Tucked away on a quiet side street, four blocks northeast of La Scala, surrounded by some of the world's highest-priced boutiques and designer showrooms, this hotel may retain its boasting rights as the most prestigious address in Milan, but the newer Hotel Bulgari and Park Hyatt offer more well-rounded facilities. This remains a magnate for fashionistas and politicos, with a register that looks like an index for People Weekly's celebrity covers. That said, it is far from flashy, and although the service here is of the most attentive in the world, the staff gives no hint of pretense. This is more understated than the usual Four Seasons hotel, perhaps in deference to its origins as a 15th-century convent. Despite its formidable charms, the newer Park Hyatt Milano and Bulgari have been diverting some wind from this property's sleek sails.
Thick plastered walls, cloister columns and fresco fragments add a historic backdrop to chic contemporary design in this three-story structure. Stone floors and trim burl cabinetry in the lobby and lounge complement the columns and frescoes that once marked the convent.
Some updating in the common areas is apparent, but the overall ambience, one of serenity and sophistication, pervades. The residential-style seating is casual yet exceptionally elegant, with a fireplace adding a flame to the refined yet relaxing aura. Tea and cocktails are served in the handsome foyer. The fireplace lounge glows with a rouge tint that rivals the glowing coals in the hearth.
The 24-hour veranda restaurant beyond is filled with light as it overlooks the cloister courtyard. This continues to be a hot spot for fashion-industry lunching and preshow powwows. Steps drop to the celebrated Il Teatro restaurant, cloaked in rich paneling. It serves from a traditional menu pairing rare wines with costly Lombardian treats.
Guests exercise in the small health club with state-of-the-art equipment, but there is no changing room. At last inspection, management was boasting of plans to add a new spa. This hotel has the most exalted meeting space in the city (capacity 200), and 
many top designers hold galas here. Parking is ample and expensive, and pets are pampered.
Guest quarters are fastidiously tasteful, with Frette linens, Irish wool rugs atop polished parquet floors, Fortuny fabrics, and trim appointments of burled pearwood that contrast softly with the pale yellow walls. A few fabrics here and there have signs of wear—not a large problem—but at $1,000 per night, they should be able to reupholster seating and replace bedding with the arrival of each new guest. French doors and floor-to-ceiling windows brighten most rooms. All furnish opulent goodies, flat-screen TVs with VCRs or DVD players, CD players, dual-line phones, and king or queen beds. Large Carrera marble baths boast steam-resistant mirrors, heated floors and towel rails, stall showers, and tubs with wide surrounds for placing flutes of sparkling wine.
Superior rooms, fitted with queen beds, lack sitting areas and face the street, and deluxe units on the top two floors have large conversation 
areas and overlook Via Gesu or the cloister garden. On the corners, so-called executive suites are, in fact, just studios with sleeping and sitting areas separated by a step or a screen. Windows face the baronial gardens next door. Cloister suites feature floor-to-ceiling French doors opening to small terraces and varnished walk-in closets bigger than many hotel rooms in this city. Because of the street noise, it is best to request one of the rooms facing the inner courtyard to guarantee tranquility. Smoke-free rooms are available, as are units designed for travelers with disabilities.
Unlike the Principe di Savoia and Westin Palace on noisy Piazza della Repubblica, this hotel offers a tranquil setting in keeping with the meditative profile of its architecture. This is also Milan's best location for tourists. Cost-conscious travelers should take heed of the concierge's words: "People go to the Principe di Savoia to make their fortune, but they come here to spend it."
