Vico Milano: A Cozy-Chic Crash Pad for Design Lovers in Milan

| Mon, 04/14/2025 - 02:45

Bathroom at Vico Milano

Ed.: The Inspired Stays series highlights hotels we love around Italy. Each property is independently reviewed by an Italy Magazine writer, who is generally hosted on a complimentary basis. Our contributors do not accept compensation or gifts in exchange for specific types of coverage. We only showcase properties we would genuinely recommend overall.

Why we love it

It’s quite apt that Vico Milano is accessed through the courtyard of a residential building, because staying here feels more like being a guest at a chic friend’s home than checking into a standard hotel. Though small in size, it’s big on personality.

What to expect

With just seven rooms, Vico Milano can best be described as intimate. Opened in 2021, it has become a point of reference for design-loving travelers seeking an alternative to the bigger brands that tend to dominate Milan’s hotel scene. There’s no front desk; instead, guests are welcomed into the subterranean lobby lounge, where velvet upholstered vintage armchairs, forest green Grecian marble, Chinese antiques, Moroccan rugs and black-and-white photographs create a sophisticated vibe. It feels like a place for Milan insiders.

Background

Vico Milano is the passion project of Neri Baccheschi Berti, whose family also owns Castello di Vicarello in Tuscany. It was once a factory that produced racing bikes, then became the studio and showroom for the Baccheschi Berti family’s fashion brand Bungai in the 1990s. The design reflects Neri’s eclectic taste; he worked closely with Sicilian architect Giuseppe Alito and personally sourced items like the Zellige tiles from Fez and the carpets commissioned for the lobby and suites. All the beds, tables and closets were handcrafted by artisans in Tuscany and Sicily.

Location, location, location

The property is located in a residential building on Corso Genova, between the main sights of the centro storico and the hip Navigli district, which is known for restaurants and nightlife. Corso Genova is lined with shops and is well connected to the rest of the city by metro.

Where you’ll sleep

Six of the seven rooms are two-story duplexes on the ground floor; the remaining room is downstairs adjacent to the lobby lounge. My suite had a loft vibe, with the bathroom, a seating area, wardrobe, and minibar on the ground floor and the bedroom, which looked down onto the lower level, above. I loved the design, especially in the bathroom, which had red Zellige tiles in a herringbone pattern and black-and-white checkered floors, plus amenities like full-sized Aesop bath products and Dyson hairdryers. I also enjoyed flipping through the Louis Vuitton guide to Milan that I found in my room.

Dining & drinks

vico milano — *Cocktails at Vico Milano*

Continental breakfast — served a la carte — is included for all guests. In addition to bread and cornetti, there's fresh fruit, yogurt, granola, and Tuscan pecorino and salumi. There’s no kitchen, so hot items like eggs and pancakes are not available. Suggestions for good restaurants nearby are provided in a packet on the bedside table. The bar serves cocktails, beer, and wine, including a few bottles from the family’s Tuscan estate. After 7pm, it becomes an honesty bar so guests can open the fridge and help themselves to drinks, including pre-mixed Nio cocktails, and pay for them later.

Service notes

Staff are friendly and helpful, but it’s important to note that there’s no one on-site before 8am or after 7pm. If you need to check in outside those hours, you’ll receive instructions for entering the building and your room with a code. Should any problems arise, the staff are just a phone call away.

Spa time

There’s no spa, but there is a small fitness room with Technogym equipment and in-room treatments can be arranged.

Family perks

There’s only one suite that can accommodate an extra bed or crib for a child, but because of the hotel’s small size, they’ve had buy-outs wherein a family will occupy the entire property and kids can wander around without shoes.