The What to do in Milan post isn’t ready yet, so I will begin with where we stayed and then give you the scoop on Italy’s second largest city soon. (Update! My Milan experience post is live.) After our two days in Italy, I’m glad we went there, even if getting there was a major struggle. When we decided where to stay in Milan, we chose the Ibis Milano Centro. Honestly? It all came down to price.
If you’ve been following along with my October Eurotrip, you might be surprised to see this abrupt departure from quaint half-timbered houses (1, 2, 3 & 4). In somewhat of a spontaneous decision, we decided to head back to the USA by flying from Milan instead of the obvious Frankfurt, Paris or Berlin.
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Location
Choosing Ibis Milano Centro came down to one thing: price. Milan is a big city and not a particularly cheap one at that. One of the world’s major fashion hubs, looking at lodging in the very center of town near the Duomo quickly priced us out. We were able to widen our geographic parameters and found this chain hotel in the Lazzaretto neighborhood. It was right on the trolley line and not too far from the Repubblica and Porta Venezia metro station.
The room was small by American standards but larger than other European chain hotels I’ve stayed in. I liked the contemporary interiors; I could tell that the hotel gets refreshed frequently. If I remember correctly, the bed was queen-sized, with about 2 feet (60 cm) on either side.
Our room was outfitted with a large flatscreen TV. I really enjoy watching foreign TV, especially cooking shows at the end of a long day. The small wardrobe would have been nice if we were staying longer. As it was, we hung up our jackets but the rest of our clothes didn’t leave the suitcases. I was glad to see a safe although I don’t really travel with valuables.
The bathroom was fairly standard with a modern look and a spacious shower with good water pressure. Always a plus at the end of a 2-week trip.
The lobby and common areas on the ground floor were really stylish and inviting. There were plenty of computers in the business center. The staff was exceedingly helpful even with something as small as helping us print our boarding passes.
We did not try out the restaurant in the hotel because we were too excited to get out into Milan and eat in the heart of the city. However, the menu and prices looked good.
I highly recommend this hotel if you are headed to Milan. In fact, I recommend the Ibis brand, one that Americans may not be familiar with but is far-reaching in other parts of the world. Sometimes a chain hotel is what you need as far as price, comfort, and predictablilty.
