Vittorio Emanuele II (Ii) travel tips

One of the Italian design capital’s top hotels, Park Hyatt Milan, is celebrating 20 years of hosting both locals and guests with the completion of a multi-year transformation.

For travellers planning a culture-focused adventure, as hubs of human creativity, cities are the best place to start. From Milan to Riyadh, Budapest to Shanghai, the world abounds with buzzing metropolises, each offering something unique in the cultural sphere. Some cities function as living galleries in themselves through city-wide street art or award-winning architecture. Others offer artistic ways to explore history and culture, from immersive exhibitions to forward-thinking initiatives. But whichever you choose, you'll find inspiration on every corner. Here are five of the best.

It's an early spring morning in Milan. The cosmopolitan hub of Italy's north is awakening with a shot of espresso. Many are bleary-eyed after a whirlwind week celebrating the Salone del Mobile, the world's largest furniture-and-design fair. Outside Palazzo Serbelloni, I'm standing in a queue that's snaking around the neoclassical palace. If its weathered stucco walls could talk, they'd tell tales of the palazzo's notable inhabitants, including Napoleon Bonaparte and King Vittorio Emanuele II. Yet this crowd of international and local style setters and design aficionados (mostly in smart sneakers, not the suede loafers of yore) isn't searching for history; it wants to see something new. And Milan, which suddenly feels like the most forward-thinking city in Italy—a place of big ideas, investment, and innovation, busily spouting new subway lines, cutting-edge hotels, and infrastructure ahead of the 2026 Winter Olympics—is more than ready to oblige.

If wellness is defined as “a holistic integration of physical, mental, and spiritual well-being, fueling the body, engaging the mind, and nurturing the spirit” then you could say Italy is the ultimate wellness destination. With its alluringly slow pace of life, seasonal cuisine, strong family ties and the importance of balance in all things, there’s a reason Italians have one of the longest lifespans on earth. It is a destination that celebrates beauty and pleasure, while favoring balance in all things. Work hard, and then indulge in a well-earned vacation. Work out, and then enjoy a bowl of spaghetti by the sea.

One of Rome’s most storied hotels has recently undergone a show-stopping renovation, just in time for the record crowds flowing into the Eternal City this year.