Queer travel expert Jack Kenworthy turns 250+ city adventures into your guide for safe, vibrant, and inclusively fabulous global journeys.
Don’t be fooled by the grandiose architecture and high-brow crowds – Milan is Italy’s fashion capital, offering a rocking nightlife and amazing queer energy that makes for some of the best gay hotels in the world! Although it is known to locals and travelers from abroad as one of the most important fashion destinations in the world, the beautiful expanse of Milan continues to surprise new arrivals again and again with how much more there is to the city than just runways and expensive stores.
Certainly, that air of aristocratic luxury continues throughout many of the city’s main common spaces and even its historically significant sites such as the Duomo Cathedral and the Opera La Scala, but upon second inspection, one can find a depth and a beckoning invitingness in it that causes people of all shapes and sizes to fall in love with the city and never want to leave.
Although Italy may have a reputation for being somewhat traditional and heated as a country, when it comes to Milan, all of these expectations fall by the wayside. Queer people can live just about as open and proud as they’d like, and visitors and critics alike can agree that the feeling of freedom is intoxicating.
Don’t just take our word for it, though – the city has made more than enough official declarations to strengthen its position as a hub for queer travelers. This dedication was broadcast to the entire world thanks to the 2020 queer rights and tourism convention Iglta. The convention finished the job that decades of gay tourism had already started and marketed it forever as a top-shelf LGBTQ+ travel spot.
Although the city’s old gay hotspot centered around the Milan Central Station may have been somewhat left behind in the 90s, the undeniable wave of queer attention that the city has garnered in recent years has helped the local gay community to move over into the Porta Venezia district, where one can find an absolute bonanza of gay bars, clubs, and chic hotels.
The city certainly has more than its fair share of queer-specific saunas, party locations, and even cruise clubs – that’s right – but in most cases, the hotels we’ll be covering in Milan won’t be specifically targeted towards gay people or queer travelers in general.
We know that, and therefore we’d like to note that the hotels on this list follow the same logic. Most of them have been listed as accommodating, friendly, and unjudgmental to, for, and by queer people in general, as well as being highly rated.
So, if you’re ready to get spruced up and make a grand entrance into one of the fanciest, progressive cities in the entire world, find yourself an invite to one of Milan’s amazing gay street parties, pack your very best change of clothes, and get ready to be dazzled by this wonderful city and the top eight gay hotels in Milan!
In this article we will cover...
Hotel Sanpi Milano
Just as Milan is a unique city that has an amazing array of advantages to offer gay travelers and those looking for a wonderfully queer time, the Hotel Sanpi manifests a good portion of the best factors that it has to offer and presents them all in one convenient, centrally located, and easily accessible package.
This location goes directly against the warning of our little disclaimer earlier by widely opening its arms for gay holidayers to make it their temporary home and boasts a full four stars and a top-shelf service reputation.
Aside from its appeal to gay holidayers such as yourselves, the main appeal of the Hotel Sanpi is its location – situated within five minutes of the Milano Porta Venezia train station for maximum movement convenience and not that far away from all of the major tourist destinations even if one goes there by foot.
The hotel’s district is the heart of the city, so one can expect just about everything that Milan is famous for and has on the show to be available without much effort while you’re staying here. The world-famous Pinacoteca di Brera art gallery is within easy walking distance, and the Duomo di Milano church is even closer than that.
Long words made short if you’re looking for an explicitly queer-friendly hotel that goes above and beyond all of the averages both when it comes to hotels in Milan and even locations internationally, then this is the place for you.
The Hotel Sanpi is a generally-appealing queer haven if there ever was one, and the last thing that you’ll have to worry about while staying here is being harassed or feeling less than welcome, thanks to the staff’s treatment of or disrespect for your identity.
Hyatt Centric Milan Centrale
What better way to move forward deeper into the entrancing streets of Milan and its queer offerings than with a Hyatt hotel – one of a series of locations known worldwide for the quality of their service and their untouchable air of luxury?
In trend with the quality of the rest of Milan’s accommodation locations, the Hyatt Centric Milan Centrale doesn’t let down on its franchise’s reputation for a single second and instead rises to be perhaps one of the most exclusive and refined examples of the brand that we’ve ever had the pleasure of including into one of these lists.
That’s just the effect that Milan has on hotels, as you’ll soon find out by diving further through the locations we’ve selected here. All of this only adds to the Hyatt Centric’s excellent location – two kilometers from the Sforza Castle and three kilometers from Milano Centrale.
The city of Milan is notorious for being a bustling if still classy and cultured metropolis, and as such, it’s understandable that you might want to have a bit of time away from it all after a long few hours out on the city’s streets or a night spent immersing yourself in its unique night culture.
