Rooms with Views: Townhouse Galleria

In the heart of Milan, in the heart of the Galleria there is a luxury hotel…

You can’t get much more central than the Townhouse Galleria in Milan. Literally in the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele itself which means you are in view of the Duomo, and have a host of shops, cafes, and restaurants at your feet. Another big draw is that many of the rooms at Townhouse Galleria have views into the Galleria itself which really makes you part of the landscape.

First things first, arrival is met curbside and the porters help with your bags while you are directed to the lift in the small entryway to take you to reception on the first floor. What this means is that you bypass reception every time you come in and out of the hotel which gives a more independent feel to your stay and depending on the way you travel means if you want concierge help you have to stop on the reception’s floor before going on to your own room floor. Some people like this some people don’t. Considering I was spending time being shown around by friends and spending a bit of time away from the hotel this suited me just fine.  Especially since while I found the Reception and Concierge desks polite and helpful, they were not as out going and easy going as many other hotels I have stayed at. Very business like and to the point. The public spaces in the hotel, like the reception hall, were uber cool and appealing as you would expect of a design hotel in Milan.

Your keys are no keys and instead a code you key into a number pad outside your door -another reason you don’t need to stop by the front desk. The access code is written down on a card so you can keep that with you if you forget the code. I got a room with a balcony view over the Galleria, which was the highest room category before a suite. The rooms were stylish if a bit in need of an update, just that slightly frayed and the furnishings were of a modern minimal fashion. But the room was cozy, the period doors led out to a large enough to stand on terrace though I don’t understand the extra long curtains that kept getting in the way of the door and the floor for that matter. Overall I liked the room but feel it needed just a little bit more.

I would definitely stay again at the Townhouse Galleria as the location was fabulous. Right above Prada -my favourite!- and easily accessible to wonderful coffee at Marchesi, a wonderful Milanese pastry shop and cafe, along with other shops, bars and restaurants. Plus the Duomo! to be able to walk in the piazza and see it in the evening is spectacular. The Teatro alla Scala is 20 seconds away and the fashion triangle of famous shops is an easy few minutes walk.  Incredibly central and made seeing the city easy and enjoyable.