B&B Hotel Milano Cenisio Garibaldi

The B&B Hotel Milano Cenisio Garibaldi is a white and mirrored high-rise, reminiscent of an office building. It stands alone on its own block, surrounded by a black metal fence. Though convenient, it’s not an attractive area and not to pedestrian scale, with wide busy streets, imposing buildings, and overhead tram wires. Nothing marks the entrance, which is just a regular door tucked into the corner. Once inside, however, the lobby is modern and attractive, with large-format black-and-white photographs showing details of some of the city's most famous architecture. Walls are wood veneer and white, with a large panel of turquoise curved lines behind the check-in counter. The snack shop with an espresso-maker in the corner is a nice convenience. The seating area has light gray walls, funky modern chairs, and an overstuffed mustard-brown leather couch. The only other public space is the large breakfast room, which has a microwave for guest use. It’s light and airy with a bright orange wall, more funky furniture, and faux deer heads on the wall.

The B&B Hotel Milano Cenisio Garibaldi is at the edge of the Monumental Cemetery, about 25 minutes from the center of town by metro. The area is modern and a bit dreary but also convenient, with major roads and transportation options just outside and Milan’s main train station nearby. A grocery store and a few restaurants are within walking distance. It’s a two-minute walk to the Cenisio Metro station, on the purple line; most sights require two transfers to reach from here. By metro and foot, it’s 17 minutes to the Castello, 21 minutes to Leonardo da Vinci's "Last Supper" at Santa Maria delle Grazie, 22 minutes to Piazza del Duomo, 25 minutes to luxury shopping at the gorgeous Gallerie Vittorio Emanuele II, and 25 minutes to world-famous opera at La Scala. Milan’s central train station is a 10-minute drive or a 17-minute metro ride from the hotel, and Malpensa Airport is about a 40-minute drive away.

Rooms at the B&B Hotel Milano Cenisio Garibaldi are adequate but not spacious, with clean lines and minimalist furniture. Beds are comfortable memory foam, white with a splash of color in the pillows (which some guests complain are thin). The black-and-white photo murals from the lobby and breakfast room are here too, acting as headboards. It’s a winning design element – a detail of the Milan Cathedral, perhaps -- that takes up most of the wall. Each room has a small white fiberglass desk and one chair; a bright green ottoman in the corner can double as another. Open closets have hangers, shelves, and small programmable safes. Each room has a 32-inch flat-screen TV but lacks a coffeemaker, kettle, or mini-fridge. Rooms have adjustable air-conditioning, but some guests complain they can’t control the temperature. Bathrooms are generic fare, modern and white with dark wood, stainless steel fixtures, and hairdryers. Showers are full size with hand-held showerheads.

For a three-pearl property, the B&B Hotel Milano Cenisio Garibaldi doesn’t have much in the way of amenities and services. One is the automated check-in machine, just outside the hotel door, which allows guests to register (with a confirmation number) after hours. Another is the snack shop in the lobby, where guests can purchase chips, cookies, coffee, water, and cold drinks. Breakfast -- which costs extra despite the hotel’s name -- consists of scrambled eggs, sausage, rolls, pastries, cereal, granola, yogurt, cold cuts, cheese, jam, juice, and coffee. On-site parking is available for a fee, though street parking is easy to find in the neighborhood. Wi-Fi is free throughout the hotel, and pets are welcome for an extra fee.