Contemporary experiences in the new The Carlton, Milan

In the boom of five-star hotels opening in 2025 and set to open in 2026 in Italy, some deserve a reflection on how they are changing the world of hospitality. The Carlton, Rocco Forte's new hotel in Milan is among them. First of all because it was built in place of a historic hotel, the Baglioni, which the Milanese frequented for lunch or an aperitif in the Fashion District. This is why, when rumours of a Rocco Forte takeover began to circulate, there was fear of losing a place of the heart, despite the fané atmosphere

Let nostalgia be banished, let the regulars arm themselves with courage and cross that threshold, because the transformation has returned a contemporary, stimulating, interesting place. Now the lobby is double height, wide and bright with a courtyard and two stone lions in the centre. Next to the lifts is a large portrait of Charles Forte, the founder of the family of hoteliers, whose vision has been developed by his children Rocco and Olga.

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The Carlton is the London group's tenth hotel in Italy, a land of origin to which the Forte family is very attached. And with each opening, the family ecosystem is better defined, which, while having the same basic elements - artistic direction, chef, wellness line -, is declined in different and innovative ways, depending on the destination. As always, the artistic direction is by Olga Polizzi, who this time worked with architects Philip Vergeylen and Paolo Moschino, who designed many of the furnishings and chose the works of art for the 71 rooms, three of which make up the presidential suite with an immense terrace and a view of the Madonnina. But do not think of aseptic, cold rooms. When you enter, it is natural to sit down and leaf through the books on art, fashion, design and history that Lady Olga has chosen to give a lived and human atmosphere.

In the kitchen is Fulvio Pierangelini who, as in the group's other Italian hotels, has been creative food director since 2009. But at the Spiga restaurant, the experience is different from the Roman terraces of the Hotel de La Ville. It is a classic Milanese space, with a menu that puts the cheerfulness in the air: tuna roast beef in tuna sauce, scallop with cotechino, turnip tops and potato cream, pumpkin ravioli with truffles, mullet salad, nervetti and caviar, and at the end a fruit basket arrives at the table, just like at lunch at home. Decipherable dishes, according to Pierangelini's philosophy that proclaims the need (shared, let's face it) for normal dishes, prepared with 'superlative ingredients' and precision technique. The chef appears in the dining room wearing his usual blue and white striped apron. No jacket or redundant vocabulary: bread to bread, wine to wine, and plenty of substance for those sitting at the table. Breakfast at Cafe Floretta, a bright conservatory, is a feast for the eyes and the palate, with freshly baked cakes, avocado toast, maritozzo stracchino and bresaola, rice pudding. Even the bar snacks are delicious: gyoza cacio e pepe, all'amatriciana and alla carbonara, which go well with the cocktails of Salvatore Calabrese, nicknamed 'The Maestro' of mixology. (Try the one dedicated to Plastique, a historic nightclub now sadly closed: a turquoise fairy-coloured drink served on a pedestal that radiates pink brushstrokes at the touch. All around are not only the hotel's international guests, but mostly Milanese who come out of curiosity for the first time, and return because they liked the idea!

Among the recurring elements in the Rocco Forte hotels is also the cosmetics and wellness part, which again bears the family name: it is a project of Irene, Sir Rocco's daughter, who has created fruit-scented shampoos, conditioners and bubble baths for the baths and a natural line for the spa. There is also a Vita Bar in Milan for make-up and coiffeur in an hour. The Carlton is a point of arrival for the group, where all the elements have been consolidated: you walk in and immediately know that you are in a Rocco Forte hotel, and that you are definitely in one of the best addresses in town.