Small Boutique hotels in Milan

Milan may be Italy's second city, but it is the capital of the world when it comes to fashion: numerous international designers have their flagship stores in the Quadrilatero d'Oro, including Armani and Dolce e Gabbana, and its fashion weeks are legendary. Milan is not the pretty Italy of picture postcards, it is a fast-paced, high-powered modern city where the people are perhaps more intriguing than the place.

Although Milan is not considered a city of sights, some of the architectural highlights include the vast Gothic Duomo di Milano cathedral and the Santa Maria delle Grazie church and convent, home of Da Vinci's Last Supper and now a World Heritage Site.

Galleria Vittorio Emanuele is a wonderful 19th century shopping street with an arching cast iron and glass roof; it houses upmarket shops as well as a small luxury hotel. For opera aficionados, the world-renowned Teatro alla Scala and its adjacent museum are also well worth a visit.

For quirkier neighbourhoods, Isola is considered Milan's equivalent to SoHo with trendy design studios and hip bars while the waterside cafes and traditional 'gelaterie' along the Navigli canals are the ideal location for a quiet coffee or ice cream. However, most of the boutique hotels in Milan are found in the centre, within easy reach of its main attractions: people-watching and window-shopping!