ITCobianchi day hotel
The first Milanese day hotel was opened in 1924 by a Bolognese businessman, Cleopatro Cobianchi, with luxurious furniture and finishings: precious marble, prestigious crafted furniture, glass and ceramics and brass fittings reminiscent of that era, from Liberty to Dèco.
View historical photos of the Milanese Cobianchi which we were kindly allowed to publish by Mrs. Laura Bolognini Cobianchi.
The idea of uniting personal care and wellbeing services under one roof, such as bathrooms, showers, hairdressers, barbers, manicures, dry-cleaners, umbrella hire or hat maintenance, as well as selling train, theatre and telephone tickets, was a resounding success.
In 2003 the premises of the former day hotel were converted to host the Tourist Information and Welcoming Offices.
The project, which was entrusted to the Benevolo studio, aimed to preserve the original style, an example of which is found in the entrance located under the porticos in Piazza Duomo.
In January 2007 the Tourist Information and Welcoming Office left Palazzo dell'Arengario (which will host the new Museum of the Twentieth Century) and moved to the former Cobianchi day hotel.
In April 2008 the Cobianchi premises were further renovated: the area underwent further changes to also become an "urban lounge", an interactive, multifunctional area prepared to become one of the symbolic locations in promoting tourism in Milan, in view of Expo 2015.
Today, as in the past, this area is available to tourists and citizens, blending tradition and the contemporary with the creation of the new events area.
