Gay Milan Milan City Guide

In a country renowned for its contributions to art, fashion and science, Milan is bursting with creative flair both past and present, seducing the senses with chic design, timeworn yet timeless architectural styles and unparalleled panache. Where futurism was founded, Milan has a history of trailblazing; aside from Valentino, Moschino, Miu Miu and Armani, Milan also gave us the world’s greatest examples of Gothic, Baroque and Renaissance art à la Leonardo da Vinci, Caravaggio and Bramante. Marvel at the city’s cathedrals, opera houses and palazzos as they meld seamlessly with bohemian boutiques and voguish bars. No place is perfect however and orthodoxy holds up the pursuit of LGBT rights across Italy. In Milan however, the queer scene is defiantly alive, particularly in Via Lecco and Via Sammartini. For your definitive Milan gay guide, you’ve come to the right place.

The best hotels in Milan

Let’s start this gay Milan travel guide with a roundup of the best hotels in Milan. Featuring spectacular views over the Piazza del Duomo and cutting-edge, bespoke bedrooms created by a collective of leading local designers, a stay at the understated yet opulent Townhouse Duomo will be a stay to remember. More than just a hotel, guests can enjoy Michelin-star dining at Felix Lo Basso Restaurant followed by a nightcap at the chic Terrazza Duomo 21. Or walk the rooftop path at Highline Gallery, crossing over into the famed Vittorio Emanuele Gallery. Michelin stars are rife in the city, with the chef at Porta Volta’s Hotel VIU Milan also carrying. In addition to stellar cuisine, VIU boasts a rooftop pool, modernist designer rooms and vertical forest architecture just minutes from an array of Milan points of interest, such as the futuristic Gae Aultenti Piazza and the Brera art district.

Also in Milan’s historic heart is the retro-mod Room Mate Giulia fit for even the most design-conscious urban travellers. Cutting-edge yet surprisingly homey, this stylish stay spoils guests with extra-convenient amenities such as leisurely breakfast until noon and Wi-Fi coverage around the city. Minutes from upmarket shopping streets on via della Spiga, lies the Senato Hotel Milano, an urban oasis of bespoke style and glitz. Hosting a marble-lined entrance extending through the book-lined hallways and leading to a tranquil inner courtyard, the Senato is a place of understated chic, also home to a retro-chic café and a minimalist rooftop lounge, ideal for sunny breaks.

Built atop a former perfume factory, the Magna Pars Suites Milano combines equal parts high-tech innovation and eco sensibilities in a sophisticated multi-tiered, loft-style space of steel and glass. Inside you’ll find minimalist design enhanced by cutting-edge furnishings, snippets of colour and subtle olfactory triggers in each room from jasmine to patchouli. The Da Noi In restaurant, run by 2-star Michelin chef Fulvio Siccardi, entices with creative takes on regional ingredients in a relaxing space featuring a fragrant interior garden.