Le Meridien Gallia - Milano, Italy     

Upon arriving at the hotel were told we would have to wait for a room for at least two hours so went off and came back. The room we eventually were allocated made us wish we hadn't bothered returning. It was at the back of the hotel, very dark and over-looking the air conditioning vents and the tram route below. The room was awful, looked like a 1970s motel. The wall coverings were fabric, full of holes, water-marked and dirty. The bed linen was stained too. It was without a doubt one of the worst rooms I have ever been allocated and astounding for a so called 5 star hotel. After battling with the no-can-do attitude of the reception staff we were moved to a front facing room. It was like being in a different hotel, the rooms were much more comfortable and had a balcony overlooking the station. Close up it could have done with a deep clean, and the general maid service I witnessed was sketchy but acceptable. I would not return to this hotel through fear of being allocated another grubby back room, and to be honest it was simply not five star or worth the room rates. Go elsewhere if you want true luxury.

First, the good news: The Meridien Gallia is a grand old lady, on a grand square. I arrived from my 3-leg transatlantic flight at 10 am, and was given my room right away. Even during a hot period, the A/C in my room kept things nicely cool, whereas friends staying in another 'grand' hotel in town could never get their rooms cool. Location is good for the Malpensa buses, and for subway transportation. Breakfast was good (fortunately included in my rate, since the cash price was 35 euros = 56 dollars a day!). I had a nice view of the square (no balcony) and a room on a higher floor, so street noise was minimal. Now the bad news: My room was small (main part of room maybe 11 by 12 feet), and, more disappointing, right across from the constantly-slamming service/maids' door (no carpet in that part of the corridor, just resoundingly echoing tile)--slamming door from early to late. Bathroom fine, but also small, not like some of the glamorous ones shown here. On the last day, since I had to leave for the airport before the 7AM opening of the breakfast room, I hung out the room service breakfast card, requesting their 6AM service. In the morning, the card was still on the door. When I checked out, the desk clerk first tried to charge me for one breakfast during my stay, then told me that, of course, the card was left on my door, since they didn't start room service breakfast until 6:30. He was unimpressed when I showed him the card that said 6AM. So, I paid for one breakfast I didn't get. Internet too pricey at $37/day. On balance, OK. Clearly, the rate I managed on a booking website ($182/day, including breakfast) got me in the door, but not into one of the better rooms. Still, since I wasn't spending much time in the room, not a bad deal (esp for the air conditioning!)