Milanese Prima Dona

In Milan, time stands still. I returned not long ago to the city of Visconti and I could not resist residing once again in the Bvlgari hotel, the first one opened by the exclusive jeweler in partnership with Ritz-Carlton International. The hotel is located walking distance from the exclusive Via Montenapoleone and the Teatro della Scala.

There was no substantial change in its facilities: if anything, they have a more round appearance, for being vivid, more glamorous, and more visited. That white marble façade that inspired so much respect the first time, those reflective windows, and the architectonic rigor that is expected from the V brand…

Its architectural design is a creation by Antonio Citterio, follower of a rather conservative line, able to braid a cartilage building around a 4,000-square-meter garden looked over by multiple bedrooms as well as most of the public areas. A luxury of high carat decorates the walls, black marble from Zimbabwe, granite fireplaces, Burmese teak furniture and the projected pavement bronze flooring.

On the top floor, the Bvlgari suite opens to the garden through a three-meter gallery, evanescent at night. The lounge offers a monumental Brera stone fireplace, while the tub is made from a single block of Bihara stone from Turkey, reminiscent of some past incursions of the Italian firm in Oriental art.

The wellness space dresses with the green corporate color its thermal installations, coated in fanciful Vicenza stone tiles and gold and emerald mosaics in the pool. There is no shortage of technological detail in the rooms, from PlayStation to a sensory DVD for a chill-out atmosphere. Nor the most exclusive services: Ferrari rentals, visits to Maggiore Lake in a private helicopter, yacht or limo getaways, rally driving courses in Monza and jewelry items from Bvlgari.