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Review rated by 36 Ciao members on average: very helpful
Named the 10th most expensive city in the world in terms of cost of living (Mercer's Cost of Living Survey, 2008), Milan isn't generally a city you'd associate with budget hotels. However, that was exactly what I was in search of when travelling to the city for a 3-night stay in October 2008. Knowing that a large proportion of my money would be spent on shopping and eating out, I was on the hunt for accommodation that was cheap, central and comfortable.
You'l struggle to find anything that fits the bill in the centre of the city - anything in the Duomo (cathedral) or main shopping areas tends to be more pricey, or cheap for a good reason (i.e., incredibly basic). We were happy to look a little further out, and eventually decided to book a twin room at Hotel Teco through laterooms.com.
LOCATION
Hotel Teco is located on a tiny road called Via Spallanzani, just off the Corso Buenos Aires - one of the city's many shopping areas. Although not as central as some hotel's you'll find, it's right by Lima underground station (linea 1 - the red line) which will take you to the cathedral and other sights in a matter of minutes.
The road itself is relatively quiet, and easy to get to from Milan's Central Station (it took us about 10 minutes to walk
there). The area around Central Station is not the nicest (a bit of an understatement) but I am reliably informed by a friend who lives and works in Milan that Lima is perfectly safe - and, indeed, we did not feel unsafe at all when in the area, even late at night.
The hotel itself is very small (around 30 rooms) and part of a "terraced" block of buildings, but very easy to find thanks to the huge sign outside.
CHECK IN AND RECEPTION
The first impression on walking through the door of the hotel was how small the reception area was. The reception desk is surrounded by tables and chairs (which turned out to be the breakfast area) and the bar, along with a computer with Internet access, which is free for guests to use, and a selection of complimentary newspapers. The overall impression was that it was a friendly and relaxed place.
Check in is available from 2pm, and guests must check out of the hotel by 12pm. We had booked the room through laterooms.com rather than directly with the hotel, so I was a little worried about the possibility of not actually having a room available(!) but we checked in very quickly with no problems. Our room rate was 80 Euros per night for a twin room, which included breakfast - I believe that you can also book the room without breakfast if you're looking to save a little more money.
Reception staff were friendly and helpful, and did speak some English - although, like most Italians, you'll find that they're impressed if you can muster up a little basic Italian!
THE ROOM ITSELF
Rooms at the hotel span three floors, all of which are accessible to mobility-impaired travellers, thanks to the very small but functional lift (it holds 3 people maximum and is a little scary!) Our room was on the second floor of the hotel, and looked out onto the road. Despite this, the room was very quiet, apart from when the bells of the church just down the road were ringing!
Decor in the room was minimal, with neutral walls - the only decoration was the modern artwork hanging over the bed. Furniture-wise, they've managed to cram quite a lot into a fairly small room: two single beds, a table for the television, a writing desk and chair, two bedside tables, and a relatively large built-in wardrobe. Just inside the door we also had coat hooks and a full length mirror...which was handy when trying out our new purchases! We also had a balcony facing out onto the street, and the windows are covered by both curtains AND blinds so you can guarantee a night's sleep in a fully dark room.
Room facilities include everything you'd expect from a typical three-star hotel: air conditioning, a telephone, a television (small - and with only one English channel...but if you're in Milan I'm guessing you'd rather be sightseeing/shopping than watching TV!), a minibar (supplying both alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks) and a safe. All of the beds are supplied with orthopaedic mattresses, which were very comfortable, and extra pillows and blankets were also available.
As well as twin rooms, the hotel also offers single, queen, three- and four-bed rooms, as well as a luxury suite and a junior suite.
THE BATHROOM
Being a cheap hotel, I wasn't expecting much from our room, but the bathroom was a bit of a disappointment. Again, they've managed to cram a lot into a small space - a bath with shower attachment, a washbasin, a bidet and a toilet, as well as a towel rail...but we found that the door was difficult to close as it hit the edge of the toilet on the way past! The door had no lock, and the shower attachment in the bath was broken (the shower did work, but the fitting was damaged, meaning that you either had to hold the shower head or shower with it at a very uncomfortable angle!) However, despite this, the bathroom was clean, the towels were soft, and during our three night stay the chambermaids did a good job of cleaning the room and replacing towels and toiletries.
ROOM SERVICE
Whereas most hotels that provide this service generally have literature in the room about it, Hotel Teco's website is the only place where room service is mentioned - saying that it is available if booked in advance. We did not take advantage of this, preferring to eat out, so I'm afraid I can't comment on how good it is!
FOOD
As previously mentioned, breakfast is included in the cost of the room, and is eaten in a small seating area next to the reception desk. Breakfast is served from 7 to 10.30am - the latest we turned up was around 9.45, and there was still plenty of food being brought out to replace empty trays.
Breakfast consisted of a range of cereals, bread rolls (with jam, honey, butter or Nutella), cold meats, hard boiled eggs, yoghurts, and Italian croissants. There was a choice of three juices, plus water and milk, and hot drinks such as tea, hot chocolate and a variety of types of coffee. All in all we found that the food provided for breakfast was enjoyable and kept our energy levels up for a day of sightseeing and shopping!
There is no restaurant for lunch or evenings meals...but...you're in Milan! There are plenty of decent - and cheap-ish - places to eat in the surrounding area, so this shouldn't be a problem.
PRICES
We paid 80 Euros per night for our twin room, but prices on the Hotel Teco website are listed as follows:
Low season: Single room: € 60.00 to125,00 Double room: € 80.00 to 200,00 Triple room: € 110.00 to 270,00 Junior Suite: € 140.00 to 340,00
High season: Single room: € 150.00 Double room: € 350.00 Triple room: € 450.00 Junior Suite € 600.00
(prices may vary - this was posted in November 2008 - check website at http://www.hotelteco.it/prenota.asp for the most up-to-date rates)
OVERALL VERDICT
At 80 Euros per night, including breakfast, I was very happy with this hotel. It was clean and comfortable, in a safe location, and within easy travelling distance of the main sights of Milan. If you're looking for a cheap and relatively basic hotel as a base for your city break, then you could do far worse than the Teco.
Contact details:
Via Spallanzani 27 20129 Milano Italy Tel. 39.02.29510028 Fax: 39.02.29404595 E-mail: info@hotelteco.it Management: direttore@hotelteco.it Reservations: booking@hotelteco.it
bways guarantees fast connection to the heart of the city and the suburbs It is particularly easy to reach the Trade Fair Center the Historic District and all the main ...
e 19th century buildings. Our structure, completely modernized, consits of 30 rooms provided with any comfort and facilities. We offer you a 24/h high professional service...
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18.11.2008 12:32
Given the number of trips you've been taking recently, I hope this is just the first in a long line of travel reviews you're going to post? ;o)
07.11.2008 23:58
Safe location is a big bonus. Pat.t x
03.11.2008 13:32
excellent review