The Excelsior Hotel Gallia Milan is wrapped in an art deco design on the outside but modern and just a bit flashy on the inside.

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Surprises. You either love them or loathe them. Prior to meeting my partner, I fell into the latter camp of not really liking them at all. It’s not so much the surprise itself but a) I’m someone who likes to be in control of plans and b) the possibility of having to feign excitement with something that I may not really like… (something else that my sarcastic, northern self isn’t really that good at) fills me with dread! But as they say, and as I have come to appreciate, it’s the thought that counts especially when the surprise comes with a lot of planning, consideration, and care. Anyway, there is a point to me opening this blog with this self-reflection. I was recently surprised with a trip to Milan for my birthday (a surprise which I loved!) and so of course I had to review it.

My partner chose for us to stay at the Excelsior Hotel Gallia on the edge of Milan city centre and although it’s not a hotel I chose, i definitely would have if the choice was down to me.

The room

The communal areas leading to the rooms are bright but with a slightly clinical feel to them. The floors are black marble and so there is a luxury touch there, but in contrast, the room doors look more like oppressive vault doors than your standard hotel room entry door which did make me wonder what I was walking into.

We stayed in a Prestige room with a king bed and on entry into the room I needn’t have worried. There was a small corridor with a decent sized closet on one side, with entry to the bathroom on the other. The décor in the room was modern yet simple. Black carpets, cream curtains, regulation hotel white bedding with a small table in one corner and desk space on the other side. The cabinets are sleek and black, and the overall feel was one of quite dark and moody. Our room was at the front of the hotel which overlooks the main train station in Milan – very handy if you plan on travelling outside of Milan to Lake Como for example.

Back to the room. Entered via a sliding door off the corridor, the bathroom had everything you would want and some of the best products I’ve seen in a hotel – Aqua di Parma. That stuff is nice (and pricy!) and so definitely a nice touch. There was a large tub, separate shower, bidet, two bathrobes, slippers, and plenty of fluffy towels. The lighting was also great.

There were however, two things I found frustrating in this room. The lighting being the first. Trying to figure out how to turn the lights on and off was like (what I would imagine it to be) trying to land a jet would be. In fact, landing a plane would probably be easier. Secondly, the heating. We visited in October and so although not arctic weather, the season was starting to turn and so being able to heat the room would have been beneficial but unfortunately the heating system was temperamental. We did ask the hotel to fix but to no avail. 

In terms of amenities in the room, we had a large king bed with decent space to walk around and decent luggage storage space. There was a kettle, selection of teas/coffees, fridge, and stationary were all provide. An iron and ironing board were available on request.

The hotel’s communal spaces

Our main aim for this whistlestop trip was to get out and see Milan and so we didn’t spend that much time exploring the hotel. For the areas that we did see, the reception area was very grand – think large sweeping marble staircase and chandeliers kind of vibe. We did also see some lounge areas on the ground floor and a cigar room if that’s your thing.

We also had a bit of time to visit the pool. Its up on the top floor within the spa area. Its small but the pool is heated and it’s nice to have a dip or sit in the Jacuzzi after a day exploring. You can head up in your room robes and towels are provided. There’s also a rooftop bar and restaurant which are meant to be excellent but unfortunately, we didn’t get chance to explore these.

The Food

Breakfast was the only meal we had at this hotel and we had one sitting in the main breakfast dining area and on our second morning, via room service. When having breakfast in the main dining area, we were seated by someone at the breakfast reception and if having anything eggs based, we ordered these off the menu along with any hot drinks. Otherwise, all other food was taken via the buffet where they had a good selection of cold cuts, yoghurts and drinks. There was enough choice to set you up for a day exploring the city but I can’t say that the breakfast choice really blew us away.

Anything else…

Check in was fast and efficient. We arrived late due to our delayed flight, around 1am in the morning and yet we were still greeted with a smile as if it was mid-afternoon. We ended up taking our own bags up to the room just because we were going to crash as soon as we got in but there was also someone on hand to help with this should we have needed assistance.

As mentioned earlier, this hotel is right by the main train station of Milan. We found it easy to get around from here. On our first day we took a tour bus which departed from outside the front of the train station. There’s also tram stops, taxi stands and of course access to trains. Milan is a big city and so if you’re travelling into the main area of the city it’s around a 10–15-minute ride but can take longer if heading further to the outskirts of the city. We managed to get Ubers for most of our journeys but like in quite a few cities at the moment, it took a while for us to be able to book one on a number of occasions and so factor this into your plans in case you need to be anywhere at a specific time! Even the hotel was unable to find us taxis quickly.

Another nice touch was that the hotel put on a nice birthday surprise for me at the request of my partner. They organised a beautiful fruit cake and bubbles in the room which was waiting for us after a day out and about in the city.  

Verdict

This trip turned out to be a beautiful, romantic weekend getaway to Milan. If you’re looking for a well located, luxury hotel in Milan, then the Excelsior Hotel Gallia is a good choice. As it belongs to the Marriott group, it’s far from a boutique hotel, and so if you’re looking for something smaller with a more intimate feel, this hotel probably isn’t for you. However, if you don’t mind a larger hotel that gives a bit of wow factor then then try this hotel. It’s without a doubt a beautiful a hotel with decent service and that lets you know you’re in Milan. Wrapped in an art deco design on the outside but modern and just a bit flashy on the inside – what else would you expect from a hotel in one of the fashion capitals of the world!

Average room cost per night:

Rates from £320.