Parking

After a short stay in Como, We decided to head south for saturday night and stay at the Carlyle Brera. The hotel was a little tricky to find, but the problem on getting there was the parking. We were told by reception that there were only 10 places for guests and that we would have to drive around until we found parking or pay 30 euros for a private car park which we duly did.

The rooms were well cleaned with modern furniture and and good lighting. Opening the windows let in quite a din from the streets even though we were on the seventh floor, so we kept them closed.

The breakfast on the sunday was served in a bright and airy mezzanine level with a good compliment of breads and pastries as well as eggs and bacon. The restaurant staff were cheerful and helpful and made this probably the best part of the hotel. We were so busy rushing about that we did not get time to use the internet in the main lobby, but there always seemed to be a spare terminal.

In summary the Carlyle is an interesting and well appointed mid budget hotel let down by the parking situation that afflicts Milan in general and maybe a little too far from the Duomo for walking.

Great location, helpfull staff, very good

My husband and I stayed in this hotel in January 2004.

The location is excellent, great for many shops, restaurants, fantastic bakery right across the road, and one of the best Japanese restaurants we ever had in Europe. It is only few doors down from the hotel and is pricey but outstanding. Can walk everywhere from the hotel, it is around 15 minute walk to the "designer quoter". Staff very helpfull and accomodating. Room basic, but has everything needed for the short break, and very clean. The only minus was that it had wooden floors, so we could here people walking in a room above us, but it stopped quickly. Recommended as a good base for Milan, and it is located in a fabulous area, with some great shoe shops and restaurants. And Metro is right in front of the hotel, a big plus.

Nice but expensive

I stayed here for two weeks for work in December 2003. It was a nice place to stay, as the rooms were clean and a reasonable size by Italy standards. The staff were friendly and helpful. The food was excellent and the location was very good. I felt it was a bit expensive for what it was though and, like one of the previous reviewers, a work colleague had a security concern.

Serious Security Problems

This was the only hotel in our three week trip in Italy where there were security cameras everywhere in the common areas. At first we felt reassured by this measure. But our ease lasted little. The first night we came back from dinner and there was this guest in the lobby having a tremendous argument with the night manager over an expensive blouse she alleged was taken from her bedroom. The next night it was our turn, a designer jacket left hanging in a closet was gone after the cleaning of our room. Management denied any responsibility. I do not have any other complaints over the hotel, but clearly, there is so much you can do with a small security box and consequently I would not stay at this hotel ever again.

Good hotel, has the essentials: clean, location, a bit over priced though

We stayed in this hotel one night. The rooms were clean but a bit dark (not because of the windows, but because of the lighting!) which was bit disconcerting. Friendly staff. Good location. A bit over priced for the overall quality of the hotel. The hotel offers free internet for its guests though... that's a plus.

Excellent Hotel - Fantastic Breakfast

We loved this hotel. Although it was hard to find, as are many hotels when you are driving in Europe, we finally found the motor entrance which is behind and below the hotel.After ringing the hotel entry intercom, a helpful valet came to meet us and help with our bags.The front desk crew was helpful on check in and, in fact, throughout our stay. Their recommendations were always excellent -- from restaurants to walking tours to reservations.One of the treats of this hotel is the "pillow menu." Although not offered to us on check in, we knew of the menu from other reviewers and went down to the front desk to inquire. There were 8 choices and our choices made our recovery from jet lag much shorter. We've never seen such a thing and found it a unique and delightful service.The hotel and our room had a Scandnavian feel to us. The room we were in was a bit on the small size, with a comfortable bed and a small sofa.The satellite TV is adequate, but unfortunately, the air-conditioning was not yet turned on for our late-April visit. Equally unfrotunately, the high was near 80° F, making our room uncomfortably warm and stuffy during the day.However, the window did crack open allowing us to cool the room in the evening. The electronically operated window shade completely darkened the room.The staff allowed us to check in at 10 AM after an all night flight from the US -- which was wonderful.The bathroom was very nice indeed with a great shower with superb water flow and pressure - often a rariety in European hotels. The bath was tiled, had a large single sink, bidet and toilet. The towels were large and fluffy and draped over a heated towell rack, which would have been a luxury, had the weather been chilly.The bathroom amenities included soap, shampoo, tissue, hair dryer, and, surprisingly, extra toothbrushes.The hotel provides complimentary newspapers. We had two English language papers (USA Today and The Herald) to enjoy each day.The hotel also has two complimentary Internet stations in the lobby - although they do not allow you to print or upload/download files.The shocker for us was the morning breakfast, included in our rate. The choice and quality was remarkable for a B&B. Two types of eggs (scrambled and soft boiled), bacon, several choices of fruit and cereals, two milk choices, three juice choices and great coffee and expresso. There were also several types of cookies (biscuits for the Brits) and pastries - as well as a variety of jelly and jams. This was a splendid layout, indeed.A metro stop is steps from the door of the hotel, making the entire city easily accessible. However, the Duomo and Galleria are an easy 5 minute walk. We felt safe even walking it at night, as the walk goes through a lively restaurant and shopping district.In short, we not only highly recommend the hotel, we plan to stay on our next visit.Had the airconditioning been operational, we'd have given it a five star rating for it's class.

Expensive but great location.

Expensive for us -- $200 per night -- but the location is ideal. The room was clean, modern, and the bed very comfortable. But the in the bathroom there were problems. The previous guest's trash had not been removed, including a toothbrush left by the sink. And the sink was plugged up. I mentioned the trash problem to the front desk, but they weren't able/willing to make any sort of concession. The breakfast was excellent and had a large variety of choices. A big plus is that there are 2 computers in the lobby where you can check your email. All in all a very good hotel. But for us $200 a night is way over the top. It was New Year's eve and everything else was booked.

Superb hotel

Great hotel. located in the brera district which has fantastic restaurants, shops and places to walk around. Hotel is located at a metro stop and about 15 minutes walk from Duomo and other locations in Milan. Hotel staff was extremely accommodating-- allowed us to check in at 9am after our overnight flight from the US. Staff spoke English fluently and provided superb restaurant selections. Hotel has free internet access for guests. Highly recommend.