Photography: Halina Kubalski

Milano, one of Europe’s celebrated destinations with fashion, architecture, and fine dining at the forefront, and conceivably one of the world’s distinguished twofold travel destinations with Lake Como a short 40-mile jaunt, is blessed with 13 NH hotels, one in the town of Lecco in Lake Como, and all positioned in unsurpassed settings. Spanish owned, small to mid-sized boutique properties, tabbed as four-star, we booked three Milano NH hotels for convenience of locality while on a fashion assignment in Milano, and in a way in which to become acquainted and connect with Milano neighborhoods on foot and possibly enjoy some jazz and dancing.

We found the NH recommendations from respected and veteran media travelers were incredibly accurate. The hard-working NH staff were hospitable and impressive, and it seemed that the hotel’s employees shared the same deep veneration for a city layered with fashion, history, and Italian personality. For us, the well-managed properties were just the acceptable size for employee to visitor interaction with small being a limitless and notable asset within the world of hotel hospitality.

Not renowned in the United States, the NH Collection has an exceptional profile in Europe, and Latin America, opening their first property in Pamplona in 1978, and expanding, became one of Spain’s first and foremost hotel chains with more than 350 city hotels. We booked three nights at three NH hotels, the first NH Collection CityLife, a mid-sized property with 185 guest rooms, opened June 4, 2022, on the site of the 1930’s Chiesta Cristo Re church, deconsecrated in 2017. With white columns spiraling skyward guarding an elaborate entrance, first impressions were that of an estate. Ingeniously, the hotel retained much of the ecclesiastical building, as well as the grand entry, the lobby section of the church, and the original wooden doors and arches. The property is carefully designed in the Italian neo-Mannerist style, located in the futuristic and chic CityLife district with several high-end shopping centers, restaurants, steps from the Portello Pavilion, and 100 meters from a metro station.

Straightaway guests appreciate they are visiting one of Europe’s foremost fashion destinations with large framed black and white fashion images of stunning Italian ladies embellishing the hotel’s public spaces that send an artistic welcome to Milano. Our room, 1012, was comfortable and clean, housekeeping being of upmost importance. The linens were high quality, pillows with hypoallergenic synthetic feathers to avert allergies, free Wi-Fi, coffee maker, floor to ceiling windows, and a large television screen. For warm days CityLife has a rooftop swimming pool, a private garden, meeting rooms, and a gym we failed to experience.

The elaborate morning buffet offered a huge touch of hospitality with smiling servers passing by with additional offerings. Later the room converts to Taylor’s restaurant where Executive Chef Gabriele Grisolia creates Italian and Mediterranean cuisine, and selections passed down from his grandparents. A long-time employee, his kitchen suggestions were integrated into the original blueprints. Smiling, he said, “We have a very modern kitchen, and I do love to cook, and at home too. When I’m in the kitchen and examine fresh vegetables and fruit my heart is with my creative thoughts.” A huge block of honey in the breakfast buffet is likewise creative. Grisolia smiling, “It came straight from a local farm and is the tastiest hotel honey in the city.”

General Manager, Riccardo Bombaci interjected, “We work hard to address the visitors concerns. I believe we are a fresh diamond in a city full of diamonds.”
Moving to NH’s Collection Porta Nuova, hosting all of 100 guests, we were within a 20-minute walk to the fashion district, and less than a mile from Brera, an elegant and distinctive neighborhood with cobble-stoned streets leading to art galleries, antique shops, trendy boutiques, clubs and restaurants, and the Academy of Fine Arts dating to 1776. The hotel, elegant and stylish, has an intimate and embracing ambience with an attractive lobby, small stylish cocktail bar, and well-equipped gym. Our room came with robes and slippers and was sparkling clean. With floor to ceiling windows the breakfast buffet stretched the entire length of the room, freshly baked bread, tasty croissants, and local specialties, all tickling the senses. Speaking with General Manager, Baldassare Schembri, 17 years with NH, he said, “I feel we have a tailor-made experience. We’re small and can bond directly with the guests. Travel can be challenging, and we want our guests to find a home here. We’re in the financial district and host everyone from business executives to newlyweds.”

Walking the area, we discovered directly across the street from Port Nuova the NH Palazzo Moscova, opened in 2015 with 65 unique guest rooms. Adjacent to the lobby is Forti, noted among the best seafood restaurants in the city with a 3,000-bottle wine cellar. Around the corner is Sciatt a Porter, a small family-owned restaurant and a real gem. They source their produce from local farmers with original Milanese offerings, home-cooked style.

