Marconi Hotel

Besides the occasional business traveler, the Marconi Hotel mainly hosts couples vacationing in Milan. This Old World boutique hotel has a light-stone edifice with bowed stone windows plus ornate marble interiors, antique furnishings, and gilded decor that give off a regal vibe. The lobby has shiny, cream-colored marble floors with floral designs in earth tones and golden marble columns. There’s a lovely spiraling staircase of white marble stairs with gold railings. The classical Italian furnishings are green and gold with gilded accents and provide plentiful seating in the lobby. The breakfast room has yellow textured walls, wooden tables with white tablecloths, heavy gold and red drapes, and a large golden chandelier as its centerpiece. Though the overall style aims for elegance, the decor may feel overly embellished and old fashioned to some.

Marconi Hotel is well-located near the center of Milan and public transportation. It’s a 15-minute walk to Corso Buenos Aires, a large shopping avenue with around 350 shops. The Indro Montanelli Public Gardens is a nine-minute walk from the hotel. The 30-minute walk to Piazza del Duomo and the Milan Cathedral might be difficult for some, making public transportation a better option (both are a 10-minute ride away). The Repubblica metro station is a four-minute walk from the hotel, while the nearest tram stop is a one-minute walk away. Milan Central train station takes nine minutes on foot to reach, while Milan Linate Airport is a 19-minute drive away.

Traditional rooms feature simple antique wooden furnishings and the same golden color scheme found in common areas. But the Old World, classical style can come off as simply old fashioned. And dated bedspreads and some wear and tear on the furnishings doesn't help. The hotel offers 85 Classic and Superior Rooms, each with one double bed or two twin beds. All rooms have parquet wooden floors, gold satin bedspreads with elegant floral designs, air-conditioning, flat-screen TVs, minibars, and safes, but they lack tea- and coffee-making facilities. And while the hotel's free Wi-Fi extends to the rooms, connections are not always reliable. However, even the smallest rooms are ample-sized and have sleek and spacious bathrooms with marble floors and sinks, walk-in showers or shower/tub combos, hairdryers, slippers, magnifying mirrors, and  Acqua dell ‘Elba toiletries. Some guests have complained of noise from other rooms or from passing trains outside. 

The Marconi Hotel mainly caters to couples, as reflected by its amenities. Each morning the hotel serves a breakfast buffet for a fee in the elegant but cozy breakfast room. Guests can grab a drink from the small lobby bar in the evenings and then head up to the rooftop terrace, which has lovely views of Milan rooftops and plastic tables and chairs for seating. For the business traveler, there is a fully equipped meeting room that can hold up to 40 people plus two computers and a printer in the lobby. Free Wi-Fi is available throughout the hotel, while valet parking incurs a fee.