9 hours Ago By Vincenzo La Torre
The top-end hotel is part of the Lungarno Collection, a hospitality portfolio owned by the Ferragamo family, with sister properties in Florence and Rome Despite its status as a fashion capital, Milan is a city of hidden gems. Unassuming doors in many of the palazzos that punctuate its streets lead to beautiful gardens and ancient courtyards. You just have to be a little nosy.
Venture in and you are often rewarded with spectacular sights. This discreet element of Milan’s grandeur is amply demonstrated at Portrait Milano, the luxury hotel that opened in 2022 in Milan’s famed Quadrilatero della Moda, the district known for renowned shopping streets such as Via Montenapoleone and Via della Spiga. {"@context":"https://schema.
org","@type":"ImageObject","caption":"The piazza at Portrait Milano is the beating heart of the hotel. Photo: Handout","url":"https://img.i-scmp.
com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=contain,width=1024,format=auto/sites/default/files/d8/images/canvas/2025/04/22/381f5e38-8752-4262-a8a4-c547795184b1_1056dda8.jpg"} The piazza at Portrait Milano is the beating heart of the hotel. Photo: Handout Advertisement Part of the Lungarno Collection – a hospitality portfolio owned by the Ferragamo family, along with properties in Florence and Rome – the hotel is located on happening Corso Venezia, with a blink-and-you-miss-it second entrance on via Sant’Andrea, which is home to the boutiques of brands such as Chanel and Bottega Veneta.
What makes Portrait stand out in a luxury hospitality landscape dominated by long-time Milan favourites such as the Four Seasons, Bulgari and Mandarin Oriental, is its large cloister, the public piazza that is its heart and one of the most popular spots in Milan. {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"ImageObject","caption":"A room at the Portrait Milano with a view of the fetching gardens and neighbourhood.
Photo: Handout","url":"https://img.i-scmp.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=contain,width=1024,format=auto/sites/default/files/d8/images/canvas/2025/04/22/91e68bf3-3155-4581-8a76-9ce6f27fbaaa_506046b4.
jpg"} A room at the Portrait Milano with a view of the fetching gardens and neighbourhood. Photo: Handout With luxury retail, dining and drinking venues, the courtyard of the Portrait is always buzzing with activity. Grab a spot and enjoy an aperitivo or coffee at 10_11 Bar Giardino Ristorante, where the outdoor seating area is one of the best places in the city to admire well-dressed locals and in-the-know visitors.
Also within the 17th-century colonnade of the cloister are two boutiques well worth checking out. Antonia, a luxury emporium with a fine selection of brands such as Undercover and Khaite , as well as trainers and fragrances, is one of the best multibrand stores in Milan; nearby So-Le Studio, run by Maria Sole Ferragamo, the daughter of Ferragamo chairman Leonardo Ferragamo , offers accessories and jewellery made with upcycled materials. {"@context":"https://schema.
org","@type":"ImageObject","caption":"Jewellery at So-Le Studio, one of the boutiques within Portrait Milano. Photo: Handout","url":"https://img.i-scmp.
com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=contain,width=1024,format=auto/sites/default/files/d8/images/canvas/2025/04/22/6972008f-dccf-4e03-89ae-d0806abb4884_8696669e.jpg"} Jewellery at So-Le Studio, one of the boutiques within Portrait Milano. Photo: Handout The historic building housing the hotel – formerly the Archiepiscopal Seminary – underwent a lengthy restoration overseen by architect Michele De Lucchi, while its plush interiors, which include vintage photos from the Ferragamo archives and a chic library filled with coffee-table books, were the work of designer Michele Bönan.
Carrara marble, rattan accents and leather finishings feature in the decor of the 73 suites and rooms, some offering views of the gardens below and neighbouring rooftops..
