The cheapest, nicest hotels in Milan
Italy’s economic powerhouse, Milan, is a buzzing, multicultural city that is constantly on the move, with a packed calendar of events attracting visitors year-round. Among some of the best hotels in Milan are also some of the cheapest, nicest hotels in Milan – options that feel affordable, even at peak visiting time. This may be one of Italy’s most expensive cities, but dig a little deeper, and you’ll soon discover that a Milanese stay doesn’t have to break the bank.
You’ll find boutique hotels hidden in elegant residential palazzos, some only a short sashay from the city’s famed cathedral; others are social hubs that double as hotels and co-working spaces, offering a lively, upbeat ambience at all times of day; others still are boutique boltholes housed in converted fashion studios and showrooms, whose owners have unleashed their creativity to give life to spaces that burst with character. Here we list our favourite affordable Milan hotels to bed down in Italy’s most dynamic city.
How we choose the cheapest nicest hotels in Milan
Every hotel on this list has been selected independently by our editors and written by a Condé Nast Traveller journalist who knows the destination and has stayed at that property. When choosing hotels, our editors consider both luxury properties and boutique and lesser-known boltholes that offer an authentic and insider experience of a destination. We’re always looking for beautiful design, a great location and warm service – as well as serious sustainability credentials. We update this list regularly as new hotels open and existing ones evolve.
Aethos Milan
This debonair den just a skip and a hop away from Milan’s happening Navigli has a distinctive soul, its every corner oozing character and personality. In the lounge and cocktail bar, mixologists shake up some of the city’s best drinks in dimly lit, sultry surroundings. Thick Persian rugs are strewn over chequered floors, black and white prints adorn walls, while sofas in tartans and plaids nod to the British country look. A mishmash of sporting goods and random vintage pieces lend a pinch of fun and plenty of character – you’ll find wooden skis, old golf clubs and squash rackets alongside an optician’s chart and vintage suitcases.
The sporting vibe continues in the rooms, themed after a variety of games, from cricket and surfing to polo and rugby. A handful have ditched the sporting ethos in favour of a countryside aesthetic with masculine design cues, with deep-seated sofas, plaid-patterned ottomans, and dark mahogany drinks cabinets. For dinner, head down to the ground-floor restaurant Zaïa, which takes a contemporary spin on art deco – think fluted tambour fittings, Cesca chairs, and globe wall sconces. You can watch the chefs rustle up Mediterranean-sharing dishes in the open-plan kitchen.
Price: Rooms from around £200 per night.
Giacomo SattiLaFavia Milano
In a 19th-century residential apartment block, this delightful B&B mixes vintage and Art Deco and is within striking distance of the financial district of Porta Nuova. The apartment brims with character, decorated with finds that owners Marco and Fabio have acquired from their travels over the years (Indian rugs from Darjeeling; a Mexican statue depicting La Catrina; a palm-shaped lamp and wicker chairs from Barcelona), along with items of furniture passed down by family members. The rooms feature charming touches with playful designs including ochre flowered wallpaper and hand-painted Sicilian tiles in the bathrooms. We especially like the delightful terrace where breakfast is served during the warmer months of the year.
Price: Rooms from around £96 per night.
Paolo ValentiniUrban Hive Milano
This welcoming boutique hotel is full of zest and verve, with retro furnishings in lively splashes and a warm ambience pervading throughout. Velvet seating in deep reds, mustard yellows and cosy taupes add to the snug vibes, with verdant plants, decorative plates and books lining shelves. Rooms are on the (very) small side but are homely and all-enveloping, with their salmon pink walls and retro feel (think Marshall radios and scarlet red vintage-style corded phones). You’ll find free weights and yoga mats in all rooms – while there may not be too much space for a crescent lunge or a three-legged downward dog pose, you can nip down to the little courtyard terrace for a little more exercising space (there are complimentary yoga lessons in peak periods such as Fashion Week, too).
