Luxurious Hotel Senato Milan
Hotel Senato Milan is an independent hotel inside a stately city center palazzo on via Senato 22. The property boasts 43 rooms furnished in bespoke design, elegance and classic Milanese hospitality.
There's a new address in Milan to complement the city’s stylish downtown. A space that exudes creativity, rigor and a unique character. Too often hotel chains are anonymous destinations that deliver a standardized form of hospitality. The Ranza family seeks a new, more personable approach to running a city hotel. Fourth-generation entrepreneurs with a background in construction the family has converted their private residence into a space where one can experience the real Milan. To make this a reality the family selected promising architect Alessandro Bianchi. Following the example set by Achille Castiglioni and Gió Ponti, Bianchi oversaw every facet of the project, from floor plan to furniture design. The lobby and shallow courtyard pool, the black-&-white chromatic interplay, the use of brass, wood and velvet all help create a rigorous and clean aesthetic that perfectly communicates Milanese understatement. That’s why lodging at Hotel Senato is a unique experience, one that is reassuring and eye- opening. It is the perfect setting to accommodate travellers eager to discover the sights, from the new Prada Foundation to Leonardo da Vinci’s Codex Atlanticus, shop or conduct their business affairs. Google mapping: via Senato 22 is 250 meters from via della Spiga, 210 meters from Piazza Cavour and 250m from the Giardini Pubblici Indro Montanelli park in via Palestro. The Duomo and La Scala opera house are 12 minutes by foot. Room rate: prices starting at 210 euros for double room per night.
For the past Century the palazzo was the residence of the Ranza family, fourth-generation Milanese entrepreneurs. The five-story Neoclassical-style building dates to the early 20th century. Following a two-year restoration that preserves its facade and central courtyard, it has been transformed into a 43-room boutique hotel. The reception offers a luminous welcome with a wall of lamps shaped into ginkgo leaves by gifted local artisans from Bottega Gadda, whose Lombard workshop was founded by Carlo Gadda in the Navigli in 1970 and whose expertise with metal is well known. The greenery in the lobby is the work of Rosalba Piccinni, a noted jazz singer (who performs at local venue Blue Note) and equally talented florist. Broad leaf alocasia and palms give the domestic entrance the feel of an exotic yet silent oasis. The palazzo’s courtyard is now a reflective pool of water that gently flows over gray stone, a geometric contrast to the white light that illuminates the facade and foyer. Here marble, brass and matte black reign supreme, like in a drawing by architect Piero Portaluppi, where the only requirement is the use of the highest quality materials.
The bespoke lighting in the hall is by designer Cristina Celestino. Founder of Attico Design Studio, Celestino, who hails from Friuli, has come up with Luminarie and Perlage, two collections of delicate candleholders crafted by a Lombard glass artisan. The journey continues at the bistrot, where one finds a ten-meter long mood board, a love letter to the city. In the Chester room, a few tables, side table lamps and candles create a cozy atmosphere next to a velvet sofa that extends up to the ceiling. Here one can view a screening of looped films where Milan is the cinematic protagonist: from Carlo Lizzani’s La Vita Agra, based on the novel by Luciano Bianciardi, to Rocco e i Suoi Fratelli by Luchino Visconti and Michelangelo Antonioni’s La Notte to more recent releases such as I Am Lovestarring Tilda Swinton. The background music is present but not invasive, helping to accompany each moment of one’s day and providing a cosmopolitan atmosphere and warmth that typifies Milanese hospitality. The eclectic soundtrack is from a tuned in Music Director from Milan, Carlo Pastore: former VJ, today leading radio voice in talent scouting and creator of MiAmi, a reputed alternative music festival. The five playlists attune to each moment of daily life at the hotel: from breakfast to lunch, from a morning coffee break to the evening aperitivo or afterhours drink. The Hotel Senato playlists are available on Spotify.
41 rooms and 2 junior suites give you the chance to wake up and know you are in Milan. First are the visual and tactile sensations: pure white sheets on a king size bed and white cornices on the ceiling contrast with black details in the room such as the lamp and velvet chair. Underfoot there’s the solid oak parquet in a herringbone pattern, a signature of Milanese interiors. Brass lamps and bedside tables from Bottega Gadda. The “Milano” chair is a contemporary interpretation of classic Milanese trattoria seating. The only element not local is the Carrara marble in the bathroom. Rooms are furnished with design pieces unlike anything seen before because everything was conceived for use in this hotel. Then there is the muffled silence due to a special soundproofing system. Sleep quality is ensured by ergonomic bedding from Lombard mattress brandDorelan and linens from Rivolta Carmignani. The Stella Alpina mineral water in glass bottles is from a small spring near Bergamo and is complimentary. The minibar is stocked with quality Lombard products: craft beer from Birrificio Milano, Crodino, and bitter orange soda, and chocolate from T’A Milano. Rooms are scented by a delicate hint of floral citrus made exclusively for the hotel by perfume house Tonatto Profumi, a Turin-based family company recognized worldwide and whose clients include Queen Elizabeth. Notes of sweet orange and rose finish off with traces of white musk and vanilla. The beauty kit has been personalized by Tonatto and bathrooms are equipped with a professional hair dryer typical of leading salons. Gentlemen staying at the hotel can indulge themselves in a special grooming service provided in collaboration with Barberino’s, a boutique Milanese barber shop that provides traditional wet shaves, hair-cuts and manicures in a chic setting a couple of minutes walking from the hotel.
Senato Caffé & Franciacorta Bar:
The recently opened Caffé, which is less a restaurant and more an all-hours venue (for guests and Milanese) where one’s palate is pampered as they discover gastronomic delicacies, follows a less-is-more approach. The menu, together with all the ingredients, has been meticulously put together by food curator Maddalena Fossati, a noted food critic and editor-in-chief of Condé Nast’s monthly La Cucina Italiana, the country’s oldest food magazine. There are specialty Lombard foodstuffs and other treats: peaches in syrup from Lake Monate, bresaola cured meat prepared using the Piero Poretti method, Coda Nera Riserva smoked salmon. In addition, Senato Caffé happens to be the world’s first urban Franciacorta Bar. Thanks to an exclusive agreement, one can sample from a rotating menu that offers 15 of the best traditional method sparkling wines in Italy. Along with the Franciacorta wines there is a well curated list of small-scale vintners, many of them from Lombardy, that have been selected by Alberto, Lorenzo and Silvia, the founders of enoteca Bicerìn Milano. Open from 11 until midnight, Senato Caffé offers lunch, afternoon tea, aperitivo and light dinner options.
The vision of Milanese business woman Natalia Ranza was to create a hotel that would stand for quality above all else. To meet that goal she assembled a dynamic and cosmopolitan team of creatives: up-and coming architect Alessandro Bianchi; creative director and photographer for leading publications (ElleDecor, Wallpaper* and World of Interiors) Pier Lomascolo; flower designer Rosalba Piccinni; music director Carlo Pastore, an eclectic music connoisseur and music festival creator ; and general manager Alessandro D’Andrea who, together with his staff, ensures that the hotel delivers impeccable hospitality.
"The hotel is located on the best possible locaton the the centre of Milan, close to all the best shops and restaurants and a short walk to the famous Duomo square. The hotel is designed to the latest details beautifully and has a great restaurant with a delicious menu. Cannot wait to stay there again on my next trip to Milan." – Timotej Letonja
Timotej Letonja
