Above it all

THE lobby and restaurants in the Armani Hotel in Milan look down even on the city's premium rooftop locations.

Armani Milan

IT'S rare to find a hotel room in Milan with a view. A hotel lobby with a vista over the city's rooftops is even rarer still.

But when fashion designer Giorgio Armani conceived of the second hotel to carry his name - the first opened in Dubai in 2010 - he decided to put the main lobby on the seventh floor of the eight-storey building. While it can be confusing for guests as it means you need to go up to the seventh floor and change lifts to get to the guest floors below, the result is a spectacular and unique view over the rooftops of Milan that includes the Milan Cathedral, or Duomo, and the La Scala opera house.

The Armani Hotel Milan opened late last year on Via Manzoni above the existing Emporio Armani store. The completion of the hotel creates what is now an entire block of Armani from Emporio, to Armani Casa, as well as an Armani Cafe, chocolate shop and bookstore. It's little wonder the slogan for the hotel is "Stay with Armani". Being located above a store means the hotel is right in the heart of Milan's shopping precinct and a perfect place for a short stay in the city.

Placing the public areas of the hotel on the upper levels of the building was a masterstroke by Armani and illustrates why he is arguably Italy's most successful designer. Instead of just opening another hotel in Milan he has created something special for the city. The seventh floor also houses the double-ceiling height Armani Lounge and the more formal Armani Ristorante. Given their views over the city, the relaxed ambience and fine food, the two dining venues have quickly become popular with locals and tourists alike.

The Armani Ristorante features an unusual back-lit onyx and marble floor and has a private dining room and chef's table located within the kitchen itself, which is unique for Milan and needs to be booked well in advance. The Armani Lounge is open late and is the perfect place to enjoy a drink or light meal after taking in a performance at La Scala.

Then there's the eighth floor, which houses the only Armani Spa in Europe. The 1200sqm spa has six spacious treatment rooms as well as a couples suite, a gym and a glassed-in rooftop pool. And, yes, there are spectacular views of the city from here. It would be hard to find a treadmill in Milan with a better location.

While this is not a large hotel - 95 rooms and suites, compared with the Dubai hotel's 160 rooms - the accommodation is surprisingly spacious. An Armani Deluxe room is 45sqm and, at the other end of the spectrum, a Presidential Suite offers 200sqm. Every room has a small vestibule, which serves to make it feel more like a small apartment and creates a buffer between the sleeping quarters and the public spaces of the hotel.

Every item of furniture and decoration in the rooms - and everything else in the hotel - has been given the Armani touch. The palette is creamy brown and beige, and minimal without being cold and uncomfortable.

All the furnishings have been designed specifically for the hotel but are in keeping with the design philosophy of the Armani Casa furniture collection.

What Giorgio Armani and his hotel partner Emaar Properties have created here is an oasis of calm in what can be a noisy and bustling city. When you're ensconced in your room it's hard to believe the hotel is located on one of the busiest streets in Milan.