HostelBloggers

Milan Day 2 - A long day working

Silvia and I start day 2 in Milan with a meeting with Marco at the Hotel del Corso. Marco comes around from around the counter and starts his questionnaire and conversation with Silvia. We had to give ourselves our own tour because of the lack of personnel working, which seems to be the norm in Milan. Ladies were cleaning the bedrooms at the time but they looked very impressive and the bathrooms was very spacious and highly modern. Lean back after a long hot summer day in Milan in your fully air conditioned room and enjoy your personal mini bar The breakfast area is amazing - everything you need is in there from toasters to a microwave….this place is a cut above anything that we’ve seen so far. Oh! did I mention that your breakfast is free…enjoy! A great spot filled with all the modern features of your 3 star hotel and more. Located in central Milan on a side street, of Via Buenos Aires, which is a bonus because you’re away from hearing all the hustling and bustling sounds of the traffic. All rooms are en suite and contain air condition which is very important in Milan on days above 35 degrees like we ventured in.

As we enter the lobby of Hotel Serena we meet Leopold, who loves to speak! After ten minutes he asks if I can speak Italian and I just smile and say no, he continues in Italian. He brings us up the stairs of this small reception area to the breakfast area that also features a terrace. The rooms are air conditioned, clean and quite comfy. It’s actually a one star hotel, but it feels much more like a two star. They’ve done some encouraging renovations and do have an elevator, which is very classy for the physically challenged.

A Crowed Hotels Zone

Our next stop is Hotel Bernina, which surrounded by another 10 hotels within two blocks. To the left of the very large reception is the bar and lounge area which is kept separate, and towards the right of the reception are two computers for internet use at 3 Euros for every ½ hour. We met Alex and he sat us down in another lounging area and Silvia questioned away. We make our ways to the rooms and the also contain the basic necessities for all 3 star hotels, except this includes a safety deposit box in the room. All the rooms were very clean, colour coordinated and air conditioned. It’s a very good hotel that caters to spacious lounging with guests and city friends. Hotel Bernina offers free local newspapers in their lobby for guests and comfortable and modern seating to read.

Next up is Hotel Due Giardini, a place with personality, smiles and a beautiful garden. We’re greeted by Anna Maria and Biagio; they have us seated and offer us drinks. Just outside is a beautiful garden with seats and tables to enjoy your meals from the outside or even from the bar. Not all the rooms are air conditioned and the option comes with a price tag, but the rooms are very clean. The reception is 24hrs and they like all hotels in the area, there’s no curfew but that doesn’t mean you can bring outsiders that you’ve picked up into your hotel room. This is very much frowned upon in Milan, unlike most destinations. But at least you can wake up to a free breakfast with the sounds of their two birds happily chirping away.

As soon as we reached Hotel The Best Filippo had spelt coffee on his shirt and didn’t seem to be in the best of moods, but was doing his best. The reception is open 24 hours and caters to those taking advantage of their no curfew policy. They’re currently renovating all of their bathrooms and it should be finished in about 6 months.The rooms were very basic and imply that they sell everyone on the terrace, which if I didn’t mention it is occupied with statues, ceramic animals and outdoor tables and chairs.

We are very Hungry

We’re hungry, we’re tired and we were offered warm soda and water at Hotel Durante. It was funny because Mr Wang did it with a smile he spoke in English and was very generous with his water. Silvia had just purchased her laminated Italy World Cup Champions poster and was all smiles as she sat and talked to Mr. Wang. On the tour you realize why the rooms are very roomy but the washrooms are very tiny and don’t look overly comfortable. There a yard of to the side of some of the rooms and two rooms actually come with a balcony. During the summer months they have some long timers that stay during that period. A good place for the extreme basics.

Comprehensive list of Milan Hostels.
For more information on getting around Milan go to ATM