If this is the case for you, then you will be beyond thrilled to learn that the Hyatt Centric Milan Centrale is home to a quite expansive spa facility – perfect for guests looking to put their feet up, enjoy peace for a while, and get back the energy that they’ve spent in wandering through the city.
The hotel is also home to an amazing dining atmosphere thanks to the in-house restaurant and bar ensemble, as well as the lounges and public spaces that sit along its halls and lobby.
Mandarin Oriental, Milan
We know that we spend a sizable amount of time speaking praise for the Hyatt hotel that came before this location, but we promise that the quality of the Mandarin Oriental franchise – while maybe not so internationally known – is most absolutely up to the scratch of the Hyatt name.
One could even say that its mark of luxury is even higher, and this fact is well represented by the fact that the Mandarin Oriental Milan possesses both that coveted fifth star and a price tag that would make even the savviest of spenders and business travelers just a little bit faint. But no matter how much damage on the wallet those rates may look like at first, we promise that the returns are most certainly worth the investment.
The other hotels on this list excel in their niches, but this location is truly the end-all of the entire city for absolute luxury, decadent service, and relaxation. Although it’s a Mandarin Oriental, and although the location has five stars and is amazing on top of all that, the most amazing thing about this hotel is the sheer attention to detail given to every tiny detail of its amenities, spaces, and services.
It’s the least that one can expect with those expansive room rates, but to boil the level of luxury and the perfection of the service provided here down to ‘the least that one can expect’ would be truly criminal.
In truth, even with that factor taken into account, and even with sky-high expectations, the Mandarin Oriental Milan still manages to impress guests to no end and is everything but assured to take you and your holiday experience over the moon and back.
Straf Hotel & Bar
A member of the Design Hotels group, a collective known for putting together some of the most inventive and intuitive places of accommodation of our age, the Straf is… different. After such a high-rising location as the Mandarin Oriental that came before it, the Straf Hotel and Bar is a breath of fresh air for queer holidayers looking for a bit more casual and relaxed accommodation expression.
Excessive luxury isn’t for everyone, after all, and it can get a bit tiring, especially when one comes to a city with a mind to immerse themselves in its night culture and downtown scene without having to feel conscious about the highbrow nature of where they come back to sleep every night.
The Straf Hotel and Bar may only have four stars to its name, but, as has been shown time and time again by other quality places of accommodation, a lack of stars very often does absolutely nothing to take away from the quality that a hotel stands to present to its guests or the standard upon which it should be estimated.
Although it’s relatively humble when it comes to the level of extravagance it displays, the Straf Hotel and Bar is located in the very, very center of Milan in what the locals know as Zone I, and it is here that one can find some of the most important sites in the entire city.
The landmark Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II shopping mall is just a minute or two’s walk away, and the Piazza della Scala in the true middle of the city is even closer than that. There’s a wide range of fast food joints and restaurants nearby, and that’s just the start of the opportunities unlocked by the Straf’s guests.
Starhotels Ritz
A strong member of the local Starhotels franchise, and a perfect all-rounder for queer holidayers coming to Milan without a clear direction on what they want to do while they’re in the city, the Ritz is located right in the center of Milan and is surrounded by its innermost ring and the city’s central retail district. The hotel itself is a four-star luxury establishment and boasts a customer reputation that is nothing short of definitely indicative of a caring, invested service mentality.
Although it may not be the fanciest, the best catered-to, or the most glamorous hotel on this list, the balance of all of those things is one of the reasons why the Starhotels Ritz has still earnt its place on this list and is ground upon which you can build your entire visit to Milan.
What is a well-planned holiday without access to services and a great location amidst your destinations, after all? The Starhotels Ritz isn’t just good regarding the general appeal, either. It also has a fitness center to cater directly to those looking to keep their regimens up or to let out a bit of energy working out, and it also has wheelchair-accessible rooms for those with special mobility requirements.
However, suppose you’re more interested in sitting down and getting something nice to eat rather than working it off. In that case, you’ll be glad to learn that the Starhotels Ritz is home to its very own restaurant and bar ensemble, much like the rest of the hotels on this list.
Also, that is surrounded by some of the best eateries in the city and enough cafes and bite shops for you to get just about anything you’d like to fill your stomach and give you enough energy to explore Milan twenty-four-seven.
Hotel Garda
This gay hotel is, without a doubt, one of Milan’s best affordable. We’ve gone through more than a fair share of top-shelf luxury hotels in this list already, and as such, it’s about time that we come to something that suits the need of our budget travelers.
This is the hole in the diversity of our list that the Hotel Garda fills to a tee, and with no sacrifice to accommodation quality either. The Hotel Garda maintains a healthy three stars despite its extremely affordable rates and is just as involved with the city’s nightlife and unique energy as any other location.
