Lady LUX

When you’re away from home, there’s no place like somewhere that makes you feel you’re there. And being surrounded by great design (even if it is temporary) helps to soften the blow of being out of one’s bed even more. Leave it to the whimsical Italian clothier Moschino to come up with the next great hotel, Maison Moschino, located in Milan. Italians are known for their design flair and the elements on display at the new hotel firmly cement them as one of the global leaders of that pack. Pillows shaped like pastry and rooms with themes that would make Alice sit up and take notice make this the next talked-about haunt for world travelers. After all, who wouldn’t like falling asleep on a strawberry tart?

Opened this past March 1 on the Viale Monta Grappa 12, the hotel is situated in the heart of the bustling city, known for its attention to design and fashion. During this year’s Milan Fashion Week, a red-carpet runway show was held to pump up interest, with models strutting out of the entrance, luggage in hand, as if just coming from a Maison Moschino stay. Art and architecture abound in its midst as well: the Santa Maria del Grazie, the church that has The Last Supper painted on its dining hall back wall, the opera house Teatro Alla Scala, and the Duomo di Milano cathedral are all right nearby.

Maison Moschino was built in a reconstructed railway station, originally erected in 1840. The four stories house 54 rooms and 15 suites, with rates beginning at 270 Euros a night (that’s $334.74 by today’s exchange rate), a bargain as far as upscale accommodations are concerned. Complete with the Clandestino Milano restaurant and Culti Spa, it ranks as the new boutique hotspot.

The hotel is a living embodiment of Surrealism, evidenced most in its utterly delightful rooms, where the invocation of Alice could not be more apt: Each room is named, one for the little girl who fell down the rabbit hole, complete with a teacup table and singular large light bulb lamp. Getting your zzzzzz’s will be a no-brainer in the zzzzzzzzzzzzz room, where one slumbers away underneath dancing z’s that hang in the air above the bed. A bed of roses comes alive in the, well, Bed of Roses room. One can sleep in the shadows, in the forest, or on a ballgown—literally. If soothing colors are more your speed, try the Gold, Blue, or Wallpaper rooms for their monotone magnificence. Fairytale reigns as the thematic element all around, comfort enough for weary travelers who are happy to let their dreams take flight.

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Tagged in: luxury travel, milan, moschino, boutique hotels, maison moschino,