Have you ever camped out at a hotel? I got close to it at the Westin Milan when I stayed inside all day for a spa day in Milan but it was truly at the Milan Sheraton Diana Majestic that I can say I was luxury camping. It’s an interesting stay and a wonderful example of how Starwood (SPG) points (now Marriott) are both valuable and convenient on the road.
When I was on sabbatical (aka drowning my sorrows of a job loss on a three month European jaunt), I planned for a month in Italy from the bottom (Naples, Sorrento, the Amalfi Coast and Capri) through the middle (Florence) over to the right (Venice) and ending in Milan for the Expo (an exhausting event that caused my feet to call in quits). I was to stay in Milan only a few days, first for Expo at the Airbnb in Milan Navigli and then for a weekend of luxury at the Westin Milan. The Westin was my swan song to Italy or so I thought.
A Luxury Camp Out at the Milan Sheraton Diana
Ok, so I wasn’t camping out in the normal sense of camping (i.e. a tent) but rather staying at the hotel with nothing to do from my check in on Monday until my flight to Malta on Thursday. It was a last minute change of plans, my flight to Malta, and I couldn’t figure out where to go in three days that wasn’t both time consuming and expensive (i.e. Lake Como) so I decided to redeem points (a great deal) and wait it out at the historic Milan hotel, the Milan Sheraton Diana Majestic. Sadly, the Westin Milan, where I could have happily lived on room service and movies, was full.
Camping out with nothing to do at the four star Milan Sheraton Diana wasn’t hard, staying in Milan was the tough part since I had already been there a week and toured the hightlights (Milan walking tour of the Last Supper) and it was my third visit to the city over the years. Honestly, I probably didn’t try hard enough to find stuff to do. (Please share below for other to know what to do/see and how to spend a week in the city). So my day planner was empty, the only things I needed to do were eat and sleep.
Compounding my stay was that “everything is closed on Monday” I was told when I inquired about a manicure and contact lens solution which was only available from the pharmacy. Tuesday, during my stay, was “a public holiday, everything is closed today” (it was May) so Wednesday would be my day out – my spa day. I needed a good bit of work after a month traveling so had the concierge (older gentleman) call the Four Seasons Milan Spa (when in doubt, book a five star spa, its more money of course but they will usually speak English and you have some idea of services/expectations) to book my appointments since I had no luck with the local spas as they spoke Italian.
Location – Milan Sheraton Diana Majestic
The Sheraton Diana is a historical hotel in what appeared to be a residential area of the city. It was a short taxi ride down the road from the Westin Milan and a trolley runs in the middle of the street. At the intersection you only need to make a left to walk in to the center of the city to the Duomo, Opera House or Four Seasons Milan in about 20-30 minutes, more if you stop to shop and eat pastries like I did. There are cafes, a supermarket and restaurants in the area making it easy to wander around and find what you need (except if it’s a Monday or a Tuesday holiday when things are closed)
Arrival
A bellman greeted my cab and escorted me first to the front desk and then to my room which was ready early (I asked the Westin staff to call ahead for me before leaving since I could have stayed until 4pm late checkout and didn’t want to leave if the room wasn’t ready). The front desk gentlemen were old school classic Italian hoteliers. If you were to cast a movie, these are the guys that add character and atmosphere to what you imagine Italy to be.
Standard Award Stay Room at Milan Sheraton Diana
I had booked a Classic Double room with my Starwood points (now Marriott) and was given an upgrade (view) due to my SPG gold status to an actual green garden view not the US version of a garden view with is the highway or other dreadful view. The king size bed took up much of the room but with two rather tall windows and higher ceilings, the room appeared much bigger. The small desk was easy to work on and the strong Wi-Fi allowed me to catch up on some blog posts as well as do research on my vacation in Gozo, my next destination.
The bed was very comfortable and the look and feel quite antique Italian which is in line with the historic nature of the hotel.
