Hotel Lancaster - Milano, Italy     

Stayed at the Hotel Lancaster in mid-July, 2008. It was great. Though it is not in the center of the action (if Milan has any action) it is still a great place, Very clean and quiet. Our room had one large bed, sofa, desk, dresser and a small porch. The room was not huge, but very comfortable. The bathroom was very clean with shower, toilet, sink. Plenty of towels, soap, shampoo. There was a hair drier. The walk from the Cadorna train station is 10 minutes. To get into the center of Milan we took the trolley which is 2 blocks away and it took us right to the Duomo. The front desk people are very helpful with directions and tips. They sold us the bus/trolley tickets (1 ride, or 24 hour, or 48 hour). Breakast was juice, dry cereal, fruit, coffee, croissants, rolls, cheese. There is a supermarket 2 blocks away which is open until 10PM, if you want to stock up on drinks or other food. And there is an internet point in the room. They give you a password for 3 euro a day. Better than sitting in the lobby with your laptop for 3 euro per 1/2 hour as other hotels charge.

Spent three nights at the Lancaster at the end of June 08 and was very impressed. It's a bit of a walk into town (30ish mins), but it's a really pleasant walk - through Parco Sempione and Castello Sforzesco and down Via Dante to the Duomo. The weather was boiling which made us very lazy, so we tended to jump on a tram to get back to the hotel, which was easy enough. Close to Corso Sempione, which has a lively bar scene, but not close enough for it to be noisy - the hotel's in a quiet part of town. Room was clean with a huge, comfy bed and a large bathroom. The room itself wasn't overly large but not small either - looking on the fire escape plan I think we had the smallest room on our floor. It was a bit dark as the en suite was built around one of the windows - although this did mean that the en suite was bright and airy. Lovely little balcony with a view down the street to the Arco Della Pace (which was hidden by scaffolding during our visit but I'm sure is beautiful usually!) The staff were great - there was always one of two men on reception, both of whom were polite, friendly and helpful. Breakfast was pretty standard although the coffee was excellent. Loved Milan itself - a proper working Italian city which has a really charming feel with tree-lined streets and old-fashioned trams, as well as some stunning sites. Really appreciated being close to the park, especially in the sweltering heat. It was shady and relaxing away from the hustle of the city. Make sure you visit the little aquarium at the bottom end of the park - it's housed in a beautiful building and is free. To top it off, this place is an absolute bargain. I couldn't imagine finding such a quality hotel for such a good price in any major cities in the UK. Highly recommended.