Ramada Plaza by Wyndham Milano

Located in a quiet (and slightly rough) area just outside the city center, the Ramada Plaza Milano looks a bit dated from the street, which matches their retro 1970s-style interior decor. There's an enormous garden area, complete with a seven-hole putting green, and a multi-level spa, but the somewhat simple and minimally decorated interiors may leave you wanting just a bit more opulence. Lobby spaces are outfitted in hues of cream and saffron, soft fabrics, and hard marble tiled floors, and there's even a slick white piano. The retro decor and slightly sterile feeling extends to the meeting spaces, hallways, and—to an extent—the restaurant, but this is to be expected from a chain hotel. The most character is found in the vibrant rooftop bar, with walls covered in rectangular patches of blues and green, padded chairs, dark wood floors, and funky white lounge chairs.

The Ramada Plaza Milano is located in a quiet area in the outskirts of Milano, a 15-minute drive from the city center and just two blocks from the Turro metro station. The Duomo is eight stops away on the metro, and the Milano Central railway station is a 10-minute drive. Since the hotel is in a residential area, there is not much more than a pizzeria, laundry, and supermarket around, but the popular shopping avenue of Corso Buenos Aires is just two minutes from the hotel. There are 180 spaces available for parking, split between the free outdoor spaces, and the fee-based garage spots.

Rooms are big and bright, thanks to balconies and large floor-to-ceiling windows. They follow the same decorative theme as the hotel, with medium-dark wood fixtures and decor in orange, cream, and gray tones. While the decor isn't as plush as one might normally expect from a four-pearl property, the rooms are spotless and the amenities are chic. Standard hotel rooms serve as the base option with minibars, free Wi-Fi, capsule espresso machines, shower/bath combos, and balconies. The balconies are either minimally furnished or not furnished at all, an oddity considering how large they are. Upgrading to an Executive Room will get you a living room, bathrobe and slippers (essential for spa use), and a desk. Presidential Suites have separate dressing rooms, luxe toiletries by C.O. Bigelow, and larger terraces. The 96 apartments are essentially the same as standard or executive rooms, but include kitchenettes and separate bedrooms (except for the studios). All 263 units are soundproofed and have comfortably sized tiled bathrooms with bidets.

The Ramada Plaza Milano's most notable feature is a toss-up between the expansive garden with a putting greens and the full-service spa. The garden, made mostly of a large verdant lawn with tufts of rose bushes and other flowering plants, has walkways and plenty of umbrellas and lawn furniture, as well as an archery area to test your inner Robin Hood. Stretching over two levels, the hotel spa, designed by architect Francesco Bardelli, contains five separate treatment rooms, a relaxation area, and a wading pool. The spa incorporates earth, air, fire, and, creatively, wine through the design of its Turkish bath, sauna, thalassotherapy (hot cabin with iodized air) room, and variety of showers (all of which actually use water, not wine, of course). The spa is open to the general public, but Ramada Plaza Milano guests have free access and a discount on treatments. Unless your room includes bathrobes and slippers, be prepared to procure them from the front desk at a fee or else forgo using the spa. The hotel has a free breakfast buffet that's substantial, especially by Italian standards. It's served at the Decanter Restaurant, which looks out over the garden. A fixed-price lunch buffet is also available here, while dinner is a more intimate affair at the 30-seat Brasserie, which serves a la carte Italian cuisine. Wi-Fi is free throughout the property. There are five meeting rooms with an adjacent amphitheater and a conference center seats up to 300 people. A variety of audiovisual equipment is available.