Bathroom at Sheraton Milan
There was a step up into the bathroom, which is only important to remember in the middle of the night so you don’t trip on the way out onto the furniture or on the way in and land on the floor. The other interesting fact was that the toilet was the loudest I’ve ever heard when it was slowly filling up after flushing (no biggie during the day but at night was noisy). I was staying only three nights otherwise, I would have requested a new room. I gave the front desk the note for engineering to fix upon departure.
Outdoor Garden Patio at Milan Sheraton Diana
The hotel lobby bar is definitely a place to be seen by locals as I learned during my stay. The outdoor garden tables were quite coveted and lively during the week. As I worked in my room, I was a bit envious of the fun folks seemed to be having below my window. I did once try to join in but I would have been alone at the bar as people were seated in groups so I escaped back to my room to be antisocial.
Room Service at Sheraton Milan
The fun of working in the room and camping out is ordering room service which I did twice during my stay. The food arrived quickly and was quite good. After a month in Italy, I was thrilled with a burger and fries.
Breakfast in the Garden
While room service was good, breakfast in the garden was not during my visit. Service was forgetful, food was forgotten, and I was ignored. I had to complain in the lovely garden setting to get my two eggs with a glass of OJ as I was ordering ala carte rather than the buffet. Unfortunately this is often the case at many hotels when you want to order ala carte which I need to do because of my food allergy. My breakfast bill was waived as it should have been given the lack of service. Hopefully this was an isolated incident but I went elsewhere for breakfast the other days.
Staff at the Milan Sheraton Diana
The front desk was consistently wonderful during my stay. I rarely saw a line and they were helpful to suggest restaurants in the area, apologetic about the two days of nothing open and consistent in attempting to find a way to ship my clothes to London (we found no good options, I would ship items from Malta to London). I was greeted each time I entered the hotel. If you want to feel special and acknowledged, this is the place for it as they are keen to make all stays memorable.
Overall Thoughts – Milan Sheraton Diana Majestic
The Milan Sheraton Diana Majestic is a lovely hotel for your visit to Milan whether for business or leisure. It is an excellent use of SPG (now Marriott) points for a reward stay. At night, locals were enjoying the hotel bar and garden which is always a good sign of how integrated the hotel is with the citizens offering a good experience. The staff were lovely and if you ever need to camp out in luxury and relax, this is a great hotel to do so.
My stay at the Westin Milan was to be the luxury celebration to a month in Italy so I redeemed points for the weekend stay at the posh hotel. After a month of mixed lodging from boutique hotels in Naples, a B&B in Sorrento and Venice to my amazing canal view Airbnb in Venice, I wanted to end in a Heavenly Bed at the Westin Milan. I love the Westin brand of Marriott – the Heavenly Bed & Bath and the overall sense of wellness that the brand evokes and lives by. The Westin Milan would manage to join my short list of “hotels I didn’t want to leave”. I almost succeeded if not for a pre-booked Milan Last Supper and City Walking tour with Walks of Italy on Saturday. Not only was I wearing my exhaustion on my face from the crazy busy days walking the Expo pavilions but my feet had finally given out after the walking tour. My intent was to fall into the plush bed and order room service Saturday night (yeah, I’m fun like that) which extended to Sunday. Opting to luxuriate in the hotel spa with two treatments – facial and massage, I enjoyed a lazy Sunday in luxury. Even in a different language, the hotel was an oasis in the city for me and a wonderful way to say “Ciao to Italy”.
Westin Milan Location
Set a bit back from the main thoroughfare, the hotel has a small green space across from the circular driveway. At the corner of the street is a subway entrance and across the street is a bus stop. I was able to walk a few blocks to the supermarket, pharmacy (where contact solution is sold and no one speaks English – bring your bottle to show and tell) and a further stroll down the main road in to the center of Milan – the Duomo. There is a STK across the street if you want a modern steakhouse experience.
