MILAN — The Milanese community and tourists in town can count on a brand-new beauty and wellness destination.
Named Retreat and nestled in Via Merlo 1, a stone’s throw from the city’s center and its crowded shopping streets, the new hot spot is the brainchild of Elisa Lainati, founder of the Milan Retreats company that operates more than 100 apartments scattered around the Italian fashion capital.
Retreat’s opening comes as a natural evolution of the services offered by Lainati’s hospitality venture founded in 2014, which aims to provide guests with tailor-made stays and customized experiences ranging from private tours to personal chefs.
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With the same approach, Retreat was conceived as an exclusive location welcoming little groups to yoga and Pilates classes, opening fitness sessions up to maximum four people per hour, in addition to offering advanced facial and body treatments in single cabins and a private suite intended for couples.
“The initial spark came from yoga, thanks to a conversation with an Indian master who wished to see in Milan a spot that was authentic and [loyal] to the discipline’s tradition,” said Lainati. “My experience added to this starting point: so to offer not just premium homes and services, but foster an overall improvement of one’s lifestyle,” she added about the holistic vision she wanted to imprint in this business extension.
In a refined space with minimal interiors envisioned by architect Luigi Bulgarelli and mixing Milanese Ceppo di Gré stone and tobacco-hued durmast oak elements, a maze of different rooms lead guests to the Cryovis cryo-suite; a private spa with separate sauna, hammam and jacuzzi, as well as a gym furnished with Technogym machineries, such as the company’s newest one for the Pilates Reformer practice.
Retreat also introduces SurfFitness with the CTS Method, a dynamic format of functional training inspired by surfing and aimed to train balance, strength and concentration.
As for brands partners, Retreat teamed up with Lululemon for technical gear, Biologique Recherche for face treatments and Factory SPA for the tech-advanced ones for both face and body.
Treatments are priced between 120 euros and 250 euros, while the fitness offering can be tailor-made via different solutions, from single sessions to 10-lesson packages up to memberships for a combination of multiple services.