Hotel Straf Milan Luxury Hotel

Detailed Review

In the heart of Milan, there is a new design hotel: the Straf. An inspired fusion of Italian fashion, original design and elegance, with the latest technology and impeccable service. You could not wish for a better location: the building is situated in the very heart of Milan, only few steps away from the Duomo Cathedral, the Galleria, La Scala Opera House, the shopping district and the fashionable Via Montenapoleone. The old façade dated 1800, contributes to create an unusual contrast with a minimalist design.

Its 66 Rooms and Suites fuse the best of design and functionality with a maximum comfort in a relaxed atmosphere marked out by rare materials. The architect, Mr. Vincenzo De Cotiis, also fashion designer of Haute collection, has followed this project choosing unusual materials, such as scratched mirrors, burnished brass, iron, black stone, cement and gauze placed between panes of glass to give a transparent effect.

The Lounge Bar is the hang out choice for people seeking a stylish yet relaxed setting with an unconventional atmosphere. A Gym featuring state-of-the-art-fitness equipment is open to hotel guests 24 hours a day.

Press Quotes

"This sleek boutique hotel has small but cozy rooms in a 19th-century building just around the corner from Prada and Missoni." New York Times 07

...loose-weave beige cotton throws and panel blinds, precision bedside reading lights and large, stand-alone ceramic sinks." The Independent 05

Independent Reviews

Hotel Straf
By James Wallman

Five minute’s walk from the Brera and from the Quadriletra d'Oro, and moments from the people and pigeons on the Plaza del Duomo, the hotel’s quiet side street feels like an escape. Through a double set of 12-foot tall glass doors and a music-filled antechamber, you enter a minimalist lobby of raw materials in beige, black and gold.



Originally a palazzo built in the 1880s and formerly an ‘ordinary’ hotel, the Straf is a striking architectural anomaly, deliberately designed to feel not quite finished by Vincenzo de Cotiis, an haute couture fashion and interior designer who had never created an hotel before.



There’s lots of concrete. On the floor it’s polished, on the walls coated. Black burnished steel panels are prevalent too, adorning opposite sides of the lobby’s square columns. The other faces are cotton gauze, ripped and backlit behind glass. The reception desk is resplendent aged brass.



As elsewhere in the hotel, the designer cool is offset by warmer elements. Under a glass courtyard are low-level beige sofas and brass “square C”-shape reading tables. Behind are two ten-foot by six fibreglass rectangles, sinuous side showing, in brick red and old gold.



Staff – though their English may not be perfect – are unerringly friendly.



Aperitivo snacks, such as chillied olives and pizza pieces, are served from 6-9.30pm each night in the intimate Straf Bar, a street-side watering hole frequented by sunglass-wearing locals.



Hotel guests tend to be similar – photographers, models and smart businesspeople all passed through the lobby when I was there. Famous guests include Avril Lavigne, Moby, John Malkovich and porn star-cum-politician, Cicciolina.



Rooms
The 64 rooms follow the designer’s vision on one of two paths. Lighter rooms’ floors and walls are concrete in the bedroom, brass in the bathroom. Its golden surface is given instant history by watermarks, and these are reflected in aged mirrors overlooking bath or shower. Darker rooms – which may be too gloomy for some – have shiny black, textured slate floors. Bathroom walls are gun-metal burnished steel. Each bedroom is adorned by a vast canvas board plastered with orangey-red or Granny Smith green stucco. Mirrored walls add light and a sense of space. As well as fascinating to look at, rooms are user-friendly. There are loose-weave beige cotton throws and panel blinds, precision bedside reading lights and a TV that doubles as a stereo. Once you choose a song, it plays on a loop until you choose another. In bathrooms are large standalone ceramic sinks and red ‘Straf’ on black packaging, cooler-than-thou toiletries. Suites on the sixth floor have balconies, with views of the Duomo. Room options include beds in the centre of the room, Japanese massage chairs and chromatherapy treatment – light panels on the ceiling whose colour you choose to manage your mood.



Come for:
- A first weekend away: if he/she’s not impressed by the décor, it’s time to move on



Not suitable for:
- Those who find modern design cold
- Those looking for opulent Italian design



Eating in:
- Breakfast features parma ham, pineapple, papaya, strawberries and kiwi fruit, as well as Italian coffee and three types of honey: lime flower, acacia and chestnut
- As well as the nightly aperitivo, the bar serves simple food, such as risotto milanese



Eating out:
- Serious posing at the Just Cavalli Café and a nearby Nobu



© Travel Intelligence. All rights reserved

• The Straf
  By The TI Review Team

  The façade of Hotel Straf was built at the end of the 18th century, but what lies behind is pure modern Italian design. Open for less than two years, this eye-catching hotel was the creation of Vincenzo de Cotiis, designer for the prêt-a-porter fashion house Haute, and the constantly rotating artwork in the lobby has been chosen to reflect the most important events in the city – Women’s Fashion Week, Men’s Fashion Week and Design Week.
  
  
  
  This is a boutique hotel extraordinaire and the stylish design is complemented by a superb location on Via San Raffaele, just yards from the steps to the Duomo. Throughout the hotel you'll find unusual materials such as rough and polished concrete, burnished bronze and quarried slate, all selected for their natural colours.
  
  
  
  Rooms are surprisingly intimate, despite the industrial overtones. Décor varies from room to room, with unusual details such as scratched mirrors and sheets of pale gauze pressed between plates of glass – another of de Cotiis’s unique inventions.
  
  
  
  Healing plays an integral role in the Hotel Straf experience and guests can book special “well-being” rooms, which have Japanese massage chairs and chromotherapy points in addition to the standard features. To complete the sensory immersion, order essential oils from reception using the conveniently provided Aromatherapy menu. Alongside the hotel is the similarly stylish Bar Straf, a local favourite for lunch and aperitivo.

  © Travel Intelligence. All rights reserved

• "A haute design hotel by Vincenzo De Cotiis, of scratched mirrors, burnished brass, black stone and an eclectic buzz."

  TI’s pick of the designer hotels in Milan – not an easy call in the world capital of design. The Straf wins on points – it’s so cool, so conceptual and severe, and yet so user-friendly. A real experience.