Westin Palace Milan Arrival
I arrived by taxi in the morning from my Airbnb Navigli studio rental in the entertainment district. I was welcomed from the taxi and my bags magically disappeared as the bellman escorted me to the front desk. The young woman checking me in acknowledge my (then) SPG Gold status and explained my choices at the hotel – I always take the points – always the points. There was a special at the spa which I sort of listened to but not really until she said “gold members get a discount of x” and my tired feed and body were kicking my mind into active listening. Once check in was sorted, I was given my room keys which surprised me this early. I expected to pre-check in and come back later after 3pm for my room but it was ready now and so was I.
Westin Milan Lobby
The lobby is a throwback to older, historic, luxury hotels in my opinion – marble, dark woods and gold accents. It definitely had the feel of luxury Italian hotel and not that of a normally modern Westin. There was a bar area as well as dining room off to either side of the lobby.
My King Room
When I entered the room, I saw the window with a view of the street below and the modern buildings in the distance of the city. I immediately noticed the blue hues and warm feeling of the room – it was just pretty. I don’t get to say that my room is pretty very often but it felt sumptuous with the bedding and décor.
There was room to move and the King Bed, a very welcome sight after three nights sleeping on an Airbnb futon (I really did experience it all on this Italy trip). My first instinct was to fall into the bed so I did and just like other Heavenly Beds it was very hard to leave the enveloping comfort.
The hotel had already delivered my big box from Naples. I had shipped extra clothes and shoes from Naples, my first stop in Italy three weeks prior, to my last stop in Italy to lessen my luggage weight along the way as I traveled to Sorrento, Florence and Venice. I was packed for my three month sabbatical which started on the cruise and lugging my bags on/off trains, ferries and busses was not ideal hence the shipping box staring at me on the floor.
Westin Milan Room Service
I was exhausted with pain in my feet that I had never experienced before so room service was ideal – I was ready to be pampered and fill up on (bad for me) oh so good food and wine (i.e. the hotel burger, lots of bacon, fries, dessert and wine).
Breakfast at the Westin Milan
The breakfast service in the restaurant was slow if, like me, you need to do ala carte breakfast and not the buffet. If you are opting for the buffet then have at it – your plate is on the table and you can get going as soon as you are seated. But for me, I always have the sad plate of food that cost as much as the buffet. I had a problem during breakfast that was immediately addressed by management on site which impressed me.
Italian Breakfast Option – CaffeLatte
The hotel has a quick breakfast option available in the lobby bar area. Since ala carte juice cost €9, the italian breakfast option at €12 seems a steal as it includes coffee/cappuccino, espresso, fresh juice and italian pastries. In terms of healthy, just remember to walk (a lot) because you will be indulging in (too) many delicious carbs.
The Westin Milan Spa [comfort zone]
I literally never walked outside on a gloomy Sunday. I went to the restaurant for breakfast, back to my room to read and then to the [comfort zone] spa for two treatments. It was a lovely way to spend the day. There are definite differences in how spa treatments are done in the U.S. and Italy, so it was interesting to experience the treatments. A sore knotted back doesn’t need language translation. You can read my Westin Milan Spa Review for detailed visit.
(photo: Westin Palace Milan)
Overall – Westin Milan Palace
The staff was definitely wonderful during my stay, including the concierge team who attempted to help me find contact solution (only sold at the Pharmacy or Eye Doctor and it was the weekend). The room was fantastic and I could see myself returning just to stay in the hotel and not leave. It was a restorative stay in luxury that I definitely needed to reboot and refresh before my adventure in Malta.
I didn’t leave the hotel, I probably should have since the city of Milan was outside the doors but I was pretty much useless. This was one of those days that would qualify as my “day off” from travel. As much as I schedule my days, it’s just as important not to come home so depleted that I need a vacation from my vacation. A day off can mean sleeping in late and wandering the city without a plan to see where you end up. A day off can mean a spa day, which I tend to favor on travel. My wellness day off camping out at the Westin Milan Spa in its [comfort zone] beauty space (aka “the spa”) was divine. It’s one of those hotels that really does deliver the hotel experience rather than just provide a bed to rest your head.