Breakfast is done particularly well here; it’s a visually appealing display, with neatly laid out dishes of perfectly cut fruit and greens, cold cuts, Caprese salad and cheeses alongside hot choices such as grilled tomatoes and scrambled eggs presented in colourful oven dishes and stone casseroles, providing the perfect fuel for your Milanese exploits.
Price: Rooms from around £160 per night.
21 House of Stories
Part hotel, part co-working space, this happening spot is also part restaurant and part bar, a buzzy all-day destination where young creatives come together to meet and socialise. Visit by day and you’ll find the ground floor lounge area a hive of activity, with local students, freelancers and digital nomads collaborating at communal tables or lounging on sofas in warm, muddy red tones. Rooms come with a simple, functional design in earthy hues (rusty reds; browns), with higher-category rooms equipped with workout gear, including weights and TRX straps, so you can keep that fitness routine going while you’re away.
As the working day draws to a close, Milanesi make for the rooftop bar I Mirador, congregating around the open-air swimming pool for drinks and nibbles. When hunger strikes, you can nip down to the ground-floor Domenica Restaurant, which exudes an easy, laidback vibe, serving up sharing dishes piled high with Milanese and Italian favourites, including a mouthwateringly crunchy cotoletta alla Milanese (veal cutlet). It’s all too easy to hit the town for a cocktail or two after dinner – the hotel is in the Navigli area, perfectly positioned for Milan’s nightlife, with scores of buzzy bars lining the neighbouring Naviglio Grande.
Price: Rooms from around £189 per night.
Andrea GetuliMilano Verticale – UNA Esperienze
Perfectly situated for Milan’s Porta Nuova financial district, this four-star exemplifies the urban architecture and design of the surrounding area, with its glossy skyscrapers and urban parks. Expansive floor-to-ceiling windows create airy, light-flooded interiors, seemingly merging indoors and out. Step into the verdant garden area, and you’ll find yourself lulled by the soothing sounds of a water feature – you can have breakfast here come morning or sit back here with an aperitivo come evening. Sun worshippers can top up their tan on the spacious fifth-floor terrace, and there’s a basement wellness centre with sauna, steam room and whirlpool tub.
Earthy, natural tones and materials prevail in the rooms, with lots of nut-brown woods, bronze fittings, and thick fabrics in monochromatic hues (deep forest-green curtains; blue and white patterned ottomans). Bathrooms come with roomy glass-fronted rain showers and plenty of surface space by the sinks, although the real draw is the city views afforded by the suites on the top floors – opt for one of these if you can. As well as a Michelin-starred restaurant, there’s a brasserie-style space, complete with an open-plan kitchen, where you can watch the chefs at work as you tuck into flavoursome Italian dishes.
Price: Rooms from around £175 per night.
Savona 18 Suites
This intimate 42-room boutique hotel is dressed in a medley of furnishings and ornaments, with vibrant splashes adding colour to the communal spaces. In the lounge area, you’ll find abstract canvases in bold hues and decorative plates by porcelain manufacturer Ginori1735 embellishing walls, while on a reclaimed oak wood table, you can peruse a selection of fragrances (cloches allow you to sample each scent). Objects and furnishings are all on sale, with many snapped up at auction or hunted down at flea markets, resulting in a unique selection of items throughout the property, with items in the rooms ranging from books to curios, such as vintage cameras and typewriters. A quiet and peaceful ambience prevails throughout, with accommodation set around a traditional Milanese courtyard where drinks and light bites can be enjoyed come summer. Rooms are airy and generously sized, with a restrained and uncluttered choice of décor that exudes simplicity and practicality.
Stroll outside the hotel, and you’re in the heart of Zona Tortona, once no more than an industrial district and now one of the city’s hippest spots, its streets home to sassy boutiques, happening bars and fashion showrooms set in former warehouses. If you’re keen to savour Milanese nightlife, you’re only a ten-minute walk from the happening bars of the Navigli (the city’s canals).
Price: Rooms from around £185 per night.
