My reception at the Hotel Principe di Savoia was flawless. A tall, virile young man in a stylish winter coat opened the limousine door, helped me out, and warmly welcomed me to the Hotel. Without delay he escorted My Dearest and me directly to a receptionist, who quickly completed our paperwork, swiped My Dearest’s black card, and escorted us to our room. The receptionist gave us a personal tour of the room demonstrating the lighting, heating, and other systems and, before departing, offered us refreshment. Meanwhile our bags were whisked out of the trunk of the limousine and delivered to our room within minutes of our arrival. Aspiring hotel managers around the world: report to the front of the Principe and take notes. This is how guest reception should be handled.

Throughout our stay the service was outstanding. The concierge desk was always well-staffed, so I never needed to wait for a concierge to help me. (If you stay at a big city hotel with just one lonely soul behind the concierge desk, hotel management has decided to fund their bonus pool by making you wait.) I called housekeeping several times with various requests. For every single request, someone arrived at our room within three to five minutes. Gold medal!

The bathroom was close to perfect. Walls covered with lovely marble tiles in a rich mixture of colors and patterns. Double sinks, so My Dearest could shave without getting in my way. Acres of counter and shelf space for my gear. Large mirrors everywhere. One of the nicest illuminated magnifying mirrors that I have seen. It was super focused, clear, and bright. Acqua di Parma toiletries – among my favorites!

Thick towels hung from a towel warmer. In my experience hotel towel warmers are either so cold you could use them to make cocktail ice (I’m looking at you, United Kingdom) or so scorching hot you could use them as a branding iron. The Principe towel warmer was perfect, heating my towels up to just the right warmth. Plus there were no impertinent signs ordering me to curtail my towel usage in order to save the polar bears. Instead, fresh towels were delivered without question twice each day. Heaven! (Polar bears: goodbye, it’s been real.)

One criticism of the bathroom. There was no shower stall. Instead the shower was combined with the bathtub. This was annoying. The bathtub was narrow, so my movements were constrained when I showered. The shower screen on the side of the tub leaked onto the floor. Plus the surface of the bathtub angled steeply towards the drain, so with every shower there was a risk of slipping and cracking my head on the lovely marble. People, install proper shower stalls! To make room for them, just rip out the bidets. You won’t need them in the future. With their new 75% tax rate French people are not going to be staying at the Principe any time soon.

The bedroom was a showpiece! Rich fabrics everywhere: on the furniture, the bed, the floor, and the walls. Thick satin curtains with hand-made tassels. Bright, thoughtfully located lights. Art that was both tasteful and cheering. A firm mattress covered in high-end Italian cotton sheets.

One criticism of the bedroom. Much of the furniture was covered in veneers with fake wood inlays. While real wood inlays are divine, fake wood inlays make me fume. There is nothing wrong with simple hardwood furniture. If your furniture budget won’t go the extra mile for real wood inlays, why taunt me with the fake stuff? Plus, I can understand using fake wood inlays in just one piece of furniture, as an accent, but there simply is no need for fake inlays in pretty much every wooden surface in the room’s furniture.

The closet was a work of art! Brightly illuminated, so that I could see my clothes as they hung happily on the thick wood hangers. Mirrors on the inside of each closet door so I could model my clothes without running into the bathroom to use the mirror. Lovely cabinetwork with glass fronted drawers so that I could see my stuff without opening the drawers. Kudos to the closet team!

The Principe location was excellent. It’s a hike from the Duomo, but (a) I didn’t go to Milan to stare at some church, (b) the Duomo swarms with newbie tourists and the con artists who prey on them, and (c) if I never see another cathedral in my life I will try not to sob aloud. The Principe lies some distance from DaVinci’s Last Supper, but it’s not on my bucket list. If it’s on yours, take a taxi. Vastly more important, the Principe is just a short walk from Via della Spiga, dense-packed with melt-in-your mouth gorgeous fashion and leather goods boutiques.

The Hotel bar was edgy , sophisticated and fun! A dramatic room with its own DJ and a striking chandelier. The cocktails included flawlessly executed classics and imaginative house specialty drinks. Often house specialty cocktails are too sweet, syrupy, and one-dimensional. The Principe specialty cocktails that I tried were refreshing and subtle blends of flavors. While My Dearest and I enjoyed our drinks, the bar staff heaped a variety of snacks on our table. Many of these were too heavy and doughy to properly accompany the delicate flavors of the cocktails. People, reboot the bar snacks starting with some caper berries and crumbles of aged parmesan cheese.

Acanto Restaurant disappointed me. The room strives for urbane glamour with polished marble, chrome, and glass all around. The menu includes loads of expensive ingredients. Legions of staff in designer clothing pranced around. The wine list ran on for pages. But the place lacked soul. The food preparations were comparable to what appears in pretty much any sleek big city five star hotel restaurant. While the food was competent, it was neither ethereal nor clearly rooted in the culinary traditions of Milan. The service lacked a personal touch. My advice: skip Acanto and ask the concierge to recommend one of the excellent traditional Italian restaurants in the neighborhood.

In summary, Hotel Principe di Savoia is outstanding! I had a few minor complaints. With the Principe’s focus on customer service, I am sure they will be fixed in time for my next visit.