Tag: hotels

Christmas in Milan and the “snack” ritual in grand hotels – Italian cuisine reinvented by Gordon Ramsay

If you spend Christmas in Milan, give yourself a gift: go for a “snack” in the grand hotels of the city. It is an opportunity to enter these places of great elegance and beauty, to sit at the tables of their bars and restaurants and have a taste of their sublime cuisine. A ritual that is always very pleasant but during the holidays it is decidedly more particular.

Christmas in Milan in the grand hotels

The atmosphere is dreamlike, with decorations that have a different theme every year. The Four Seasonswhich during the holidays is undoubtedly among the places with the most sumptuous decorations in the whole city, this year for example has thought of a “Unwrapped” Christmas: for the occasion the artistic director Vincenzo Dascanio he transformed his halls into a riot of packages, bows, colored paper. The Park Hyatt, however, with the touch of Anna Flower, staged a glittering nostalgia operation with trees, lights and decorations which wink at those unforgettable holidays of the 80s, pleasantly exaggerated and very cheerful which, after a long period of restrictions, we all want and need to experience.

The Christmas “snack” in the grand hotels of Milan

Seeing all this up close is an emotion, and getting into the festive mood by sitting down for a break is a treat, also because for some years now around Christmas the grand hotels in Milan organize afternoon appointments which have become a ritual. At the Mandarin Oriental, another example, this Christmas there is an afternoon tea created in collaboration with The Rosebery – the legendary bar of the Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park, mecca for the most refined London afternoons – and combines English cults such as scones with the creations of the pastry chef of his two-starred restaurant, Marco Pinna. But in every place it is an experience, with tables laden with desserts so beautiful that you almost feel sorry to eat them, and savory delights that are no different. All accompanied by cups of steaming tea and chocolate or – if you prefer – bubbles and new drinks whose ingredients wink at the Christmas tradition.

Grand hotel in Milan: where to go at Christmas

Enjoying all this without having to worry about the clock, as you can only do during the holidays (perhaps), makes you feel like you’re on holiday. And what’s more, it’s also a more accessible occasion (at least, compared to a lunch or dinner) to try specialties of great chefs and pastry chefs among the most appreciated in the Milanese panoramaand (and not only). The prices, all things considered, are possible, especially if you decide to give yourself a gift. Last but not least, if you have children, these afternoon appointments are one of those rare occasions in which you can take them with you to a refined place without too many worries: they will love to taste and they will also have fun because there are often events dedicated to them. In short, do it. Here is our selection with what’s new this Christmas:

Among the trees, in the middle of the river, suspended in the void: the hotels to enjoy nature – Italian Cuisine

In Sweden he is about to inaugurate a floating hotel from which to admire the northern lights. But even Italian facilities offer unique experiences

In the summertime floats on the waters of the river Lule, in winter it is set in the ice. And from its rooms with huge windows to the ceiling, you can admire the sky without having to go out. The Arctic Bath hotel, designed by Bertil Harström and Johan Kauppi, is about to open in Sweden: it is the ideal place to enjoy the Northern Lights phenomenon, from October to March, or the midnight sun. There are only six rooms, set up on a circular structure that has a natural pool with very cold water inside. The inevitable wellness center has twelve cabins for massages, thermal baths and crystal treatments. A structure that, as the designers wanted, has the least possible impact on the environment.

Who loves to immerse themselves in nature, always in Sweden, can also choose the Treehotel, with its own rooms in glass, bird's nest, Ufo-shaped, suspended among the tall trees in the pine forests of the northern part of the country, with a panoramic view of the river.

The rooms of the Free Spirits Hotel in Canada are real spheres in the trees of the rainforest coastal Vancouver Island, British Columbia: a unique hotel, where you can seek peace and relaxation by doing glamping, a new type of camping, between green and luxury. Or from which to go to discover the natural wonders that the island offers.

In the Sacred Valley of the Incas, in Peru, the Skylodges Adventure Suits allow you to sleep suspended in a transparent capsule at 300 meters of height (but with all the comforts), for a breathtaking experience where the condors fly.

