Room Mate Giulia – Milano

hospitality. The third Italian hotel in the international chain Room Mate opened its doors in Milan in 2016. The premises of Room Mate Giulia are housed in an early 20th century building a stone’s throw away from Milan Cathedral. Designed by adopted Milanese, Patricia Urquiola,  the hotel reveals its close relationship with the  history and appearance of its surroundings. Every detail seems to originate from a reference to Milan or its region: the dominating shades of green, blue and pink; the terracotta, and the tiles with their 3D effect on the curved wall of the lobby, the pinkmarble of the Cathedral on the floors.The rooms are colourful, fresh, imaginative and welcoming, with their Tartan carpets, geometric pattern fabrics and, particularly, in the choice of furnishings: blending among original pieces by Patricia Urquiola are a number of 1950s and ‘60s design classics which in turn sit comfortably beside examples of contemporary design. On the walls, the photographs, illustrations and artwork are strictly Milanese.Divided into five categories and all different, the 85 rooms share an essential style and exquisitely intimate nature. The guest is treated like a visiting friend who feels perfectly at home in his room. Each room reflects a typical Italian home interior reinterpreted by mixing vintage, a touch of industrial, as in the gilded metal cupboards, shelves and tables, and the padded headboards, while the wallpaper and curtains feel distinctly geometric. The rigour and humour characteristic of this city are immersed in a contemporary atmosphere that does not deny its past.The same blend of different languages extends to the bathroom, where mirrors hang from leather straps and the tone is set by glossy black and red ceramic washbasins, designed by Patricia Urquiola and expressly made by Agape.