On the scene: Hotel Principe di Savoia, Milan

This glorious grande dame feels - metaphorically if not literally - like it's on top of a hill, the centrifugal force around which the whole of Milan spins. All roads seem to lead to the Principe. It is an institution. Owners of hotels may come and go, but a hotel - its tone, its style, its atmosphere - is crucially made up by the people who work in it. Other places may have high standards of service, but in Milan this is the mothership. Right now the guests are evolving; it's an evermore interesting mix. Rappers tattooed in lyrical poetry with significant entourages rub shoulders with portly captains of industry. In the lobby, still the place to be, eat all day and all night (thin-crust pizzas laden with fresh tomatoes; generous gins with a splash of tonic) and watch the scene. By evening make a beeline for the bar. It's one of those safe havens where everything's totally tribal. Regulars migrate to their own seats, beautiful girls waft about and everyone sneakily steals a peek at everyone else. It's the cosiest way to spend an evening in Milan, sipping Aperol Spritzes garnished with olives the size of your fist and trays of tiny toasties on the side. The bedrooms are generous on every level: six pillows on the bed; heavy curtains to shut out the light; floor-to-ceiling windows when you need to let it back in; bathrooms stuffed with Acqua di Parma potions. Milan can be an austere city, but here it feels as if there's something soft in the air.

Website: www.dorchestercollection.com
Price: Doubles from about £255

This feature was first published in Condé Nast Traveller June 2015

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