An appreciation of authentic experiences developed during years of travel and study at Glion has informed alumnus Filippo Brivio Sforza’s philosophy for his new hotel venture. We spoke to him a few months after its opening to find out more.
As any seasoned traveler knows, there’s a big difference between being a tourist and seeing a country from the viewpoint of a local. With the launch of his new design hotel Casa Brivio in Milan, alumnus Filippo Brivio Sforza (pictured left in our main image) is aiming to bridge that gap.
The Milanese hotelier spent many summers abroad while in high school then spent a gap year in Australia, so he already had an acute understanding of the nature of travel before arriving at Glion. But it was being on campus with people from all over the world that really kick-started his passion for gaining a deeper understanding of different cultures, something that has influenced his outlook ever since.
Now, with the opening of Casa Brivio, Filippo is giving guests the opportunity to experience Milan through the eyes of a local and get a genuine flavor of what it’s like to live in one of the design capitals of the world.
Mi casa su casa
“Milan is an amazing city that has a lot of history, so it’s something I wanted to celebrate with Casa Brivio,” says Filippo. “The philosophy behind the hotel is that we want to welcome guests into an authentic Milanese house.
“That’s why we have opened in a building in this part of town, which is not a typical tourist area but where people from the city live. And why we worked with a local architect and design house to ensure all the details are authentic and reflect the city’s cultural heritage.”
Filippo has also included a hand-drawn map in every room that shows guests the places in the neighborhood where locals go to eat, drink and spend their money – the kind of outlets tourists would never find unless they were staying with a Milan native.
What adds to that sense of authenticity is the incredible attention to detail shown by interior designers – also from Milan – Matteo Thun & Partners.
“We were lucky to have the opportunity to work with Matteo Thun,” adds Filippo. “Our original plans were to open earlier, but if we had stuck to that timetable, they wouldn’t have been available. As it is, the Covid crisis meant we had to delay things. It also gave us the chance to properly reflect on what we wanted to do with the place.
“The interior is a homage to the golden age of design from the 1950s and 1960s. When I was at Glion, I researched design hotels and most of them were quite modern and included pieces from all over the world. Here, we wanted to be more faithful to the city we live in. I was aiming to give guests a special experience – not just a place to stay, but an authentic introduction to this amazing city.”
Opening challenges
Having now been open officially since April 2024, Casa Brivio is already delighting guests and gaining valuable feedback from them. But according to Filippo, getting to this stage was quite a journey.
“If you asked me ‘did everything go smoothly?’, I would say no,” he says. “Like with any opening, there can be issues and we definitely experienced a few. But thankfully, we were working with professionals who understand the need for flexibility and are patient.
“So while we didn’t open when we originally planned and there were problems during the construction phase and with the production of the furniture, the important thing was we remained focused on the end goal. It’s a super stressful experience and that’s why it’s important to keep reminding yourself of what you’re trying to achieve. I remember it being mentioned many times at Glion that opening a hotel is equivalent to five years working in a hotel and now I understand that all too well.”
Experience to overcome
As well as making sure he was under no illusions about the challenges of entrepreneurship, Filippo’s Glion experience provided other useful lessons that have helped shape his approach since graduation.
“Being around people from other countries while on campus genuinely influenced my outlook,” he says. “I was a kid when I arrived at Glion and it really opened my eyes to the different cultures and values people have. Not only that, my experience there taught me many things that have been incredibly useful ever since, including how to present yourself and how to speak in front of other people.”
Alongside the soft skills he developed, a Glion hospitality education also instilled in Filippo an appreciation of the value of hard work.
“Hospitality is a broad industry so, of course, you gain a wide range of knowledge studying it,” he says. “At Glion, you learn about how the different parts of this industry are related and get the opportunity to work in them as well. But what’s really helped throughout my career so far and definitely in the opening was not what I learned in class, although that was useful. It was that you have to work hard to reach your goal. It doesn’t matter how intelligent you are or how much you know, hard work is the only thing that pays off in the end.”
An eye on the future
Having achieved his end goal of opening Casa Brivio, Filippo has set his sights on further developments at the hotel and potentially further afield.
“Although Casa Brivio has opened, I don’t consider the project closed,” he says. “We have a bistro coming either next year or in 2026 and we’ll also be opening an event space. Following that, we’re looking into building gym and spa facilities too, so this is very much a work in progress.
“That’s not all. We’re considering another branch here in Milan, because we feel ready following the successful launch of this one. But my dream is to expand into other countries. Style and design are two of the things Milan is famous for around the world – it’s one of the reasons people come to the city as well – so why not take this concept abroad? London, Paris, Madrid and maybe Los Angeles come to mind.
“Of course, that’s something for the future and it will need time and local partners too. Traveling is not the only thing that’s better when you’re being guided by someone who lives there.”
Photo credit
Casa Brivio interiors: Marco Bertolini
