The Excelsior Hotel Gallia has finally opened, at a busy time in the history of Milan, just after the Salone internazionale del Mobile and only days before the opening of Expo Milano 2015. Presented by Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, it is part of a multi-million euro investment by the Group (with a number of partners) in redevelopment of a number of iconic hotels under The Luxury Collection brand. This beautiful hotel, first opened in 1932 under the name “Palazzo Gallia”, has been restored to its original splendour in a part of the city which has played a key role in its history but continues to evolve today, right in the centre of the Porta Nuova district. The building is owned by Katara Hospitality, and the meticulous restoration project was overseen by Marco Piva’s architectural studio in Milan. The architectural and interior design restoration project was intended to reconcile today’s aesthetic tastes with the hotel’s original Belle Époque style, with interiors recalling the Milanese lifestyle and timeless elegance of the Art Deco age. The architectural studio also created a unique collection of artworks, paintings, photographs and sculptures for Hotel Gallia. The lighting project is one of the highlights of the new hotel, featuring natural and artificial light effects that underline the hotel’s historic rooms and magnificent glass façade. A spectacular light fixture 30 metres high, created by De Majo out of Murano glass, welcomes guests in the foyer with a cascade of 180 cylinders of light illuminating the historic seven floor staircase.
“Excelsior Hotel Gallia is a magnificent property that has undergone a meticulous renovation and strategic expansion that marries contemporary design with the hotel's belle époque architectural style, ensuring that this remains as one of Milan's historic landmarks.”
Sheikh Nawaf Bin Jassim Bin Jabor Al-Thani, Chairman di Katara Hospitality
“This Luxury Collection hotel is one of Katara Hospitality 's flagship international investments and we are proud of what has been achieved together with our partners such as Starwood. Excelsior Hotel Gallia is a true reflection of our vision to ensure the heritage of such iconic properties continues around the world.”
Hamad Abdulla Al-Mulla, CEO e Board Member di Katara Hospitality
The contrasts characterising the new Excelsior Hotel Gallia are generated partly by the building’s very composition: the original historic building has been completely restored, with the addition of a new wing with a big modern façade of glass and steel that fits perfectly into the city around it. Marco Piva’s studio created the Gallia Lounge and Bar and a Cigar Room on the ground floor. The flooring in the reception area and lobby is in Brown Antique marble with silver inserts; B&B Italia worked on the set-up of the public areas, using materials such as aluminium and glass in addition to marble. Cassina furnished the 235 luxurious rooms, including 53 suites. The richest of these is the seventh-floor Katara Suite, one of Italy’s biggest presidential suites at 1,000 square metres, with four bedrooms, a private spa and two patios. The Gallia Suite also features luxurious finishes and a loggia with historic columns and statues, from which guests enjoy a splendid view of Milan’s Central Station and the impressive piazza before it.
The other 51 suites are designed according to five different styles (Executive, Signature, Design, Art and Atelier). Five of the Design Suites are dedicated to five people from Milan who made outstanding contributions to architecture and design: Vico Magistretti, Achille Castiglioni, Giò Ponti, Luigi Caccia Dominioni and Franco Albini. Excelsior Hotel Gallia now has its own covered “Promenade”: a 100 metre long walkway with little shop windows recalling Milan’s famous Via Montenapoleone. The ground floor of the new building contains meeting and congress rooms, with 12 meeting rooms totalling 1,000 square metres and 700 square metres of foyer, including a big ballroom for about 400 people. The new hotel also hosts Italy’s first Shiseido Spa, on the sixth and seventh floors. The many outstanding services offered by the new hotel also include Terrazza Gallia Restaurant and Rooftop Cocktail Bar, run by award-winning chefs Enrico Michelin and Roberto Cerea.
