Milan Central Station will host the first Italian luxury hotel within a railway station. The project transforms the former Burger King spaces into a 5-star facility
Milan aims to join an exclusive club. The Central Station, symbol of the city designed by Ulisse Stacchini which will turn one hundred years old in 2031, will become the first Italian station to host a hotel inside. The spaces until recently occupied by a Burger Kingevicted in the operation that brought Cova to the station, together with the upper floors that had remained empty for years, they will be transformed into a luxury accommodation facility.
A project that places Milan in an elite international trend. In the world, similar examples exist only in Londonwith historic St. Pancras, and in Tokyo with the Tokyo Station Hotel in Marunouchi airport. Behind the operation there is collaboration between Large Retail Stations And Pacini Groupa company already known in the high-profile hospitality sector. Work has already begun, although the opening date has not yet been announced.
The transformation project
The choice of partner saw the participation of over fifteen international operators selected by Grandi Stazioni Retail and coordinated by the team Hotels by Cushman & Wakefield. In the end, Pacini Group prevailed, which will manage and market the hotel, defining its positioning, concept and international orientation. The specific hotel brand still remains a secret.
The architectural design is entrusted to the Milanese studio RMA by Roberto Murgiawhile the interiors will be taken care of by Studio Marco Pivaspecialized in combining contemporary luxury and respect for the historicity of buildings. «Bringing hospitality to an iconic place like the Central Station means having respect for history», explains Emidio Pacini, CEO of the group, «uniting contemporary vision and attention to the needs of an international clientele”.
Pacini Group has been operating in the luxury hospitality sector for over twenty years, with a portfolio that includes The Pantheon Iconic Rome Hotelinspired by the temples of antiquity, The Goethe Hotel always in Rome, and Rota Palace in Venice. The group also manages starred restaurants such as Idylio by Apredaentrusted to the Campanian chef Francesco Apreda.
From the station to the neighborhood
The operation represents a fundamental step in the transformation of the Central Station, which from a simple transit point evolves into a multifunctional hub where quality services, catering, shopping and now also integrated hospitality coexist. A model that demonstrates how the large Italian stations are changing their skin.
The change will also extend externallywith the regeneration of Piazza Luigi di Savoia which, once the construction sites are unblocked, will benefit from the new office skyscraper planned in place of the demolished Hotel Michelangelo. Milano Centrale is becoming not just a gateway to the city, but a destination in itself.