Although the main selling point of spending your hotel in Milan at the Hotel Garda may be that the hotel is affordable, that doesn’t mean that this location doesn’t have a few more surprises up its sleeve than just that. There’s fresh breakfast served every morning, an airport shuttle service offered for guests looking to and fro from the city’s international travel hubs, and terraces for that perfect eyeliner shot over Milan’s tallest buildings.
The bar and culinary services at the Hotel Garda are considered top-of-the-line, as are the seating amenities and hangout spots scattered throughout the hotel. This establishment is a true socialite’s heaven, and you may very well find yourself enjoying the nightlife inside the hotel just as well as the one outside of it if you catch the right times of the year.
Nevertheless, suppose you’re truly determined to leave the Hotel Garda behind. In that case, you’ll be happy to know that the appropriately-named Centrale metro station is a mere minute’s walk away from the city’s center and that from there, one is placed in the very grasp of Milan and even its most far-flung outskirts.
Magna Pars Suites
Known in full as the Magna Pars L’ Hotel à Parfum, the Magna Pars Suites perfectly fit this list of gay hotels in Milan. Many of the locations featured on this list have characterized their shades of luxury and exemplary service, but none have come quite as far or catered to the needs of their guests as far as the legendary Magna Pars Suites do.
The service at this hotel is on point, and every single inch of the suites and their surrounding building is equally exclusive and stunning.
Some of the high points that customers found satisfying when it came to the Magna Pars Suites were the sheer spacey atmosphere that the hotel harbors, the quality of its common spaces, and – of course – the comprehensibility of its spa facilities and its wonderful restaurant. The restaurant in question is named the Da Noi In Milano and is known to be an incredibly classy location to tuck into some top-shelf luxury cuisine.
The Manga Pars Suites are just as popular with couples as they are with single travelers, and the sheer size and quality of the individual rooms mean that you’ll have nothing short of an isolated paradise to enjoy if you intend to choose the hotel as a romantic hangout spot for yourself and your special someone.
The Suites may not be explicitly LGBTQ+ friendly, which is also true for the vast majority of the other hotels on this list and in Milan in general, but any worries that guests could have about their safety while staying here as a gay couple is easily done away with in the face of the hotel’s strong service reputation and knack for making customers feel welcomed and respected regardless of sexuality and wealth.
NH Collection Milano Porta Nuova
Although it’s just a tiny bit of a step down from the Magna Pars Suites before it, and also down in rating back down to the comparatively humble level of four stars, the NH Collection Milano doesn’t take these factors as an excuse to let its guests down in the slightest and makes up for the edge of one star by nearly halving its price in comparison to earlier hotels.
Although a large amount of this hotel’s appeal comes from the sheer quality, design, and service availability of its rooms, a few on-paper benefits that affect the entire hotel and its common spaces include the NH Collection Milano’s daily complimentary breakfast, its proximity to public transport, and its overall dining experience.
This last factor can be easily attributed to the hotel’s in-house restaurant and bar ensemble, which is fittingly high-tier and on par with the rest of the location. There is also a fitness center if lifting weights and keeping your weight stable is your thing, and an airport shuttle service if you don’t plan on hiring a car or using public transportation to get to and fro from the hotel and other main travel hubs.
There’s nothing quite like a hotel that’s there to step up and be useful when you need them – in this case, even before you arrive at its front doors!
The NH Collection Milano Porta Nuova is unfortunately not marked as LGBTQ+ friendly – much like the Magna Pars Suites that came before it – but just like that other supremely luxurious location, this hotel remains just as strong when it comes to equal treatment as it does in regards to the quality of its accommodation, and the hotel’s quite impressive service rating on all major platforms stands as a direct testament to that fact.
Gay Hotel Map Of Milan
Feeling a bit lost while planning your journey to Milan? No worries, darling! Our detailed LGBTQ+ tailored map is here to guide you. We’ve pinpointed all the vibrant gay-friendly bars, exhilarating clubs, extravagant parties, cozy hotels, relaxing saunas, and soothing massage parlors to ensure you find the perfect spot.
And these aren’t just any spots; we’re talking about the creme de la creme of locations in the heart of the city’s vibrant gay scene. Think panoramic views, easy access to nightlife, and all the amenities to make your stay as comfortable and enjoyable as possible.
But hold on to your feather boas! These hot spots are fabulous; they vanish quicker than a drag queen’s five o’clock shadow. Don’t delay; book now to secure the best deals and locations. Remember, the early bird catches the best deals in Milan! So, pack your rainbow flag, and get ready to experience the ultimate gay-friendly holiday in Milan.
