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Insider's Guide to Milan

  • Writer: Danielle Dybiec
    Danielle Dybiec
  • 4 minutes ago
  • 4 min read

Have you caught some of the Winter Olympics? How beautiful are the Dolomites?! Feeling inspired to see more of these parts of northern Italy? I have a great travel partner who specializes in just the Dolomites region, year-round.

 

Milan has a lot to offer too besides being a travel hub. I'll be there in April for a few days to explore, see Leonardo Da Vinci's The Last Supper, pop up to Como by train, and tour La Scala too.

 

For your next visit to Milan, follow in the footsteps of your favorite Olympian and take these tips from Park Hyatt Milano's General Manager, Simone Giorgi.

 

Virtuoso article below from 9/3/2025 by Katy Spratte Joyce can be found HERE.

 

Virtuoso’s 2024 Hotelier of the Year shares his take on seeing the city’s soulful side.

 

A Cornell-trained hotelier and former food-and-beverage director, Simone Giorgi once dreamed of tending bar in a five-star grand hotel. Today, he leads one of Milan’s landmark properties. Born in Florence and based in Milan for more than a decade, he sees Italy’s northern capital as the epicenter of a new era in European hospitality. “Luxury is not about excess anymore,” he says. “It’s about soul. Milan has that.” A lifelong traveler, Giorgi’s favorite destinations include Thailand – he’s practiced muay Thai for over 25 years – and spiritual retreats such as the Camino de Santiago.

 

Park Hyatt Milano completed a three-year, $20 million renovation in 2024. “The location is unmatched – just steps from the Duomo – while the design reflects Italian craftsmanship at the highest level,” Giorgi says of the hotel. “To be named Virtuoso’s Hotelier of the Year in 2024 was an incredible honor. It reminded me how powerful true hospitality can be.”

 

Simone Giorgi’s Milan

 

I recommend exploring both historic Milan and its modern face. I love the Navigli district for dining and shopping. Osteria Conchetta has great traditional Milanese dishes, and Rita is a cool and upscale place to enjoy a cocktail. There are good vintage pieces at Pourquoi Moi and home goods at Mauro Bolognesi.

 

Closer to the city center, San Bernardino alle Ossa is an eerily beautiful church lined with centuries-old human bones. For a taste of Italy’s design legacy, Museo Bagatti Valsecchi offers a glimpse into the home life of fifteenth-century Lombardy nobility. Additional classic Milan picks include aperitivo at Ceresio 7, shopping along Via Monte Napoleone, and a stop at Santa Maria delle Grazie, home to da Vinci’s The Last Supper.

 

For a more contemporary lens, I send visitors to the CityLife District, Milan’s redeveloped business quarter that’s now home to gleaming towers, upscale shops, and green space. Near the Paolo Sarpi District, I can’t get enough of the ADI Design Museum.

La Scala is another can’t-miss – it’s one of the world’s most famous theaters. If you’re not in town during the opera season (which opens December 7), I really like the museum within the opera house as well.

 

When it comes to dining, I favor Langosteria, Locanda Cuoco di Bordo, and Da Gino Il Bonaparte for refined, seasonal fare. Chocolatier Enrico Rizzi makes Milan’s best gelato and also recently opened a chocolate factory in the historic city center; it offers immersive tours, which I love. For more time in Italy, pair a city stay with a lakeside escape to Lake Como, just over an hour away. It’s the perfect contrast.

 

Simone Giorgi’s Travel Essentials   

 

  1. A Thai boxing kit. This sport has been my passion for years and helps me relieve stress while I travel.

  2. A limited-edition Omega Speedmaster accompanies me on important occasions.

  3. I’m a little bit superstitious and always have a lucky charm, like a medallion necklace, with me – just in case.

  4. Elegance for me is a state of mind. Even when I travel, I wear comfortable but fashionable clothes. Some of my favorites are from Falconeri, Isaia, and Sartorio Napoli.

  5. Loro Piana Summer Walk shoes. They’re comfortable, stylish, and suitable for many occasions.

  6. Reading glasses and sunglasses with different colored lenses – my favorites are Balenciaga’s green square glasses.

  7. I never visit a city without a physical guidebook – my favorites are from DK Travel. It’s the best way to inform myself and prepare for a destination I'm not familiar with.

  8. I am very religious, and I love to nourish my spiritual side daily with readings in the holy Bible.

Nine Muses Travel designs journeys to inspire artists, arts lovers and the culturally curious.

Danielle Dybiec

Founder & President





 

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