mauld

I will be returning to the Gallia in 10 days, and have a question regarding the buffet breakfast. As I previously posted, I was given the free breakfast as a perk of 'Gold' status (not even Platinum). Does anyone know if that is still the case. I'm seeing SPG prepaid rates including the full buffet at only slightly higher than my lowest corp rate. Was wondering if I should just go for the prepaid with buffet or risk awaiting it as a free perk?

Forstbetrieb

I cannot answer the question if or if not but would go for rate including breakfast. If slightly higher means more or less roundabout 10 € it is a no - burner.

terpfan101

Anyone know if this property offers breakfast to be purchased at checkin? I'm looking at an award stay and wondered about this.

yeunganson

I stayed at this hotel last month and the bed is very good. I want to buy the same bed.

Anyone know what brand it is? Would it be the same bed from the Luxury Collection Store?

I emailed the hotel concierge and hope I'll get an answer.

Update (June 2017): I received a reply back from Paolo Bellini from the hotel Concierge. He confirms the beds used in the hotel are indeed the ones sold at Starwood's Luxury Collection Hotel Store (https://www.luxurycollectionstore.co...y.aspx?bedding)

Kacee

Just completed a one-night stay. Staff were wonderful, and the hotel has much to like, but the stay was not perfect.

The first glitch was the hotel canceled my reservation without notice (actually, they moved it up by two days, and then canceled as a no show). This was explained as an "error" (and I've no doubt it was). Took me about an hour on the phone with Starwood and then the property to get it fixed. It was a special rate with 3000 bonus points, so we'll see if those post.

On arrival I was "upgraded" from Prestige room to a Panorama "suite." The Panorama room is really just a junior suite sized corner room in the new annex. I didn't like it at all. Weirdly shaped and furnished and it overlooks the tram line which you can hear in the room. The AC didn't work. After three hours with temperature at 75 degrees and climbing, I was moved to a Signature suite. This was a smallish two room suite in the original (old) building. Not a fan of the minimalist decor, but the room was comfortable enough. It had a steam shower (as did the Panorama) which is a very nice touch.

Breakfast was fantastic, with incredible quality ingredients, including the best orange juice I've ever had (apparently made withSicilian blood oranges). Gym was okay for treadmills and cycles, but lacking in weight machines. Did not care for the overly sweet jasmine scent throughout the hotel's public areas.

I did use the house Maserati (they actually have two) to go to the town center. This is a nice perk. They'll pick you up, too. Though metro - with a stop right across the street - is quite a bit quicker.

The real saving grace here is the staff. They were uniformly outstanding.

Haven't decided whether I'd return though. Didn't like the glitches and didn't love the rooms.

ckendall

The AC is sometimes a bit odd here; it can take quite a while to get started and then it seems to turn off when you leave the room so you have to go through the whole process again.

Forstbetrieb

It seems to be his suite was on the hottest corner of the house. I have never had an ac issue in the suites there.

Kacee

The engineer told me if you turn off the lights, the A/C turns off.

What's interesting is it was rising at night. They're still heating the bathroom floors, so that, combined with no cold air blowing in caused the overall room temperature to rise.

I never got a clear answer on what the problem was with the A/C, but suspect it had something to do with the switch from cold to warm weather (which I understand literally happened the day I arrived).

ckendall

Quick note that when checking in this weekend, the little android tablet that you normally sign in on (signatures to verify that you accept terms and risks etc.) now has the Marriott logo (and also does not work, so you sign in on a piece of paper). SPG is ending soon and I hope the transition is smooth.

In any event, a nice upgrade (Atelier suite on a high floor over the piazza) and pleasant service, so for now I will keep coming back.

nologic

This seems like by far and away the best SPG hotel in Milan with the best platinum perks. Do you think a SNA is needed her fore s good suite UG?

ckendall

I usually get some sort of an upgrade but my stays (a week or so) are far from typical and by this point I am sort of a regular. Plus I have yet to stay under Marriott rules so I will know more when I get there in a few days.

Kacee

I booked one of the mid-tier rooms (at around 400 euro) and was "upgraded" to what was essentially a junior suite (Panorama suite). Which was not a very good room IMO. They had suites available, because they ultimately moved me to one due to broken a/c. So no I don't think you can count on a suite upgrade.

ckendall

Just a quick note after my recent week long stay. Check in was fine; my suite was not quite ready so I was able to sit in the bar for a bit until it was. I got a reasonable upgrade (from the basic room with breakfast that I booked). A bit after the fact I noted that I had gotten a "silver" key jacket and was told that since they all looked the same (silver/plat/PPE) it was probably just an error and replaced with the correct PPE jacket. I received a few lovely food/drink items in my room (though the bottle of wine was kind of dead) and breakfast was as lovely as ever.The lighting system buttons are starting to age but service side of the hotel was great. All in all a very pleasant stay; points amazingly posted the day after I left though I have no idea why I got 2000 extra points. And the braindead Marriott website does not even give me a tab to view the folio, offering me a rebook tab instead.

I'll be back in November and again next year.

nologic

Recently returned from a terrific stay at the Excelsior Gallia hotel on the north side of Milan, kitty-corner to Centrale Station, the city's primary train station.

This hotel was completely refurbished in grand Art Deco style in 2015, and the rooms and suites, including the spacious bathrooms, are very elegant and spacious. The linens are all Frette and extremely soft, especially true oversized bathrobes.
All the rooms at the front of the hotel have great views of the Grand Square in front of the hotel and Centrale station.
The rooms are also very modern with nice TVs and multiple charging/usb outlets on both sides of the bed.
Breakfasts are outstanding.
There's also a terrific rooftop bar and restaurant. The bar has a very large outdoor patio overlooking the square, weather permitting.
The spa is quite a facility too.
Also, the hotel offers complimentary Maserati service to the Duomo/city center -- nice touch!
Concierge and overall service are also extremely helpful and attentive.

Condition One

This is a stunning hotel located right next to the Milan Central Station, which is also where the Metro stop is. Taxi from Linate airport was just under 20 Euros. I booked an Atelier Suite, and a few days before my arrival, was emailed from the hotel offering an upgrade to a Signature Suite for 180 Euros/night. I didn’t reply, but saw I was pre-upgraded to a Signature Suite the day before arrival.

The Signature Suite is really nice. Due to the layout of rooms at this property, the room isn’t as spacious as it looks. It’s rectangular and wraps around itself, so has a linear layout (you need to walk through several rooms to get to the bathroom). That being said, everything in the room is high quality and well-maintained. The sofa has a metal “Fendi” tag, and room has marble and wood floors. The bathroom is spacious with a sauna inside in the shower, with excellent Trussardi toiletries. A large fruit plate was waiting for me upon arrival, along with a bottle of sparkling Ferrari Italian wine.

Breakfast is as you would expect – varied with high quality ingredients. Eggs can be ordered a la carte. The rooftop bar is really nice, with excellent service from the staff. Only nitpick is that it blares out Club music, which really kills the ambiance.

The gym is open 24/7 and has an excellent selection of equipment. WiFi is 8Mbps. And the hotel has two Maseratis that will ferry you to the Duomo if available. The hotel staff at this property are all gems. Would stay here in a heartbeat if I ever come back to Milan!