Rubinacci wrote me back and that was exactly the case problem solved. I definitely wanted the shirt-like sahariana, I don't know what a jacket-like sahariana is.

I found a web site for that shirtmaker so problem solved. But your answers are so on-point and un-evasive I have to thank you again. Not typical iGent behavior. People's guardedness about info was the main reason I got tired of corresponding with iGents on the web like Michael Alden, it got old.

While I don't doubt one can run up a bill, the price of 500 euros for a shirt including VAT and 4500 euros for an overcoat including VAT, is just "big city prices", not as expensive as Siniscalchi (700 euros) for shirts for example, or your preferred tailor Musella Dembach, for coats (6500 euros without VAT). Not price shopping really. I have a tailor and a shirtmaker I am happy with (the latter is Buggelli in Florence, the tailor is one of the few remaining well-known workshops in the USA). I just want to try local artisans it's fun.

Maybe we should get back to luxury hotels rather than clothes?

RichardInSF, moderator, luxury hotels

Okay: where should I stay, the Palazzo Parigi or the Hotel Grand? I can't afford the Park Hyatt, Four Seasons, Bulgari or Mandarin Oriental. The idea is to be close to shopping and dining. I also will take large advantage of the concierge, personal shopper and spa. I will be just hanging out shopping and soaking in Milanese style.

Stayed at both last summer and liked both. The "hard product" at PP is really stunning imho and beats GhedM easily.
(When we have been there the SPA / Pool wasnt open yet, so no comment on that, but I guess it didnt turn PP for worse...)
We had 1 dinner recommodation from the PP concierge which satisfyed us.
Breakfast in their lovley garden... awesome !

We had a junior suite at the GHedM which I think was a very good mix of old and mondern elements.

Locations wise its a win for GHedM which is directly at via Monte Napoleone. PP is about 500meters away. We didnt mind the 5min walk...
( I guess if it would be moved 500m closer to duomo / shopping it would be same price league as MO,FS, Armani Bulgari etc...)

I would go for PP, which gave us a "wow" couple times but it wasnt really that there was something wrong with GHedM.

PS: I heard the Restaurant at PP isnt as good as the rest of the property... we didnt try. I think they had a guest chef from somewhere end of last year/ beginning 2016... no clue what the actual situation is like.

Easy -- Palazzo Parigi.

Thank you for that detailed comparison that is awesome!

I'd tend to agree on the fact that you might want to go for the Palazzo Parigi. The building is very grand and many parts of the hotel have a wow factor including the restaurant, the lobby and some of the suites. the GHedM is tired in my opinion but some like it very much. In this kind of style, I would always go for the Principe di Savoia instead. That's a wonderful hotel where I've never been not satisfied. The breakfast is one of the best I've ever had in the world. They have a free limo service to Via Montenapoleone every 30 minutes.

You know I considered that hotel first (the Principe) but the location concerns me, I imagine I will be spending an hour per day going and coming from that location.

Stupid question: is there an intelligent way to use Trip Advisor reviews? Some of them are really awful. Also short of personal wealth, is there a "trick" to getting a decent rate especially at independent hotels like the Palazzo Parigi?

Another stupid question: is there an "industry standard" for Milan insofar as how far in advance to make reservations to get the best price?

A good travel agent and/or LHW leaders club Access or Unlimited.

The Principe di Savoia is one of the best values in a luxury hotel I've ever gotten. Under 300 euros for an unforgettable building and perfect service.

My only disappointment was with the restaurants; Italy is basically one giant restaurant yet the PdS didn't quite measure up. Overpriced and not all that great.

I usually apply the law of averages. Those hotels that have a lot of positive reviews should usually turn out to be better than those lower rated. My travel experience thought me that this is generally true.

We're currently staying in Palazzo Parigi in a Deluxe Suite, courtesy of my new bestest friend in the entire world, Besvisor, who got us upgraded once again. The guy must have dodgy photos of all the hotel owners in a drawer somewhere in his house. When I get married, I am going to make him my best man, whether he likes it or not.

We were debating between FS and MO, yet decided on Palazzo down to the good deal they had in place, along with the fact that their spa looked amazing. Well it isn't amazing: it's mind blowingly good. Any sane hotel would put their spa and pool in the basement, as you cannot put rooms down there, but Palazzo Parigi decided to put it on the 3rd floor and offer outdoor lounging areas and gardens to go with it. So not only did they forego the revenue of the rooms, but they added in lots of areas that make no revenue at all. A truly special place. So special that they only open at 9am, clearly to limit the amount of specialness in the day.

We decided to go for a tour of MO and FS as well, just to see what we had missed out on, and we both felt the room at Palazzo was superior to either properties, although I would say the food (we had lunch) at FS was considerable better, and the service felt far more refined. We saw the same room category and were not impressed, especially with the balconies just starring at a wall and being separated from your neighbour via a see-through group of plants. MO, we found immensely unimpressive and would not stay there; the FS had such a more laid back feel, with friendlier, knowledgable staff and better spa facilities compared to the MO, but I would still likely pick Palazzio Parigi in future visits to Milan.

Our suite has a large balcony looking into the city and views down into the hotel garden below, with separate living room, huge wardrobe space and a pretty darn classy bathroom. The only negative is the sliding doors that of course were going to make noise whenever you used them, so of course were a bad idea for separating the bedroom from the other rooms. The Internet is also so slow that you may not see this message until 2020.

For breakfast, they offer a rather pitiful buffet and a good a la carte selection, which had boiled eggs for �8, scrambled eggs for �10 and fried eggs for �16. I imagine there's a red panic button in the kitchen they hit when someone orders the fried eggs, as it means they have to wake up the head chef to make them, hence the premium. Still, it's not �22 for a coffee, so it's actually a solid deal.

Service, I'm undecided on. Excluding the doormen being useless, there isn't much negative to say, but there isn't a whole amount of positive either. FS treated us better when we went for a lunch than I've felt from the staff here. Still, who needs staff when I have this pool?

Some pictures, with lots more on the way: