Milan & the Lake District - Italy - page 389

Metro: Loreto) has minimal public areas (except for a reception area with a self-
serve espresso machine), but the guest rooms are large, bright, and embellished
with tile floors, high ceilings with elaborate moldings, solid beds, and banal mod-
ular furnishings—all for just € 63 for a double. The one room with a bathroom
is just inside the entrance, with wood floors, a ceiling decorated with molded stuc-
coes, and plenty of elbowroom for € 83. The shared bathroom facilities are mod-
ern enough and kept spanking clean by the owners, who are happy to point their
guests to restaurants and sights. The best rooms are in the rear, overlooking a huge
private garden. There is much to be said for this location: The Stazione Centrale is
only a 10-minute walk way down Via Pergolsi, and if shopping is on your agenda,
the nearby Corso Buenos Aires is one of the city's bargain fashion meccas.
Hotels Worth a Splurge
€€€ - €€€€ Tucked away in a residential neighborhood of apartment houses
and old villas near The Last Supper, the Ariosto

(Via Ariosto, 22; % 02-
4817844; www.hotelariosto.com; Metro: Conciliazione) is a refreshingly quiet
retreat—all the more so because many of the newly refurbished rooms face a pri-
vate garden, and some open onto balconies overlooking it. All the rooms are dec-
orated with wood-and-wicker furnishings, shiny parquet floors, and hand-painted
wallpaper, and while most are decently sized, singles tend to be skinny. Many of
the doubles have separate dressing areas off the tile or stone bathrooms, which are
equipped with hair dryers (and a few with Jacuzzis). The rack rate for doubles is
€

55

220, but that's only applied during trade fairs, and may be discounted by as
much as 45% during slower periods.

555

(Via
Castelfidardo, 2; % 02-6570129 or 02-6592706; www.anticalocandasolferino.it;
Metro: Moscova or Repubblica) in the artsy Brera neighborhood hadn't been dis-
covered long ago by members of the fashion world and film stars—this was
Marcello Mastroianni's preferred Milan hostelry—you would consider it a find.
The € 200-to- € 220 rooms have more, shall we say, character than they do mod-
ern comforts, but the eclectic smattering of country antiques and Art Nouveau
pieces more than compensates for the absence of minibars. Nor do the repeat cus-
tomers seem to mind that some of the bathrooms are miniscule (though modern),
or that there is no lobby or breakfast room (coffee and rolls are delivered to your
room). So be it—this is a delightful place to stay in one of Milan's most enticing
neighborhoods, and reception manager Gerardo Vitolo is very friendly. The
rooms on the tiny courtyard are quieter, but those on the street have plant-filled
balconies (the best is room 10 on the corner, if you don't mind a tub rather than
a shower).
DINING FOR ALL TASTES
The Milanese are more willing than Italians elsewhere to break the sit-down-meal
tradition and grab a sandwich or other light fare on the run. And with so many
students and young professionals, Milan has no shortage of pizzerie and other
low-cost eateries.

If the charmingly funky Antica Locanda Solferino

€€€€