In the 1950s post-war years in Italy it was all about recovery and social redemption. And so an architectural identity was reconstructed to overcome the rationalism of an era that had just ended and that needed reinterpretation.
It was in this context that the Hotel Ariston was built in Milan in 1954, designed by architect Giovanni Pellegrino.
The Ariston was Europe’s first ecological hotel
The Hotel Ariston was flanked by a similar building by the same architect, and together they are the two Romanesque towers of the old city walls of Milan. The hotel was bought in 1979 by Francesco Vitrano Catania and Girolamo Calandrino, two Sicilians whose first foray into the world of hotellerie this was. Totally renovated in 1991 the Hotel Ariston was the first ecological hotel in Europe, and in 2005, the founding partners were succeeded by their daughters with the hotel continuing to put respect for the environment at the heart of its philosophy.
An exciting new venue in Milan’s Carrobbio district
In 2020 administrators Vincenza Calandrino and Giovanni Bonaccorso embarked on a further renovation, again on the theme of sustainability. The idea of a conservative restyling of the hotel's internal structure, which began in 2020 and will be completed in 2021, respects its history while maintaining its same green spirit. The entire forecourt has been redeveloped with new greenery, an outdoor bar and a dehors for aperitifs with gourmet food tastings. Soon this exciting new property in the Carrobbio district will be an elegant venue combining Milanese tradition with the lively hospitality typical of the South of Italy.
