happytrailstoyou

We will be in Milan for two nights in May, 2008, and are looking for a three- or four-star hotel that is well situated for enjoying the city. Any suggestions?

Dayle

Hi happy,

We stayed at Antica Locanda dei Mercanti a few years ago (2000) and were very happy with it. It's on a quiet pedestrian only street on, if I remember correctly) the 4th floor of an historic building. It's one of those where you enter through the gigantic outer doors that have a little door within. Tiny, old elevator.

I think they are a 3 star. Very small rooms and baths. In fact, the smallest bath I've ever seen in 4 trips. But - divine, comfy beds and linens, helpful desk staff. Breakfast is optional and brought to your room. Great location, easy short walk to the duomo, the Galleria, La Scala, and the metro.

They are very prompt in answering e mails.

Buon viaggio!

randola

we stayed at the hotel napoleon and i advise not staying there!! staff was very unfriendly and indifferent,breakfast was so-so at best and pretty skimpy, there was major construction going on and twice we got splashed with water from the power washers.

Jean

Are you aware that the difference between a 3-star hotel and a 4-star hotel has nothing to do with how "nice" or luxurious the hotel is or even the nightly rate? The number of stars relates to the number and type of amenities offered. Unless you need on-site parking, a fitness center, a business center, in-room or wifi internet access, room service, etc., which are the types of amenities that bump a hotel into the 4-star category, you would probably be quite happy at a 3-star or even 2-star hotel.

Better to give us your budget and the list of sights you want to see.

happytrailstoyou

Really? Googling, I found a definition more in keeping with my experience in many years of travel: <i>The star classification system is a common one for rating hotels. Higher star ratings often indicate hotels with higher levels of luxury available.</i>

The AAA Diamond system follows the pattern you suggested.

I am quite happy with one- and two-star hotels when there is a view of a lake, ocean, mountain, desert, etc. out my window, but not usually in a large city.

Jean

Were you Googling the Italian hotel rating system or European rating systems or rating systems in general?

While it would seem logical that the more the stars the higher quality of accommodations and greater return for the money, that is not universally the case in Italy.

Check the rankings on tripadvisor.com, and you'll see #1 (Park Hyatt at $898) is a 5-star hotel, #2 (Lancaster at $196) is a 3-star hotel, and #3 (Starhotels Anderson at $377) is a 4-star hotel. The Park Hyatt has a list of nearly 20 amenities, and the Starhotels Anderson has a list of 24 amenities. If you need babysitting services, shoe shines, fitness center, business center, event planning, 24-hour room service, etc., these two hotels sound lovely. If you need a good hotel with uniformly positive reviews, then the Lancaster sounds like a steal in comparison to the other two.

But you can spend your money however you like. It's your vacation!

happytrailstoyou

Thank you to those who suggested hotels to book and to avoid.

mflickermd

My husband and I loved the Spadari.Its right next to Peck, a fabulous deli and gourmet food and wine store.It is within walking distance of everything you would want to see and a nice breakfast is included.The concierge was also extremely kind and helpful.I hope this helps.

happytrailstoyou

Spadari sounds lovely, but it's a little pricy, and Lancaster seems to be a great value but not perfectly located for a short stay of sightseeing.

Do you know anything about Gran Duca di York?

jkstrouse

I can recommend Antica Locanda Leonardo: www.anticalocandaleonardo.com/en/index.htm

I've stayed there twice and have been very happy with it. It's about half a block from Santa Maria delle Grazie and the Last Supper, and maybe a 15- to 20-minute walk to the Duomo. It's also just a few blocks from the Malpensa Express (the train to the airport). The rooms are nicely decorated and very clean; some of them look out on a nice interior courtyard garden. The family who runs it is friendly and helpful; they booked dinner reservations for us and also reserved our Last Supper tickets. It gets generally good reviews on TripAdvisor, too. Hope this helps!

taylor326

I stayed at the Gran Duca di York in July 2006 and it was an excellent choice. Very well located, near the Duomo, the Opera House and walking distance to the Mona Lisa. The rooms were pleasant and the staff very nice and helpful. I would definitely recommend it.

Neil

We stayed at the De la Ville two years ago (based on its recommendation in Karen Brown's book). Very nice, and a wonderful location, just a two minute walk to the Duomo.