At check-in on Saturday morning, my (then) SPG gold status was recognized and I was given an upgraded King room (I booked two nights on points) as well as told of a “special discount of 30% on spa services” during my two night stay. I didn’t think much of it at the time as I was happy to land in my Heavenly bed after the past few weeks at Airbnb properties in Sorrento, Venice (Dorsoduro, Fenice Canal View and San Marco) and Milan’s Navigli Entertainment District.
After three days of walking at Expo Milan and a walking tour of Milan, my feet basically went on strike. It hurt to stand, hurt more to walk, my body wasn’t happy at all. So with a nice lie in on Sunday, I visited the spa on the lower level to inquire about a massage and facial (hey it was a deal at 30% off!). There was availability later in the day so I made the appointment and went back to my room to relax.
The Westin Milan Spa – Comfort Zone
Arriving at the spa for my appointment, I was told my facial would be first followed by the massage. With all of the sun of the past month and a half in Barcelona and Italy, I figured a facial was a nice treat. I was surprised that the treatment does not include extractions but is more of a cleansing and massage. A bit different than at home but nonetheless, my skin was happy.
(photo: Westin Palace Milan)
(photo: Westin Palace Milan)
The staff (all two of them that day) were very nice. I ended up buying a moisturizer as I was going to be in the sun in Gozo the next few weeks. When I saw the small workout room and the stretch bands, I inquired about purchasing one since I left mine at home (hey, everything was 30% off why not?) but they gave it to me for free.
Chocolate to end my Spa Day
Back in my room, I looked outside at the drab day and decided that camping out in the Westin Milan luxury hotel was an excellent decision. You don’t always need to be go, go, go when you travel, sometimes you just need to chill out in the hotel to refresh, recharge and relax. A bit of chocolate to top the day off is even better!
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When Milan hosted Expo15 last year (formerly known as The World’s Fair) finding a reasonable hotel room proved to be difficult for my dates (three nights) so I turned to AirBnb. Searching through all the options, I kept coming back to the Navigli apartment – it was located in Navigli on the canal and had good reviews. I didn’t know Milan had canals so I was intrigued. It seemed like a good choice and was fairly priced at $122 per night (total of $366 for the stay). Here’s my review of the Airbnb Milan Studio in Navigli Entertainment District.
Studio Location
Navigli is the entertainment district full of restaurants, bars, music and art. It is easily reached by the green line metro M3 (S. Porta Genova) or a €20 taxi ride (if you have luggage like I did but I had such an interesting conversation with taxi driver who is a huge country music fan) from Centrale train station. A supermarket, takeaway and a bank are a quick five minute walk. This is a neighborhood of Milan that is more local than tourist. The canals run through a pedestrian only zone of about eight blocks with bridges connecting both sides. The studio flat was at the corner of one of the bridges.
Arrival at the Studio
The owner, Lorenzo, was stuck at work, so his friend met me outside. We walked in the door to the courtyard, made a right to the elevator (yeah, elevator!) which needs key access and easily ascended to the 2nd floor (if you take the stairs, remember you are going to the 3rd floor as the bottom floor is zero). There are two key locks on the door (four deadbolts) and with that we were in to the studio flat. It looks exactly like the photos – no surprises there.
I was explained all of the keys – ground floor door, elevator key, front door keys and how one goes first before the other. I was offered a glass of water and shown how the kitchen stuff works. Then the bed details. Ok, I forgot about the bed part – it was a high loft/bunk bed. I realized that my climbing up to the bed days are over especially with the get up in the middle of the night jaunts and the oops I forgot about the stairs mishaps of my younger days. I pointed to the couch/trundle bed and said, I’m going to sleep there. He apologized for not preparing that bed and I said “no worries, just give me the sheets and blanket and I’m fine”.
Navigli Information
Lorenzo has a few printouts of recommendations for the area – restaurants, sights to see and other need to know information. He also has a map showing you where the places are in relation to the flat. He doesn’t offer a manual like my Venice AirBnb properties did so no required reading. His friend showed me the electric circuit breakers (I hoped I didn’t need to use those!).
