Charm is more valuable than beauty.
You can resist beauty, but you cannot resist charm.

Further, one says that charm is not easy to attain. Some are born with it, others conjure it, several aspire for it and many practice it. And it need not exist merely in people, but also in places. Which brings me to my love in Milan, and to the sultry Armani Hotel Milano.

The hotel and its epic golden style, glinting in the dark of Milano’s epic nights, is a pristine and minimalistic rendition of luxury. Think marble, gold, metallic linings and pristine tapestries. The location is in Quadrilatero della Moda, the famous fashion district which is a few steps from the bustle of via Montenapoleone and via della Spiga, where the Tiffany clad hands thud onto storefronts with AmEx Black cards.

With a lifestyle manager as a concierge, I was immediately whisked to the spa and pool for a rundown to prepare me for the glinting nights. With a hot and cold pool and views of the city, it was a place to unleash those cravings and meet like minded strangers who were all too keen to explore the Italian fashion capital of the world.

What I found most fun was the nooks and crannies, like the views from the roofs, the morning coffee served with a signature “A” sugar cube, the charming staff, and of course, the regulars at the pool and spa.

While not at Milan Fashion Week, I could be found slurping through the drinks at the bar, or whisked away into nearby streets to catch up with comrades, lovers, and Italian strangers with a penchant for one thing: class.

Ciao.