Milan Hotel Tips by Jetgirly

First Hotel: My Top Choice for a Malpensa Hotel

I stayed at the First Hotel for one night before my flight from Malpensa. It is located midway between Terminal One and Terminal Two, and the hotel offers 24-hour shuttle service. The trip takes five minutes and for the Hotel -> Airport trip you must book your spot in advance.

It took 20 minutes (from my phone call) for the shuttle to pick me up from the aiport. The driver was very friendly and carried my bags all the way to my room. Check-in was a breeze and they offered me a non-smoking room and the option of waiting five minutes for passport-processing or picking my document up later.

The actual hotel room was nice. It had a huge bed, air conditioning, television with BBC, CNN and SKY News, good chocolates and a CD-ROM that I could take home with information about the hotel (useless but fun). The bathroom had a good shower and gigantic towels, plus a good selection of bath and body products including a floral facial cream. Pay-per-view movies were available, but the same movie would be repeated all day, followed by a different movie the next day, so you didn't have a choice as to what you watched. Cost was EUR 10.

The only negative aspect of the hotel is the restaurant. Although the food was quite good, the prices were EXTREMELY high. 500 ml of water cost EUR 3.50, my salad and dessert both cost EUR 8, and the real killer was the plate of grilled vegetables and scarmorza cheese that was EUR 16. Meat dishes were even more expensive. I didn't notice any restaurants on the drive from the airport to the hotel, so I don't know if there are other dining options in the area. Service in the restaurant was fine, and a fairly good breakfast was included (there were eggs and bacon in addition to bread, rolls, jams, etc.)

You'll see from my tips that I previously stayed at a different hotel near Malpensa, but it didn't even remotely compare to the First Hotel (and there was only a EUR 10 price difference). Online, I booked a single room for EUR 110 per night, but saw last-minute prices for EUR 100.

Address: Via Baracca 34

Comparison: about average

Directions: Varese, near the Malpensa airport.

Price: US$80-120

Theme: Hotel

Website: http://www.firsthotel.it

Hotel Nuova: One Star Comfort, Five Star Location

This is a one-star hotel located right by the Duomo, less than five minutes walking from the nearest Metro station. I stayed in a super-budget room for EUR 30 with a shared bathroom (located right across the hall). I didn't feel like it was very secure (the lock on my door could have been broken by a baby) but it was clean, the staff were friendly and it was cheap. It is comparable in price to the youth hostel and located much, much, much closer to the center.

Unique Qualities: The location is excellent, two short blocks behind the Duomo (walk down Corso Vittorio Emmanuelle).

Address: Piazza Beccaria 6

Comparison: least expensive

Directions: Two blocks behind the Duomo

Phone: 028.646.44.44

Price: US$20-40

Theme: Hotel

Cardano Hotel: Hotel Near Malpensa

Cardano Hotel is located in Cardano, just outside Milan and minutes away from Malpensa airport. To access the hotel make your way to Malpensa then call the hotel, in the morning and the evening they will send a shuttle to pick you up free of charge. The same shuttle will also take you from the hotel to the airport for free (morning and evening). It is a four-star hotel in a weird, circular building that feels a bit like Space Mountain. The staff are friendly and helpful, and the tiny bar in the lobby seems to be a popular hang-out for off-duty flight attendants. Rooms are boring, but my single room did come with a queen sized bed. There is no restaurant in the hotel, which is a drag because the hotel feels like it is in the middle of nowhere. To compensate, the hotel has arrangements with local restaurants in which a restaurant employee will pick you up at the hotel, bring you to the restaurant, and then take you home after dinner.

There are no services or amenities near the Cardano Hotel, but it is a good choice for a quick stop on your way to the airport for an early morning flight.

Comparison: about average

Phone: +39.0331.261.011

Price: US$80-120

Theme: Hotel

Website: http://www.cardanohotel.com/