The Milan Studio Flat
Well equipped with a loft bed and trundle bed. There is a small television with headsets on the table and a nice sized kitchen to work in. There is a washer (no dryer because this is Italy!) and fast wi-fi. The bathroom has shelving for your toiletries (hand soap is provided), a hair dryer and walk in shower that had good water pressure. I was given two towels and requested an extra without a problem. There is a balcony with a small table and two chairs and serves as the smoking area as well as providing you a nice view of the canal and bridge. It is a good size for solo travelers and couples. A family might be a bit on top of each other in the studio in my opinion.
The Singing Italians
A benefit of the entertainment area is that you get to be entertained while you work or while you are in your PJs – I had live music until midnight one night (the band was pretty good and like the Italians I found myself singing along to the popular U.S. music). Yet another night, I had a bevy of “buona serra” and “ciao” that I wanted to yell “goodnight already! Just say a blanket “ciao” and go home” – it was a big group and everyone did a round of good-byes.
The Navigli Entertainment Area
The comments on the flat mentioned the noise from the bars/restaurants and to bring earplugs if you are a light sleeper. Well there is noise, no way around that (and Lorenzo can’t control that aspect) from below so luckily my Expo15 schedule worked perfectly – I was up late and slept in.
The plethora of restaurants gives you so much choice you won’t know where to go first – Napoli pizza, Steakhouse, Tapas, Pub, Gelato, Wine Bar, Italian, etc. With my busy schedule I didn’t quite enjoy enough of the area as I could have – it was a lost opportunity. The benefit of the busy nightlife was feeling safe on the metro and walking back to the flat near midnight alone. The area was busy in the day with tourists on canal tours and at night with Italians enjoying good food, wine and music.
Overall – the Milan Studio in Navigli
I met Lorenzo on check-out day for a quick chat – I found out he has a few properties in Milan for rent through Airbnb. I wasn’t able to stay later as he has new guest arriving – this is a popular studio for him. He was kind to order me a cab to my next Milan stop, the Westin Milan, and help me with my bags to the taxi. The flat was perfect for my needs during Expo15, shame I didn’t stay longer to sample all the restaurants and feel a bit more local.
Booking your first Airbnb stay? Use my personal code for an Airbnb discount.
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A long time ago, I had a quick day in Milan with my fun senior citizen bus tour and then an overnight many years later during August when the city pretty much goes on vacation and shuts down. If I’m honest, I didn’t quite discover the charms of the city back then. On my third visit to the city this summer, I planned to stay for four days to attend Expo15 and join the walking tour of Milan, hoping to change my initial impressions so long ago.
Starting my Saturday sightseeing day, I easily found the Walks of Italy coordinator at Piazza Santa Maria delle Grazie and had time to enjoy a quick breakfast at the café across the street. I was told that there were twelve people today for the Best of Milan tour with Last Supper Tickets and Milan Duomo Rooftop so we would be split into two groups of six. I thought twelve (the max) was small enough but six made it even more private (a couple from Atlanta, a family from Toronto and me). Our guide, Laura, grew up in Milan and attended the local tourism school before leading groups abroad. Now with small children, she stays in Milan to share her perspectives of her hometown and its rich history. It’s easy to visit a city, tick off an icon, take a photo and share on social media but it’s the private guides that add the flavor to the photo, a sound bite of history to bring the experience more alive.
The Last Supper – Milan
If you want to see “Last Supper” in Milan you need to reserve your ticket well in advance otherwise you need to sign up for a tour with one of many tour groups.
As we had timed tickets for the “Last Supper” Laura explained Leonardo’s history with the painting and told us it was about perspective. The fact that Leonardo was an architect shows in the work as you can, at some point, feel in the painting not just look at it, but be there with it. She then used a great analogy as to why it was so big in the dining room – “think of how we now have big screen televisions to watch at home, back then the painting was a big screen story to watch while you ate” that gave me a bit more insight into much of the works we would see on our 3 1/2 hour walking tour of Milan.
