restaurant’s owner against a backdrop of retro-kitsch Babbo Natales and glowing holiday baubles. (Somehow, it was nice and not obnoxious.) “You see?” my friend informed me, nodding their way. “The Milanese just like to have fun. It’s not all so serious.” (Later, I was also informed that the Christmas lights are a year-round thing at La Briciola—they just put away the Santas.)

Yes, the Milan revealed is paradoxical: it’s aristocratic and irreverent, playful and refined, thoroughly Italian and globally curious, resplendent and minimalist. It’s world-famous and, yet, to some degree, still under-the-radar.

The popular tendency to overlook Milan has kept it more or less reserved for those elite and in-the-know—but those days are coming to an end. All eyes and screens are turning to the city (and the historically glamorous nearby Cortina) as it hosts the Winter Olympics for the first time. More than two million visitors are expected to descend for sporting, après and fashion fun from February 6 to 22—a record influx for the city. If these visitors are watching more than scores and slalom times, they may notice that Milan is changing, modernizing, growing—quickly. A development boom is underway in the city, including a marked investment in hospitality (Rosewood, Six Senses and Marriott International are among the big names actively acquiring real estate). It’s a sure sign—as these things tend to go—that, soon, everyone will have “discovered” Milan’s interest for travelers extends well beyond Fashion Week and Salone del Mobile. Whether the city’s true beauty will remain hidden, time will tell—but it certainly won’t remain secret.

That’s where The Carlton comes in. The most significant luxury hotel to open in Milan since the 2023 arrival of Ferragamo’s Portrait Milano, The Carlton is also the latest addition to Rocco Forte Hotels—the family-owned portfolio’s tenth address in Italy. The reincarnated boutique property (which dates back to 1962 and received a 60-million-euro transformation after Rocco Forte’s acquisition) is equal parts glamour and familial soul, exuding the brand’s signature blend of Italian and British sensibilities—a celebration of the very same contrasts that define Milan itself. It’s a hotel that’s easy to settle into—and, as that development boom expands and encroaches, it promises to endure as a special place that opens those doors straight into the heart of the city it inhabits.

This became apparent practically upon arrival at The Carlton. My visit was well-timed with a sparkling yet intimate launch party for the hotel’s opening, attended by the leaders of the global Rocco Forte team, local friends of the brand and most of the Forte family. We were graced by the humble yet commanding, cheeky presence of Sir Rocco himself, the executive chairman of the group and a legendary fourth-generation hotelier. Olga Polizzi, the group’s deputy chairman and director of design (and Sir Rocco’s sister), flitted and floated through the thrumming crowd of sequins, silks and feathers, while Lydia and Irene Forte, Sir Rocco’s daughters—who oversee the brand’s food and beverage and wellness programs, respectively—held court on the balustrade of the winter garden. The festivities stretched into the late hours under the glow of vintage Murano glass lamps shaped like flowers, concluding with a round of Negroni Svegliatos (master mixologist Salvatore Calabrese’s take on an Espresso Martini) and hot swirls of spaghetti pomodoro hustled out of the kitchen at just the right moment. Eventually, chef Fulvio Pierangelini joined for a beer, leaning on the marble bar, spent but grinning. I took almost no pictures, but images of the evening will stay with me for a long time. These are precisely the types of Milanese nights that The Carlton intends to host for years to come.

Read on for a more detailed look inside.

I arrived in Milan well rested and in style thanks to the French boutique airline La Compagnie. This business class-only provider regularly operates six direct flights per week between Newark International Airport (EWR) and Milan Malpensa (MXP)—plus, daily service to Paris Orly Airport (ORY) and seasonal service to Nice Côte d’Azur (NCE). Each aircraft has just 76 lie-flat seats, arranged in pairs; although the design does not provide the full privacy of a United Polaris or Delta One pod, the experience is quite easy and comfortable, at a great value—with prices for round-trip flights to Milan starting at $2,750, to Paris at $2,700 and to Nice at $3,600. All tickets include priority check-in, with one personal item, one carry-on and two checked bags per traveler; lounge access; and in-flight high-speed WiFi, gourmet meals, complimentary wine and spirits, in-seat entertainment and premium toiletries like Caudalie skincare. Small dogs, cats and rabbits (under 17 pounds, including the carrier) are also welcome in the cabin for a $500 round-trip fee, with advance confirmation. Contact our team to inquire about booking and learn more here.

Rocco Forte will open its first resort on Sardinia’s Costa Smeralda, just north of Porto Cervo, later this year. Olga Polizzi is collaborating with Patricia Urquiola (behind Venice’s Ca’ di Dio and Lake Como’s Il Sereno, among others) on the interiors for the 64 rooms and suites, amid a lush setting of palm trees, flower gardens and white sands fronting the Tyrrhenian. In 2027, the group will launch new properties in Naples and Noto, Sicily; both will occupy historic palazzos. Explore the full collection of Rocco Forte hotels here—and see our full list of new hotels we can't wait to check out in 2026.

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