IHG Hotels and Resorts has opened the first property under its Voco brand in Italy.
The 280-room Voco Milan-Fiere is close to the capital’s main airports, Linate and Malpensa, and has great access to Milan city centre and some of the city’s key business hubs including the Milano Innovation District (MIND), the Milan Exhibition Centre and Milano Convention Centre (MiCo).
Rooms and suites feature a sleek and modern design with alternating shades of grey and blue (the brand colours), bright pops of yellow, and soft furnishings. Greenery and natural wood have been incorporated into the public areas in order to blend the interior and exterior.
Sustainability features include bedding made from 100 per cent recycled materials, eco-friendly large toiletries from plant-based organic skincare company Antipodes, digital menus, the use of glass over plastic, and an electric heating system.
In keeping with the brand, guests will receive a welcome treat upon arrival at the hotel. Paying homage to the famous Italian Amaretto liqueur which hails from Saronno, an area near Milan, guests will receive a homemade Saronno Biscuit – a delicacy made from flour, butter, sugar and almond essence.
The hotel also has its own onsite Congress Centre with seven meeting spaces, all of which feature natural light, high-tech equipment and free wifi. The centre can host up to 630 people and has a grand foyer and an 812 sqm terrace for outdoor events.
When it comes to F&B venues, the hotel has two outlets on the ground floor: On Fire Grill and Lounge, which focuses on locally sourced and seasonal ingredients cooked on an open grill, and Ludico Drinks, Food and Play, which is a lounge-style area with an all-day menu, cocktails, and a gaming area complete with a pool table, electronic dartboards, and multi-game video machines.
Leisure facilities include a fitness room and a wellness area with an indoor pool, sauna and Turkish bath.
Paolo Tirelli, hotel manager at Voco Milan-Fiere, commented:
“We are excited to be the first voco hotel in Italy and bring a new hotel offering to Milan. Originating from Latin, the name ‘voco’ means ‘to invite’ or ‘call together’ and that is exactly what our hotel offers guests – access to an abundance of work and meeting spaces at the same time as an array of onsite facilities and amenities for that much needed me time.”
The Voco brand launched in 2018, and has around 20 properties open worldwide so far, with seven of these in the UK in locations including Oxford, Reading, Cardiff and Solihull.
Last year IHG announced plans to roll out the brand in the US, with The Franklin New York becoming the first property to join the collection in late 2020, and forthcoming hotels in New York City, St Augustine (Florida) and Columbia (Missouri).