After six full working days in Milano, we hopped on a 40-minute train ride to Lecco in Lake Como and the 111 guest NH Lecco Pontevecchio Hotel. The hotel and Lecco are a dynamic duo. Managed by personable Alessandra Giovanniello, the hotel is set in the heart of the city, which seemed more like a friendly town to us, tucked between the towering Grigna and Resegono mountains and the Adda River, laced with cycling, hiking, and jogging paths. Lecco, removed from the Lake Como tourist trail has family-owned boutiques, superior dining, and the opportunity to mingle with the residents of Lake Como, yet close to nature and the Lake’s main attractions.

From our balcony in room 308 we had a splendid view of a 1338 Roman Bridge and the Adda River, and appropriately the hotel has a bike room for cyclists, a gym and ironing room. Executive Chef Vincenzo di Bella, 58, is another NH and Lecco highpoint. President of the Federazione Italiana Cuochi, and cooking since age 14, he has a great passion for Sicilian cuisine and designed the hotel’s menu with Sicilian delights. The hotel has a late checkout before 3 p.m. on Sundays but departing Lecco and Lake Como is difficult indeed.

When You Go

NH Hotels are 100 percent non-smoking, free Wi-Fi, dogs and cats allowed. Visitors should allow at least four full days to fully enjoy Milano’s hidden pleasures, and Lake Como is forever. www.nh-hotels.com. Recommended guide, Alessandra Dell Andrea, ww************@am**************.com ; For a personal itinerary for Milano and Lake Como, Travel Consultant and Itinerary Designer, Celia Abernethy. ce***@mi*********.com

We didn’t dance or hear any jazz but did enjoy two of Italy’s most vibrant destinations.

The post Milano’s NH Hotels appeared first on Traveling Archive.

Curated by Ed Boitano

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Dear Italian-American:

I am planning my first trip to Italy. I want to see Rome, Florence and Venice. I plan on arriving in Milan. Friends have told me to quickly bail out of Milan and use it as a place to head out to more historic places. Should I ignore the city and go on my way? — Susan of Portland, OR

Dear Susan:

If you are in search of ancient Roman roads and ruins or medieval cobblestone streets, Milan is not the place. As the Italian capital of fashion and commerce, Milan is the city of now. It’s simply fun to just sip a coffee at Piazza del Duomo and watch tall, fashion clad models rushing off to unknown destinations. Yes, Venice is the city of canals, but Milan still has a few at the Navigli District, a canal area that once connected Milan with Lake Maggiore. The innovative system of locks was designed by Leonardo Da Vinci in the late fifteenth century. One of the canals actually stopped directly in front of the Duomo di Milano, the world’s most brilliant cathedral, which took nearly centuries to complete. With 3,400 statues on the façade, plus 700 marble figures and 135 gargoyles, the pink hued Condoglian marbled Duomo holds the record for the most statues in the world. Back to Leonardo, the Renaissance man spent 17-years in Milan, where his fresco of The Last Supper is available for viewing at the Church of Santa Maria delle Grazie, but make sure to get your tickets in advance.

Climbing up the Duomo di Milano‘s stairs to its terraced rooftop is mandatory; you’ll see spectacular vistas of the city, the Lombardian countryside and the Swiss Alps, plus be surrounded by angels built on buttresses. Also, just a few yards away is La Scala, the world’s greatest opera house. There’s a chance that tickets might be available; but can be expensive and somewhat difficult to procure. For a glimpse of the opera house’s interior, you might consider booking a museum tour, where mine consisted of watching a pre-opera arrangement of lighting in the theatre and a trip to La Scala’s museum. Outside you can walk through the passageway just like Verdi, Toscanini and Maria Callas did when strolling to and from La Scala.

And a sampling of local cuisine will introduce you to new dishes, unique to Lombardy: Costolette di Vittelo (breaded Milanese veal), saffron infused Risotto and Osso buco alla Milanese.

And, Susan, remember Milan embodies la bellafigura: “ Behaving well and looking good doing it.” With me, they apparently made an exception. — The Italian-American 

Dear Italian-American:

I’m not an Italian rookie, seen much of the sites and want more. Scheduled for another jam-packed trip back – with no Covid – this summer. But never seen Bologna or Parma. Which one should I pick? — Stan of Ventura, California

Dear Stan:

A visit to Bologna or Parma qualifies as a win-win solution. Both cities are located in the region of Emilia-Romagna and are relatively close to one another; 54 miles with 38 trains per day. So, if possible, consider revising your packed schedule, and visit both. You’ll thank yourself, but your increasingly larger stomach may not.

Parma is smaller than Bologna, more laid back, almost in a countryside setting. The city is the birthplace of conductor Arturo Toscanini, his home now a museum, and film director Bernardo Bertolucci. I noticed that the T-Boy Society of Film & Music selected his 1970 political drama, The Conformist as his best movie. It is also the birthplace of Parmigiano-Reggiano, which contains only approved ingredients, then aged at least one-year, and Prosciutto di Parma, a licensed cured ham, made only from the hind legs of pigs, and aged during a dry-curing process. Moderna, nestled between Parma and Bologna on the south side of the Po Valley, is famous for its namesake Balsamic Vinegar of Modena.

