Cutting-edge lifestyle trends converge with old-world-inspired luxury in hotels across Italy, especially in the fashion-conscious north. As Milan is a world design capital and Lake Como and its neighboring towns epitomize a luxury lifestyle, two striking modern design hotels embody this embrace of old and new. NH Collection Milano Touring and Hilton Lake Como’s interiors, amenities, and food are shaped by their respective cultural, natural, and historic surroundings, yet are tailor-made for travelers wanting everything a destination offers right at their front door.

The Italian garden aesthetic and luscious textiles lie at the aesthetic heart of these breezy yet glamorous retreats. Large windows, high ceilings, and unexpected pops of color and texture underscore why Northern Italy appeals to travelers seeking environments that embody effortless travel, personal attention, a sense of place, and beautiful surroundings inside and out, Regardless of whether the trip focuses on business, leisure, or a mix of both, each property delivers a spin on “la Dolce Vita” that is both playful and refined.

At both NH Collection Milano Touring and Hilton Lake Como, you can plan your day just by looking out the window or heading up to the open-air rooftops. The transition between the hotels and the outside world is also seamless. Paths leading from the Hilton to Lake Como’s center benefit from the lake’s expanse and the manicured gardens and trees lining the walkable stretches. At the NH Collection Milano Touring, the Turati and Repubblica metro stations are just outside the hotel, but some of the city’s main highlights are just as close.

However, it presents as a hotel serving the 21st-century traveler who wants to explore and experience, even if he or she is in town on business. The lobby is punctuated with pastel and jewel tones. The arrangement of chairs, sofas, tables, artwork, and accessories gives it a residential feel that is specifically Milanese in how it balances comfort and sophistication. The space is broken down into intimate enclaves suitable for informal meetings, meetups with friends, or a quiet moment to enjoy the art installations or coffee table art books with a cappuccino in hand. 

The bold décor style and garden themes in the public areas are translated through calmer hues into an even cozier setting within the hotel’s 279 rooms and suites. During daylight hours, rooms are bright, cheerful, and offset with large windows overlooking Milan’s most significant landmarks or the skyline of the financial district. The better rooms are appointed with parquet flooring, wallpaper with garden-inspired imagery, a minibar fridge, coffee/tea-making facilities, and a generous marble-appointed bathroom. The home-y feeling on VIP floors extends to the area just outside the elevators, which are always stocked with chilled bottled water and, starting at 5 p.m., cookies, soft drinks, and other snacks.

The hotel’s Camelia’s Yard/Milano Social Bistrò brilliantly multitasks. In the morning, it is a stage for a gorgeous breakfast buffet overflowing with fresh-baked treats and hearty standards. It is a charming full-service restaurant at lunch and dinner, and after dark, the Milano Social Bistrò comes alive as a cocktail bar that offers a solid aperitivo hour with classic cocktails and original recipes perfectly in tune with the garden setting. Dishes such as “Orto di Camelia,” a delicious dish of cooked and raw vegetables, chickpeas, and Taggiasche olives, and “Ri-sotto-marino,” a tasty seafood risotto with prawns, scallops, and mussels, have won a following among residents and hotel guests.

There’s a certain pride of place expressed by the lobby staff with their insistence that Milan is best experienced “like a local.” Once the guest is checked in and caffeinated with premium coffee or tea, a guest relations person will provide a persuasive argument that visits to the Duomo and high-profile monuments are better planned at off-peak times. He or she will steer the guest to Sforzi Castle and its many museums and Indro Montanelli Public Gardens, roughly 25 minutes away on foot via the fashionable Breca neighborhood. The arty-trendy Navigli quarter, meanwhile, is worth several visits for its eclectic restaurants, a fantastic food tour by Eating Europe, and boutiques showcasing the next generation of Milan designers.

Numerous upcycled historic buildings-turned-boutique hotels and restored “grand hotels” are primed to open in 2025 and 2026. However, Hilton Lake Como makes a striking first impression for travelers preferring simplicity in their luxury property. The former silk factory is not just a lodging but a proper gateway to the Italian Lake District and a tribute to Lombardy’s historic associations with the fashion and textile industries.

The result, achieved by Monica Limonta, architect and owner of the hotel, Dario Cazzaniga, and Nessi & Majocchi, complements the lake and mountain landscapes and “Liberty”-style, Medieval, and Renaissance buildings. The architecture wraps the silk factory into a greenhouse, putting guests physically and spiritually in the middle of the area’s splendor. This is especially pronounced in the glass-enclosed lobby and the rooftop with outdoor pool, hot tubs, and Terrazza 241. The greenhouse-inspired bar-restaurant serves signature cocktails—some crafted with Rivo Gin specially made for the property—along with an Italy-focused wine list, classic and plant-based light bites, and sharing platters.

Using Como’s associations with textile production and the elaborate manicured gardens surrounding its many palatial estates as starting points, the hotel’s appointments are curated from nearby manufacturers Poliform, Flexform, Cassina, and Limonta. 170 large, airy rooms, including 19 suites, feature oversized windows and clean-lined furnishings. Ten premium suites in the old factory feature custom-made skylights, putting guests closer to nature. Dark-wood flooring and a color palette of pearly gray velvets, lilacs, green, teal blue, goldenrod, and other silk-inspired shades provide continuity throughout the public and private areas.

On the ground floor, full-service restaurant Satin impresses with a far-above-average breakfast beyond the usual Hilton standard. A rotation of green juice and smoothies awaits guests at the entrance, and the buffet is stocked with top-quality bacon and meats, cheeses, pastries, and warm dishes with subtle yet delicious twists. A daily à la carte menu lists a changing selection of hearty options, vegetarian dishes, sweet breakfasts, and other surprises. Hotel bar Taffeta showcases its own creative cocktails and zero-proof drinks. In summer, its “Streetfood” adjunct is open outside, whipping up pizza, Italian snacks, seasonal libations, and craft beers.

While the hotel also has a good-sized 24-hour gym and indoor pool, the Eforea Spa gives the wellness area local charm through its use of Comfort Zone and other Italian-made skincare lines as well as the floral ‘Acqua del Lario’ fragrance collection for body and home. The signature ‘Deeper Than Deep Hot Stone Massage’ uses Balinese stones treated with frangipani monoi body oil to help relieve tension. Other perks include a pet-friendly policy, free WiFi, electric vehicle charging stations, and astute concierge professionals.

The heart of Como is 15 to 20 minutes from the front door on foot, and the trails leading up to the main dock are gorgeously flanked with landmarks such as Villa Olmo, built in the 18^th century. Other walking-distance attractions include the Volta Museum, Como’s Football Team Sinigaglia Stadium, the Marina serving as a departure point for numerous boat tours, and The Aero Club Como, a century-old seaplane flight school. Como Old Town abounds with top-tier shopping and the Duomo di Como, with nine 16th-century tapestries and paintings by Leonardo da Vinci contemporaries Gaudenzio Ferrari and Bernardino Luini on display.