STRAFhotel | a member of Design Hotels™

A mesmerizing monument to deconstructivist aesthetics lies mere steps from Milan's Duomo cathedral and La Scala opera house. Italian architect and fashion designer Vincenzo de Cotiis conceived of the hotel as a work of art—a grand scale installation. With bare cement floors and stairs, rooms featuring oxidized brass and split slate, scratched mirrors, burnished iron, and torn, aged gauze captured between sheets of glass, de Cotiis summons an atmosphere of warmth and well-being from scrappy, hard-edged materials. The 66 guestrooms come in either a light or dark color palette and exude intimacy despite (or perhaps because of) the hints of industrial design. While the conceptual design elements of the Straf offer plenty of cerebral delights, there are still many creature comforts to appeal to the senses. The hotel also offers several “relaxation rooms,” which include massage chairs and aromatherapy treatments.

Location 

Milan’s historical and cultural center—Centro Storico, in Zone 1—is a close-knit network of narrow streets that shelters an abundance of art galleries—showcasing everything from the Renaissance to the contemporary—square-side cafés and restaurants, and a world of high-end fashion and shopping, particularly in the Quadrilatero d'Oro (The Golden Rectangle). Nearest Airport: Malpensa Airport, it around 29.3 miles (47.1km) and 56 mins by car. 

Room and Suites 

Blending recycled materials into new surroundings in a concept that shakes up the interior of a 19th century Milan palazzo, architect and artist Vincenzo de Cotiis has achieved his goal of creating a visually striking alternative to standard hotel room design. The Milan architect uses bare cement for floors as well as oxidized brass and split slate in his room interiors. Seven of the 66 rooms include a massaging armchair, and in five rooms de Cotiis has designed a so-called “well-being” corner—here guests can unwind in style but without technological mod cons to disturb them. All rooms offer tactile pleasures in fine textiles, decadent bathrooms, and mirrored surfaces.

Highlights 

Strafhotel is famous in architecture and design. 

VINCENZO DE COTIIS

A minimalist but grand installation within the walls of a 19th-century palazzo, the Straf uses cement and earthy metals to characterize an otherwise warm and inviting space. The hotel’s urban style and the everyday materials used recall the Arte Povera movement of the 1960s and 1970s, whose artists used non-traditional organic materials including slate and wood.

INDUSTRIAL ZEN

Like any good couturier, de Cotiis recognizes that beauty is in the details. Every inch of the luxurious rooms are hand-chosen and made to measure. Simplicity prevails throughout the rooms and suites, with texture paramount. Richly textured paintings add warmth and depth to the cool industrial interior: a raw, eclectic mix of cement, bronze, burnished brash, and gunmetal.