Italy Q&A: Finding a Hotel in Milan During Design Week
· Updated · BootsnAll
Here’s another in the Italy Q&A series. Maddy asks:
Yikes … we are struggling with accommodations in Milan because it is design week there April 14-21. We have checked in to apartments for rent and they are 2600 euros for the week.
We will be going to the fair as well…do you have any ideas for us?
Thanks for the question, Maddy! Unfortunately for anyone traveling to Milan, accommodations can be tough to find - especially on a budget anywhere near the city center - because the city is much more about business travel than it is about budget travel. And then when you throw in any holiday or “festival” period (that means anything like Fashion Week or any kind of trade show, which happen pretty frequently in Milan) you’re dealing not just with fewer vacant rooms but also higher prices.
It really depends on what your budget is, but here are a couple that I’ve found in or near the center (I haven’t checked them out personally):
One I’ve been wanting to take a peek at ever since I saw it featured on a travel show (although it seems to be more expensive and small, so probably fills up fast) is:
I’ll also pass along the service the husband and I used to find the apartment we’re staying in currently; I’m not sure they’ll be able to offer anything less expensive than the prices you said you’ve been quoted already, especially because it’s Design Week in Milan, but I suppose it’s worth a try! It also seemed to have apartments further out - we excluded those from our search almost immediately, so I don’t recall the specifics, but you might be able to find one that costs a bit less but that takes a bit longer to get to/from. It depends on what your priorities are.
Milan also has a few good hostels now, such as Ostello Bello near the Duomo and YellowSquare, and most of them have private rooms as well as dorms. You can find them on Hostelworld, and they’re worth a look when the hotels are full.
If you’ve got any spare time during your visit to Milan, you can check out some of my posts about Milan - including what to do and how to get around the city.
Good luck, and have a great trip!