And in Italy? In the Renon (Bolzano), the Adler Lodge Ritten is a cozy retreat in the forest, among fragrant trees, Spa in the woods and lakeside chalets. It was opened in late June. There is the possibility of reach the structure with the cable car starting from the center of Bolzano. Guests arriving by foot from the forest to the plateau face a large clearing overlooking the entrance of the central structure, all covered in black wood. Around, 20 chalets (some on the shore of a natural pond) with large windows, sauna and fireplace.

In Friuli Venezia Giulia, in Claut Valcellina, stands the Tree Village, a veritable small village of small houses built on trees without damaging them. The structure provides sleeping bags: each cottage can accommodate 2 to 6 people.

Never slept in a cave? In Matera Sextantio le Grotte della Civita is a widespread hotel, of which they are part well 18 caves carved into the tufa rock, to relive the feelings of the families who lived there until the fifties.

Cocktail bars and hotel restaurants in Rome: the revenge of luxury hotels – Italian Cuisine

There is great excitement in Rome in the small and large luxury hotels in the center: between restyling and new openings, places grow where you can enjoy a good drink in a breathtaking location

Who said that to set foot in five-star hotels you must have booked a room? Almost always there are bars (and restaurants) within the hotels that are worth a visit. A way to catch two birds with one stone: find something good to drink and at the same time enjoy a breathtaking location, between terraces overlooking the rooftops of the historic center of Rome and luxuriously furnished rooms. And never as in this period there is a great excitement precisely in this sector, with large investments that have focused on four and five-star counters, thanks also to the breath of fresh air given by the numerous new openings of luxury boutique hotels that are real jewels, but also the restyling of old glories of the city.

Lumen – Hotel St. Regis

When the cocktail bar becomes the true protagonist of the hotel. This is the case of the Lumen Bar at the St. Regis, one of the most luxurious hotels in the city, usually chosen by supervip as Madonna, which recently underwent an important restyling. Presented with a mega-party on Valentine's Day, Lumen has the distinction of occupying a central space in the hotel lobby space. The name, Lumen, is dedicated to the imposing chandeliers that overlook the immense hall, the drink list sees the names of the most exotic and suggestive butterflies in the world, from Hercules to the Red Admiral (or Vanessa Atalanta). This last drink is perhaps the real symbol of this bar, since it is the reworking of the Bloody Mary, a veritable institution of the hotel chain, in turn the son of the Red Snapper, served for the first time just at the St. Regis from New York. A drink here is a real experience, which also passes through the service, entrusted to the elegant design elements of partners such as Le Dictateur who created an exclusive line of glasses for St. Regis.

Idylio and Divinity Lounge Bar – Iconic Pantheon

With the formalization of the arrival of chef Francesco Apreda, the Iconic Pantheon has discovered the cards: not only the intention of the Tridente Collection Group to give life to a special project of luxury hotels right in the historic center, precisely at the Pantheon, but also that of becoming a point of reference for all-round hospitality, including the food & beverage area. Apreda's choice has many meanings: on the one hand the obvious star ambitions (Apreda came from Imago to the Hassler where it had held the Michelin star for several years), but also the desire to be as cosmopolitan as the kitchen of the Neapolitan chef, who does not lack never to put his international experiences in his dishes. Oriental, Indian, but also Roman and Neapolitan elements, which are mixed in a melting pot of experiences to be discovered in the dishes, as well as in the signature drinks of the Divinity Lounge Bar, the terrace of the Iconic Pantheon overlooking the dome of the rotunda, so like that of Sant'Ivo alla Sapienza.