Bologna is much larger than Parma. It’s a college town, flushed with students, featuring Università di Bologna, the first and oldest university in the world (circa 1158). Bologna is also Italy’s most educated and forward-thinking city, culturally regarded as the nation’s greatest liberal city. Often referred to as the city of learning, exemplified by its status as the world’s first city-state to abolish slavery. Stan, sure you understand when speaking of Italy as a nation, the unification of the city-states didn’t happen until 1840, where Italy is often noted as a young nation and an old country.

And then there’s the food. Bologna has long been considered the gastronomic capital of Italy. On the Bolognese table you might find Mortadella, Tagliatelle (made with eggs) al ragù, Tortellini and Lasagna. You may be surprised to find Lasagna and ragù heavier and more robust than its Italian-American counterparts.

And, Stan, remember that Bologna is called La Grassa (the fat one) for a reason. — The Italian-American

Dear Italian-American:

Often times when eating at Italian restaurants in America, I notice some people twirling spaghetti with a fork into a big spoon. When some see me only using a fork but still twirling, I receive almost an arrogant look. Am I doing it wrong? — Linda of Cleveland

Dear Linda:

On the contrary, you are using proper Italian table etiquette, while the others are not. In Italy using a fork to twirl ribbon or sting pasta in a spoon is just not done. If you do use a spoon in Italy, the arrogant looks might come from the staff or diners, well aware that you might be a clueless North American, devouring pasta incorrectly. I have addressed this question to many friends and restaurant servers in Italy, and the normal reply is, Spoons are for children!

Linda, I completely understand your confusion; for I too have received those somewhat arrogant looks while dining at an Italian-American restaurant. What can we do? Nothing. The fact that we are aware of the proper Italian protocol by not using a spoon should lead to peace of mind. Simply enjoy your meal and ignore those disparaging looks. Meals are for enjoyment, not for confrontations.

I believe the popular 2015 film, Brooklyn, where the Irish immigrant, played by Saoisre Ronan, was given instructions on how to use a spoon when eating pasta, almost created a blueprint for many of us on Italian-American dining.

Buon appetito! — The Italian-American

This installment of our advice column comes to you from T-Boy’s Ringo Boitano, a second-generation Italian-American, whose ancestral home hails from the hills of Genoa in the region of Liguria. As a lifetime consumer of Northern Italian cuisine, i.e., polenta, risotto, pesto, ravioli, focaccia, and with little attention to his waistline, offers important travel advice regarding the Italian cities of Milan, Bologna and Parma; as well as addressing a question about correct Italian table etiquette when eating long strands of ribbon pasta.

Readers, feel free to ask the Italian-American any question of your choice at **@tr**********.com Also, queries about non-Italian destinations or any form of travel welcomed. T-Boy has an illustrious team of writers with an acute understanding of their ancestral homeland. Next up will be Dear Icelandic-American. I’m curious to learn more about the Icelandic tradition of eating starvation foods.

— T-Boy

The post Dear Italian-American: Travel Advice on N Italy appeared first on Traveling Archive.

I had never seen so many tall and sleek model types in my life. I watched with fascination as they rushed through Milan’s  Piazza del Duomo (“Cathedral Square”) for an unknown rendezvous or appointment, dressed in the latest fashion. It was also the first time I had ever paid $16 for a café latte, but it was well worth the price for a front row table facing the magnificent Piazza.

At the other end of the square sat the iconic symbol of Milan: The Duomo di Milano. Occupying an entire city block, the Lombard Gothic style cathedral glistened in evening light due to the façade of pink-veined white Candoglia marble. Adorned with 3,400 statues, 135 gargoyles and 700 figures, construction took over 500 years to complete. As the third largest cathedral in the world, I could just catch a glimpse of the rooftop terrace with the gold-colored statue of the Madonnina, standing on the Duomo’s highest spire.

I proclaimed then and there it was the most beautiful cathedral I had ever seen. I read in a guide book that there’s an elevator to the top, but you can also walk up the stairs in an average time of 10 to 15 minutes. I challenged myself to do it in under 10. But first, the night was before me and it was time to explore more of the pulsating city of Milan.

The Next Day

After a filling lunch of the Milanese specialties Osso Buco – a cross-cut veal shank with a bone marrow hole at its center, served with the traditional side dish of Risotto alla Milanese with saffron – I took another look at my guide book.

