Windsor Hotel Milano

The Clotilde Bistrot, a two-story, hip restaurant within the Windsor Hotel Milano, provides a buzzy atmosphere for this four-pearl hotel in the city's fashion district. Its first floor coffee shop -- with dark painted walls and a ceiling sprinkled with LED lights -- has a sparkling, long glass counter with offerings including pretty pastries and plump breads. Black bentwood, cushioned chairs, and plain pine tables dot the space. The hotel itself is a gray-and-cream high-rise, with the entrance being reached through a stylish terrace of plants, contemporary tables, and chairs under a maroon awning. This space allows people-watching both inside and outside the hotel. The guests here are an international crowd, including business people in the fashion industry and tourists interested in shopping and sightseeing. The hotel lobby, which faces the terrace, has pretty upholstered chairs and sofas in bright shades of melon. This property provides quality common spaces for mixing and mingling, but some of the traditional rooms are on the dated side. 

The Windsor Hotel Milano is just outside Area C, where the city limits vehicular traffic. Guests can drive up to the hotel in this street, or park their car, for a fee, in a nearby garage and walk to the hotel. If guests arrive by train at Milano Centrale Station, it is a 10-minute walk to the hotel. The hotel itself is bounded by the Golden Quadrangle and Corso Como, an area known for its high-end shopping. The heart of this fashionista scene is a 15-minute walk from the hotel. The Repubblica metro line, the closest subway, is a four-minute walk away. La Scala is a seven-minute drive or a 13-minute train ride. The Duomo, Milan's magnificent cathedral, is a 10-minute train ride or seven-minute drive. The 10 Corso Complex, a huge indoor shopping and dining facility, is a nine-minute walk away. Malpensa Airport is between a 50- to 63-minute train ride. The Orio al Serio Airport is a 48-minute drive or two-hour train ride. Linate Airport is a 35-minute train ride or a 25-minute drive. 

Rooms at the Windsor Hotel Milano are split between two general categories, and guests should specify when booking whether they want a traditional room (patterned carpets, striped draperies, and a built-in wooden headboard and side tables) or a modern room (bleached wood floors, an attractive fabric-tufted headboard, and wall-mounted flat-screen TV). Larger rooms have sofas. Another thing to specify is the view, which is either of the street or the courtyard. But all rooms include air-conditioning, digital safes, free Wi-Fi, electric kettles, and bathrobes and slippers. Nonalcoholic drinks from the minibar are free, and a selection of treats from Eataly is available for a fee. Bathrooms also vary; the Executive Rooms for example, have dated bathrooms with cream tile and bright lights, hotel-brand toiletries, and old-style hairdryers. By contrast, the renovated rooms have stylish bathrooms that includes sinks set in curved counters and tubs with rainfall showerheads behind glass partitions; hairdryers are modern and toiletries are Ortigia. 

The entrance of the Windsor is reached by crossing a stylish terrace, complete with contemporary chairs and tables set beneath an awning; it is a great spot for people watching. Also on-site is a stylish, two-story restaurant, Clotilde Bistrot, that serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The breakfast is free, and includes Italian or continental breakfast. It includes a coffee shop and bar. There is also a lobby bar and a vending machine. The hotel has a business center for meetings, and Wi-Fi is free throughout. The front desk is staffed 24 hours by a multilingual staff. Concierge services are available as well. The hotel will arrange limousine pickup for a fee, and parking is available for a fee. Luggage storage is offered for free, and pets are welcome. Room service is offered on a limited basis. Cribs are provided upon request.