Starhotels Anderson

There are hotels in Milan which are more centrally located than the Starhotels Anderson, and which inhabit more picturesque settings than this modern glass building around the corner from the central rail station. But not at this price. The Anderson isn’t for those trips where the client is picking up the tab — it’s for securing an affordable, convenient, yet not at all uncivilized or unstylish entrée into what can at times be a forbiddingly expensive city.

It’s not all sacrifice, of course. Once inside you’ll find the Anderson to be perhaps surprisingly stylish — there’s a touch of minimalism, but tempered by a certain lavishness of finish, in classic Italian style. The hundred-odd guest rooms are visually spare but sensually rich, in an atmosphere that feels more like a chic contemporary apartment than a typical hotel room.

Black Restaurant and Bar by Eataly sees to your gustatory needs, though of course you’re not exactly on your own in this department, located as you are in the center of one of Italy’s regional capitals. There’s a gym as well, plus one small detail that’s worth mentioning by name: Pillowmania is what they call the pillow menu, which does rather put a picture in one’s head (especially if you’re a demanding sleeper). In the end the Anderson is not the most attention-grabbing of Milan’s hotels, but in its quiet way it’s a satisfying package indeed.