To extend my ITA Airways Executive card I needed to fly once in January, and as it’s been years since I visited Milan, I decided to spend a weekend there. I didn’t end up doing much in the city, but I’ll write a review of the Westin Palace Milan hotel and the British Airways lounge.
A word about Milan’s public transport: you can now use contactless payment for metro from / to the airport but note that it doesn’t work on train jouneys. To make your life easier without a paper ticket, it’d be better to only use the metro route.
The Westin Palace hotel is near several metro and train stations so connection is reasonably good. It is however awkwardly positioned between the Central station and Duomo, and it takes a while to walk to almost anywhere.
I chose the Westin Palace mainly because it was refurbished recently. In contrast to its dull look from outside, the lobby is nice.
The Westin has two different room types, reflected in their names: Contemporary and Imperial. The main difference between them is that Imperial has kept the ornate woodwork design on the walls. Moreover, they were refurbished more recently so comparably in a newer condition, so Imperial rooms are probably better overall.
I didn’t bother with the suite night award, and got upgraded to a Grand Imperial room.
The renovation work is good, although I feel strange with so many mirrors in the room. They didn’t renovate thoroughly enough – the power sockets and wires are still pretty worn.
The tub is nice. You can see the Duomo but it’s fairly far.
The mini bar, containing some soft drinks, is free.
I’m usually a fan of Westin’s Heavenly bed, but something didn’t quite add up this time and I didn’t have a great sleep. Not sure if it’s not the same bed or something else.
Some rooms / suites at the hotel comes with an ensuite sauna but I’m not that lucky. The hotel’s only fitness facility is a gym.
Let’s browse the breakfast next.
It’s mainly a help-yourself situation but Marriott elite members can pick an item from the a-la-carte menu for free which is a very kind gesture.
It’s surprising to see they offer congee and preserved duck eggs although I do see many Asian faces at the hotel. What stuns me the most is this Maritozzi – it’s one of the best kind of pastry that I’ve tasted in my life and I must find it in London!
In short, Westin Palace Milan is a sensible high-end hotel in the city and from what I read many people favour it over the Excelsior Hotel Gallia (Luxury Collection). I don’t like its location though, and be careful if you don’t like walking.
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