Scented, Not Stirred: Fragrance-centric LabSolue Bar Debuts at Magna Pars Hotel in Milan

MILAN — Milan’s Martone family keeps expanding the reign of its five-star Magna Pars hotel, a fragrance factory that the family turned into a luxury hot spot in 2013.

After adding the LabSolue artisanal perfume laboratory in 2015, which has attracted hotel guests and passing fragrance enthusiasts to its wide offering of scents and calendar of workshops ever since, the hotel has just unveiled the LabSolue Bar and Roof Terrace area.

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Overlooking the lush internal garden composed of plants used in fragrances, the space features olive trees and climbing jasmines and invites guests to reimagine the Milanese aperitivo tradition via classic cocktails with an olfactive twist. Drinks are inspired by the artistic essences showcased in the LabSolue laboratory or crafted by well-known noses.

Rounded off with a selection of dishes, the menu promises to be ever-evolving, in sync with the seasonal availability of perfumery ingredients. Current examples include the 201 Ulivo cocktail, which nods to the namesake LabSolue fragrance and to the name of one of the suites at the hotel.

The hospitality project was launched to offer a new sensory experience in Milan. Each of the more than 60 suites at Magna Pars is inspired by a floral, fruity, aromatic, woody or resinous notes, with nods to the likes of gardenia, neroli, vetiver, sandalwood and patchouli expressed not only in the scents of the rooms but also referenced in their interiors.

The hotel also features the Da Noi restaurant — also overlooking the internal garden; the Liquidambar lounge bar, as well as a gym and a spa.

Billed as the world’s first Hotel à Parfum, Magna Pars was launched by Roberto Martone, president of leading Italian perfume manufacturer ICR, or Industrie Cosmetiche Riunite, which next year will celebrate its 50th anniversary.

At the time of the opening, Martone said he and his relatives had been discussing the property’s transformation for several years, and were keen to give the location a unique identity linked to the family business.

Martone developed the project with his daughters Ambra — who is also president of the Accademia del Profumo association — and the late Giorgia Martone. The sisters, who represent the third generation of the family-run business, contributed in turning the family’s refurbished old perfume factory into a five-star destination on Via Forcella, in Milan’s design-centric Tortona area.

The sisters were instrumental in integrating the LabSolue laboratory, which became a key destination for those wanting to discover new scents, presented in antique-style frosted glass bottles. Nodding to the family heritage, the space was structured to resemble the Marvin pharmaceutical business established by Martone’s forebears in 1945. In particular, Giorgia Martone was the artistic director of LabSolue Parfume Laboratory — which also opened a door in Rome in 2020 — in addition to retaining the role of creative director at the Magna Pars hotel.

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