AleksandarGeorgievLocanda Pandenus
This sleek four-room bolthole set above a café offers oodles of privacy – ask any of the Milanesi sipping their morning coffee or aperitivo at the ground-floor café-cum-bar what lies upstairs and they’ll be hard pushed to tell you. The sleek little first-floor rooms are one of the city’s best-kept secrets, with the Brera outpost of this well-established Milanese coffee joint offering some of the city’s most stylish accommodation at prices that won’t break the bank.
Squeeze your way past the bar counter and you’ll find a set of stairs (with a glass door activated by swiping your key card) leading up to four rooms that breathe a strong yet effortlessly glamorous look. Lots of velvets in deep hues (thick cherry-red curtains; armchairs in peacock blue) and throws in heritage fabrics lend a chic and indulgent feel, with strong vintage nods throughout. Block colour pouffes sit by mid-century curved wall mirrors, while bathrooms come with fluted wood fittings and roomy monsoon showers in decadent white and black marble. Step outside, and you’re in bustling Brera, one of Milan’s loveliest neighbourhoods, with its winding cobbled streets home to art galleries, boutiques and delightful restaurants.
Price: Rooms from around £220 per night.
Amedeo VolpeAntica Locanda dei Mercanti
This delightful four-star hotel lies hidden in a residential palazzo behind a heavy wooden door. Slip inside and head up to the first floor, where amicable front office staff provide swift and efficient service in a reception area with beautiful dark wood coffered ceilings. Rooms are polished and streamlined, combining breezy materials and furnishings (think billowy linen curtains; cream-coloured sofas) with pieces sourced from antique shops. You’ll find scalloped shell canvas bed frames and rattan chairs; terrazzo floors and painted cast iron beds; hand-carved chairs and two-tiered side tables with curved legs – no two rooms are the same. Maroon rugs and canvases in lively pops add warmth and cosiness, with books dotted here and there and fresh flowers placed daily in the bedrooms. A handful of rooms come with lovely little terraces where you can sit back on cushioned sofas surrounded by leafy succulents and flowers – you can ask for breakfast to be served here if you’re staying in a terrace room. Step outside the building, and you’ll find yourself perfectly situated for all the city’s major sights, with Milan’s famed Duomo lying less than a ten-minute walk away.
Price: Rooms from around £200 per night.
Matteo BarroMatilde Boutique Hotel
Matilde, a family-run modern boutique hotel was one of the first of its kind to open in Milan in 2020. Located in the heart of Milan’s city centre with 25 design-centric rooms featuring wainscot walls, green velvet headboards and whimsical checkered print couches, along with elegant details such as crystal lighting and brass finishes. While anchored by its elegant Belle Epoque design, homey details are incorporated into the experience; one such highlight is the Matilde teddy bear given to the children staying at the hotel. Monica Mendal
Price: From around £225 per night.
Matt SclarandisPalazzo Segreti
In this upscale boutique hotel just south of the trendy Brera neighbourhood, each of the 18 minimalist rooms and spacious suites are characterised by their own individualistic design ethos, articulated through a mix of contemporary and antique decor and furnishings, providing more of an apartment feel than a conventional luxury hotel. As chic as the stay feels, it remains unpretentious and comfortable– even for furry companions who, upon request, are provided with a dog bed, premium water bowls and custom playmats. Monica Mendal
Price: From around £165 per night.
Hotel Viu Milan
It’s hard to believe that a large, contemporary hotel located in the hip Porta Garibaldi neighbourhood, just a 10-minute walk from 10 Corso Como, would actually be affordable, but Hotel Viu Milan manages to pull it off – even incorporating a sleek marble design offset by sultry dark woods and offering five-star amenities like a swimming pool and terrace bar overlooking the city. Before checking out, don’t miss a meal at the hotel’s signature restaurant, Morelli, where chef Giancarlo Morelli serves up traditional cuisine with international flavours. Monica Mendal
Price: From around £225 per night
