Balcony of 419, Mandarin Oriental Milan
There is a love of bragging in all of us (let’s be honest). To get to see a luxury hotel before opening when you know you are the first one there… well, that gives the gal a thrill, and as you know her life is full of excitement, day in and day out.
This shows a room balcony of Milan’s next opening, Mandarin Oriental Milan, opening in a few weeks’ time. I had the joy of climbing all over the five-floor structure, cleverly fitted together, as if a jigsaw, from four houses first put up in the late 19th century. Some of the 104 rooms look into neighbouring gardens, others over rooftops. Yes, you are right in the hub of the city, with fashionistas one side and financials the other. There will be an indoor pool and spa, and a Technogym. The bar, which shows designer Antonio Citterio making a statement with black and white columns, flows into one inner courtyard, while the restaurant flows into the other courtyard. The GM, Luca Finardi, has enticed a highly-renowned chef, Antonio Guida from Il Pellicano in Porto Ercole, to come and man the kitchens here. I think how Mandarin Oriental Paris showed the group can ‘get’ France. All the signs are that it will ‘get’ Italy, too.