Adelaide and In Salotto – Hotel Vilòn

It could be called a speakeasy hotel, because whoever passes in this side street a few steps away from Via dei Condotti and doesn't even notice that he is in front of a small jewel. On the other hand, Vilòn is a Hebrew word that means veil, curtain, and gives the idea of something hidden, to be discovered. Housed in a wing of Palazzo Borghese, with its 18 rooms it is part of the Small Luxury Hotel of the World affiliate chain. Atmosphere Decò and an eclectic collection of furniture and works of art, in the common areas hides an interesting cocktail bar called In Salotto, a delightful internal garden reminiscent of Moroccan atmospheres and an excellent restaurant named after Adelaide, the princess wife of Scipione Borghese who wanted that these spaces host the First School for Poor Maidens. In the lounge of the Vilòn is the class and experience of Magdalena Rodriguez, a young barlady from Costa Rica, who in her mixology style does not fail to introduce the tropical atmospheres in which she grew up. His excellent drinks are accompanied by the appetizers that come from the kitchen of the Adelaide restaurant, entrusted to the chef Gabriele Muro. For those who want to continue the evening, the advice is to indulge in dinner and complete the journey with the dishes that blend the traditions of the chef from Procida and the Roman echo of his training.

Valentyne Restaurant and Hi-Res – Hotel Valadier

Only one hotel, two restaurant bars to be discovered. On the one hand the atmosphere of the Thirties of Valentyne, whose entrance is next to that of the hotel, on the other the view of the roofs of the historic center from the terrace of the Hi-Res. Valentyne is the most glamorous face, with precious marbles, mirrors, brass, and velvets. The good bartenders captained by Alessio Bragalone engage themselves with international drinks, like the cuisine inspired by the great classics of the New York and French hotels. The executive chef Gabriele Cordaro, on the other hand, proposes a refined and sophisticated accompaniment with luxurious ingredients such as oysters and foie gras, but also more pop proposals like the fish burger. On the top floor of the Valadier hotel there is the Hi-Res terrace lounge which, thanks to a complex technical solution, manages to give the freshness of eating or enjoying a drink on the terrace in all seasons: outdoor in summer, enjoying the ponentino, covered by a heated tent in winter.

Acquaroof Terrazza Molinari – The First Luxury Hotel

View over the rooftops of Rome and starred liquid food: these are just two of the ingredients put in place by The First Luxury Hotel, a 5-star luxury hotel, which also boasts a Michelin star for the Acquolina restaurant. Leading the kitchen is Angelo Troiani, while on the terrace, for a promise made to the late Alessandro Narducci (the young chef who was driving the restaurant and who was unfortunately a victim of a car accident), there is the good Valeria Bassetti . The lounge bar is called Terrazza Molinari for a partnership with the company that produces the famous Sambuca and which is also a distributor of other spirits. It is with these bases that the signature cocktails designed by Bassetti in a card that evokes the sea are made. They accompany the food proposals created by Troiani, also very tied to the sea. With liquid food we mean instead the fun project of proposing hybrids between cocktails and food, in which the collaboration between bar and kitchen is total.

Senses Restaurant & Lounge Bar – Radisson Collection Palazzo Montemartini

Recently inaugurated, Palazzo Montemartini is an elegant hotel of the premium line of the Radisson chain. Eighty rooms in an exceptional location with a lot of Servian Walls that cross the Senses Restaurant & Lounge Bar. Two protagonists of this space: on one side the Sicilian chef Simone Strano, on the other the bar manager Riccardo Di Dio Masa, who takes care of the lounge area and the Champagne Bar, which offers a wide selection of the best labels to be enjoyed in a breathtaking setting, with splendid marble columns, a suggestive central fountain and a peaceful outdoor garden.

Restaurant Seven and Lounge Bar – Radisson Blu

Also from the Radisson chain and always from parts of the Termini station, is the Radisson Blu, an elegant modern structure designed by the King & Roselli architects' studio. We are a stone's throw from the Esquilino market, in the ethnic heart of the city, in via Turati and at the top of the hotel, the rooftop houses the Sette restaurant, home of chef Giuseppe Gaglione, interpreter of the kitchen line set together with the chain's F&B Director, Andrea Ribaldone, with great classics of hotel cuisine like the Rossini fillet, but also innovative dishes inspired by tradition. The atmosphere is that of the luxurious deck of a yacht, overlooking the city's rooftops. The atmosphere that in the summer gives poolside pools, including a drink and a dish of the chef from Campania, is particularly pleasant.