The “Last Supper” is a controlled entry (you get only 15 minutes inside and they limit access to 29 people) and Laura explained that we would go in first to get the good seats as she explained more on our headsets. No photos are allowed inside. We ended up with only 15 people in the room so pretty much had the place to ourselves to take it all in. There is another fresco on the opposite wall from an artist painting and living with Leonardo at the same time – it is so different and is famous only as an afterthought to the masterpiece it faces.
Walking Milan – Time to Get Our Walk On
We needed to cover some ground (it is a walking tour remember?) and it was a hot Saturday. Thankfully, while not usually a fan of the headsets and wireless devices, it was great to hear commentary as I lagged behind taking photos. We stopped in the courtyard of the church behind the “Last Supper” for great views before the next hidden gem.
I would not have found this church, San Maurizio al Monastero Maggiore which is full of amazing frescos covering every inch of the walls. I didn’t see any tour groups here just a few local senior citizens. While you take in all of the stories on the walls (again television for the times) and admire the frescos, Laura then explained we are going behind to the second church in the back. Here we see the wooden choir chairs, the beautiful organ as well as more and more frescos. Visually it’s stunning in person. Just when you think “I can’t see another church in Italy”, you are rewarded for your perseverance.
Milan Castle
Back on the sidewalk, it’s time to visit the Sforza Castle (or the castle within the castle). Walking past the alluring fountain that I wanted to jump into, we joined the crowds moving toward the castle and the square inside. History, stories and details are provided and pointed out – the past is always so fascinating in context with today. It makes you think is it really that different in treatment of the classes and politics? Ok, so we don’t have Napoleon who figures prominently in the narrative of the day but the players are just as complicated.
The Fashionable Brera
From the castle, we stroll through the fashionable neighborhood of Brera. This cobblestones and boutiques line the streets dotted with cafes (bars), art galleries and the occasional chain store (i.e. MAC). Thankfully we didn’t stop to shop as this is an area that would really like your credit card. Taking photos and notes as we walked, I wanted to come back later to linger and window shop. We did stop for a coffee/water break (at our own cost) at a bar (café) and had time to chat with the group. Thankfully, Laura chose a bar with air conditioning to refresh us from the walk.
The Milan Icons
Our next stop was outside, across from the La Scala Opera House to see Leonardo in the park before walking through the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II (Galleria for short) to the Duomo. All impressive sites and made more interesting with Laura’s commentary. It’s easy to visit a city, tick off an icon, take a photo and share on social media but it’s the private guides that add the flavor to the photo, a sound bite of history to bring the experience more alive.
The Milan Duomo and Rooftop Visit
At the Duomo, we were given our tickets for the lift to the top observation area and at this point Laura said “Ciao” to us. We waited about 20 minutes in line for the small lift (much better than 900+ steps!) and the group chatted for a bit before squeezing into the elevator. We still had a way to go after exiting the elevator (note: there are uneven surfaces, many steps and slippery marble so wear good shoes and take caution to follow the folks ahead of you).
There are very few experiences nowadays that provide the “wow” moment but walking on top of the Duomo is definitely one of those. You get a different perspective of the city – old vs. new, insight into the detail of the design and structure and marvel at the ingenuity of it all back then.
The roof, at the time of my visit, had an art installation of statues/sculptures to enjoy in addition to the many wonderful views and architectural details.
Overall
The Walks of Italy Walking Tour of Milan (the Best of Milan) was a great way to see so much of the city in a short time. Laura was fantastic with her knowledge and passion for her hometown. When you sign up for a tour, you want someone to share their love of their city and she definitely added flavor, insight and stories to my photos, much more than I could have done on my own.
Thank you to Walks of Italy for hosting me on this fun walking tour of Milan (the tour cost €79), as always opinions are uniquely mine.
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