Business Enquirer Issue 110 | Crowne Plaza Milan City | February'23

A UNIQUE OFFERING IN MILAN’S FINANCIAL DISTRICT

CROWNE PLAZA MILAN CITY

A Unique Offering in Milan’s Financial District

After welcomed investment from the City Council, Milan is swiftly becoming a contender for the most popular city break destination in Europe.

Traditionally known for being a business traveller hotspot, postcovid, the Italian city is also seeing an increase in tourists both international and domestic.

In May and June, Milan’s tourism and hotel sector saw it compete in popularity with the likes of Florence, Venice and Rome. Reflecting this are the results for Crowne Plaza Milan City (part of InterContinental Hotels Group, IHG), which saw a 30-55% increase in bookings in May-June 2022, as well a 25% increase in November.

Meeting the demand, Crowne Plaza Milan City is making some impressive renovations to the hotel, due to be ready for guests in March 2023.

ARTICLE WRITTEN BY: LAURA WATLING

A City With Plenty To Offer

“Thanks to investment from the city council, Milan city has undergone radical

CROWNE PLAZA MILAN CITY PROJECT DIRECTED BY: JAMIE WAITE

transformation, which has enabled increased trade and diversification in the region,” shared Crowne Plaza Milan City’s Director of Sales and Revenue, Fabio Bettinelli.

The investment has seen core development of the city as well as the urban areas, transport and sustainability. Fabio explained how this has not only improved the region for tourists but the Milanese locals, also.

The Crowne Plaza Milan City’s core business is made up of 55-60% business travellers, and the remaining 35% is tourists.

No matter what brings you to Milan and

despite being known as Italy’s industrial and financial centre, there is plenty for visitors to see.

“Milan is a historic city, the cathedral, the galleries and the canal offer a lot of culture,” shared Fabio, who has been based at the Crowne Plaza Milan City since its opening in 2008, “there is plenty of restaurants and bars to enjoy whilst taking in views of the city, something which we hope to attract more guests of at the Crowne Plaza”.

And for those looking to hit the shops, you won’t be disappointed. Gucci, Armani, Valentino, Versace, Prada and Dolce & Gabbana are all HQed in the city.

THE CROWNE PLAZA CITY MILAN IS LOCATED IN THE HEART OF MILAN, A FEW STEPS FROM CENTRAL STATION AND THE METRO

Exceeding Expectations

Based in the financial district, the Crowne Plaza Milan City is well situated for anything guests wish to do with their time in Milan.

Directly outside the hotel is a metro which takes travellers to the heart of Milan in six minutes. It is also walking distance to the train station - where you can take a train to the likes of Lake Como - and easy access to the airport.

“One of the USPs of the hotel is that we have secure parking for our guests, something which can be difficult to find in cities such as ours,” explained Fabio.

The four-star hotel features the Metropolitan Restaurant and Metropolitan Lounge Bar for both hotel residents and the local Milanese to enjoy.

Chiara Salter, Project Director at Business Enquirer, had the opportunity to experience the hotel, and described the food as “like no other four-star experience, it was on-par with fine dining and went above and beyond our expectations”.

“We recognise that people living in and visiting Italy are looking for hotels to meet, relax and enjoy aperitifs, so we are expanding our services in that area to meet demand,” said Fabio.

A mission reflected across all IHG hotels,

the Crowne Plaza Milan City understands the importance of offering a fantastic experience for its guests.

“I believe it is down to offering the extra, fine details,” explained Fabio, “we have a stunning property and a great location, but all of that is surface level if you don’t underpin it with a fantastic service”.

From Chiara’s experience at the hotel, the mission has certainly been achieved. “The service was impeccable. All of the staff we interacted with were very friendly and couldn't have done more for us,” she said.

In addition to the dining and drinking options, the hotel also features a Wellness Corner on the 9th floor, with a fitness area, steam room and sauna, which is included in guests’ stay and offers fantastic views of the city.

Renovate to Celebrate

Celebrating 15 years in 2023, the Crowne Plaza Milan City has big renovation plans to celebrate.

Plans are underway to redesign the hotel’s lobby, as well as a restyle of the rooms to include decor upgrades in the bedroom

and bathroom areas. The fitness area will also undergo development to make it larger, to match demand.

“The two most exciting parts of the hotel’s renovation is the work we are undertaking on the outside area,” shared Fabio.

The Crowne Plaza Milan City are currently building a unique offering for a Milan city hotel - an outdoor swimming pool. “We believe this will be a point of interest for tourists,” continued Fabio.

In line with the addition of a swimming pool, the hotel is redesigning the outdoor area, which will offer activities for both hotel residents and its Milanese guests.

The renovation of the hotel is anticipated to be complete by April 2023, in time for the summer season.

Minimum Churn, Maximum Impact

A testament to IHG and the management of Crowne Plaza Milan City, 90% of its staff have been at the hotel since it launched in 2008.

“IHG have done a lot of work to improve its culture, and it does feel like we are all part of the wider IHG family,” said Fabio, “there is opportunities for all staff to develop, undergo international training, travel within IHG and understand how the industry works”.

“IHG and the Crowne Plaza Hotel offer its staff a career with a progression path. If your colleagues are happy and proud of the work they do, 50% of the work is done. This will also be reflected in the service they provide to guests,” he continued.

Fabio is a great example of progression, starting his career in the industry as a hotel night porter. He undertook further roles in reception, housekeeping and then moved into the commercial side.

He joined the Crowne Plaza Milan City, a purpose-built hotel, at its inception, starting as resident manager, moving into sales and revenue management. His role

Director of Sales and Revenue, Fabio Bettinelli

now covers both the Crowne Plaza Milan City and two sister hotels in the city.

“My experience across the industry has taught me that contact with the guest is vital to building a successful hotel business. I am delighted that my

colleagues at the Crowne Plaza Milan City all understand the importance of this connection, which provides guests with a memorable stay. The renovation project which will be complete in 2023 will only uplift this experience further,” shared Fabio.