Not every hotel in Milan begins as a carefully planned business project. Admiral was founded in 1972 by Cav. Luigi Dell'Orto, and since then it has remained in the hands of the same family, now in its third generation.
Admiral Hotel Milano opened in 1972 in the Sempione-CityLife area, at a time when this part of the city was still linked to Milan's historic fairgrounds. From the start management was family-run: a characteristic the hotel has kept to this day, distinguishing itself from chain properties.
As early as 1973, one year after opening, Admiral entered the Michelin Guide, where it has been listed continuously ever since. In the same period the hotel was recognised among Italy's best three-star hotels by Gambero Rosso, before moving up to the 4-star category.
Through generational transitions, the Dell'Orto family has kept direct management of the hotel, gradually introducing the identity that characterises Admiral today: 60 themed rooms dedicated to cinema, sport, music, motors, fashion and comics, designed to tell something more than a simple stay.
In 2023 Admiral's renovation project received the 1st Prize Life Style Hotel from Dudan Design. In 2024 Regione Lombardia awarded the hotel the Historic Quality Hotel prize, a recognition reserved for properties that have preserved their identity over time.
Admiral's link with sport, entertainment and pop culture, visible today in the themed rooms, is not a recent marketing exercise: it is rooted in the hotel's own history and that of its guests over more than fifty years. Guests staying at Admiral today find this story told in the themed rooms and in the hotel's shared spaces.