Hotel Admiral - Milano, Italy 

Trip Advisor had warned us not to expect too much when we realised that we were booked at the only place available to us at the last minute : the Admiral Hotel. That apart, we were intrigued by the fact that this hotel was owned by a diehard James Bond fan who had established the first ever Bond Club in Italy. But apart from the tacky memorabilia of James Bond in the foyer which passed for a Club/ Bar , there was nothing remotely James Bondish about the hotel. There was no in-house restaurant and the all inclusive Breakfast is lack lustre with indifferent breads and cold cuts that are not replenished for the late risers. Mustering courage, I boldly asked for some ham but was coolly informed by the Icy Blonde that it was "finito" . Surprisingly, though, when my big burly White colleague asked for more, the plate was mysteriously filled up! The large rooms had lumpy mattresses but what made it worse was the non-functioning Airconditioning. When we complained we were told that the Heat was on because of the Winter??? To make matters worse the windows did not open , which in hindsight was just as well , because the street noises of the tram and the cars made it even more difficult to fall asleep. The lifts are small and rickety and just about accomodate you and your suitcase. The only saving grace was the Front Office manager who gave excellent advice about sight seeing and of course the conveniently located No.19 Tram stop which made going to the Duomo and other sightseeing spots a breeze. I am sure I would have got a better deal for the amount of money I actually paid.

My first impression of the hotel was average and it only went downhill from there onwards. The hotel is situated 20 mins on tram ride to the Duomo. Definitely not a short stroll. The room we were given had a broken shower head and the room was only equipped with the bare minimum, definitely not a 4 star hotel. The staff was not friendly. So luckily our stay was short. This is definitely a 2.5 star hotel.