Surrounded by skinny suit attired locals on the go, I read that Milan is an important railway hub, which many tourists use as a starting point for journeys to more ancient Italian cities with Roman ruins and medieval cobblestone streets.  This is not Milan. As the fashion capital of the world, it is there to experience the moment. Milan embodies the Italian notion of la bella figura: behaving well and looking good doing it.

With a population of 1,357,599,  Milan is also a major financial, industrial, and design hub. It possesses a historic core that has an imposing, solid grandeur to it.  In recent years, vehicles have begun being banished from it (gradually – street by street), making one feel as if in an open-air living room.

As I strolled to the Duomo, I remembered last night’s outing to the famous Navigli, a canal area left over from a system of waterways that once connected Milano with Lake Como and the Adriatic Sea.

The innovative system of locks was designed by Leonardo Da Vinci in the late fifteenth century. One of the canals actually stopped directly in front of Duomo, transporting the Candoglia marble from quarries in Lake Maggiore. Leonardo spent 17-years in Milan. His fresco of “The Last Supper” is available for viewing at the Church of Santa Maria delle Grazie, but make sure you get your tickets in advance.

1:02 PM: Soon I arrived at the darkened entryway of the Duomo. Before me were the high steps to the terrace.   I gave the elevator a second look, and began my ascent up the stairway. Worn smooth by centuries of other pilgrims, it seemed an easy task. There was a young family leisurely walking up the steps before me so I lessened my pace, rather than rush by them and ruin their experience. I decided to take a short break by an open window overlooking the square.

I could just make out the magnificent Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II Arcade, named for the first king of Italy in 1900 after the unification of the Italian States. The famous passageway through the arcade was where the likes of Toscanini, Verdi and Maria Callas would walk after a performance at nearby Teatro alla Scala. I had hoped to book a ticket at the historic opera house, but did manage a tour where I enjoyed an unforgettable afternoon rehearsal, thanks to With Locals’ all knowing guide, Francesca Giorgetti.

1:06 PM: I took another look at my watch, and realized that I had some serious time to make-up. I charged up the steps, this time passing the group before me. Another 100 steps on, I began to falter. Did the guidebook say anything about the effect of the altitude? And why had I had such a big lunch? Disappointed in myself, I needed another reprieve.

I caught my breath before another open window where I could see the entrance to the interior. I had booked my ticket earlier at the Museo del Duomo where the helpful staff were quite accommodating, answering my endless questions. As expected, the interior of the Duomo was beautiful, consisting of a nave with four side-aisles, crossed by a transept, then followed by an apse. Above the apse there is a small illuminated red light bulb. This marks the spot where one of the three nails of Jesus’ crucifixion was placed, believed to be retrieved by Helena, the mother of Roman Emperor Constantine, after a religious tour of Jerusalem. She is regarded as the one who converted Constantine to Christianity, who, in turn Christianized the Roman Empire. Once a year the nail is presented in a wooden basket for viewings.

1:11 PM: Okay, no more time for breaks. I needed to make up some serious time, with about one minute left to make it to the terrace. My legs felt as heavy as Candoglia marble.  Taking deep breaths, I remembered my wife begging me not to let my membership to my health club expire. Huffing and puffing I was soon met with glorious daylight, 30 seconds ahead of schedule. But somehow it wasn’t what I had expected. Where was the statue of the Madonnina and the flying buttresses? A kind guide noticed my confusion, and informed me that there were still more steps to the terrace, just around the corner.

I hurried to her direction to the base of the final stairway. A tourist gave me a quizzical look. I shouted over my shoulder, “I’m on a mission.” The tourist replied, “This is the Duomo, not a Mission.” Adrenalin kicked it and I began to ascend the final stairs.

1:12 PM: With just seconds left of my allotted ten minutes, I made it victoriously to the terrace. Although there were no medals or applause; my reward was more inconceivable than anything I could ever have imagined: I had just ascended to heaven. Before me was a fairy tale array of openwork pinnacles and spires, set upon delicate flying buttresses. And yes, there was the glorious Madonnina, towering above me. The other tourists on the terrace were serene and respectful, only adding to this other-worldly experience. I recalled a quotation from  Mark Twain:

What a wonder it is!
So grand, so solemn, so vast!
And yet so delicate, so airy, so graceful!
A very world of solid weight, and yet it seems
In the soft moonlight only a fairy delusion of frost-work
That might vanish with a breath!
How sharply its pinnacled angles
And its wilderness of spires were cut against the sky,
And how richly their shadows fell upon its snowy roof!
It was a vision! — a miracle! —
An anthem sung in stone, a poem wrought in marble!”

– Mark Twain

I walked to the ledge for the angel-like view before me. It was a picture perfect day with spectacular vistas of the city and even the snowcapped Swiss Alps in the distance. There was still much to see and do in Milan. But, for the moment, I was in no hurry.

For further information about travel to Milan, logon to Turismo Milano.

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