Hotel Straf

Hotel Straf - Adjacent to Duomo; Very Hip Place to Be

Hotel Straf is uber modern, so if you don’t like minimlism, this may not be for you. THe service and staff were great. The location (next to the Duomo and the Galleria) was ideal. The hotel bar is a big locals hang out after work, so it stays crowded through at least 10:00 p.m every night. The hotel provides seating for customers to take into the street (it’s a dead end) which is really cool. The music is loud, but if you are staying in the hotel you can’t hear it.

Cool, but not for business

Some of the good things: This is a very cool hotel, modern, clean, interesting. The location couldn’t be better (50m from the duomo). Breakfast is very nice--rather limited selection, but high quality. Attached to the hotel is Bar Straf, offering some of the coolest cocktails (also has a happy hour offering a free buffet with purchase of drinks). On the downside: I went to Milan for business and relied on the fact that Straf advertised it had high-speed internet. Their internet connection is practically useless--every few minutes, the connection winds down or gets interrupted completely--every other email I had to retype. This was the case after a technician worked on my room’s connection and, since that failed, after I switched rooms. Not that all the hassle meant the hotel was willing to charge me a lower (or, heaven forbid, no) rate for the internet use. TVs are somewhat disappointingly old-fashioned (one would expect flat screens to go with the rest of the coolness), and there is a certain boxed-in feeling throughout the hotel. Overall, one of the trendier hotels I’ve stayed at, but not sure it’s worth the money.

Very, Very Cool and Great Location

This hotel could not have been located in a better place. It was literally steps from the Duomo and many other attractions. The modern look and feel of the hotel was very cool and a nice change of pace from the usual decor of Italian hotels. I would definitely stay here again if back in Milan.

Traveler's tip on dining

Look for the small restaurants on the side streets. The places inside the main shopping area are not very good.

Great Hotel

We had a great time at this very modern hotel. Great location and very friendly staff. We would suggest people to stay here.

DELIGHTS THE SENSES

the STRAF is fabulous! minimalism done right. impressive surfaces, create a pared down elegance that is both comfortable, and aesthetically stunning. the hotel staff is accommodating and professional. my room was quiet and clean. the lobby was like an art gallery. only downside was a lack of view... but the incredible location made up for that. i LOVE this place, and will stay there, whenever i find my self in milan!

Traveler's tip on local attractions

the NAVIGLI is an interesting part of town, a short metro ride away from the duomo. interesting shops and restaurants... and tourist free.

I’ll always stay there

The service and experience were great. The room small but extremely comfortable. The staff very accomodating and polite. The breakfast was fresh with nice choices.

Traveler's tip on shopping

across the street from La rinascente department store. You can shop all day long.

Too much design does not make it practical

The hotel location is excellent across from Duomo. It’s a boutique hotel with great staff and front office manager. This is my second time staying there. The beds are comfortable and the rooms are spacious. Best feature is the free breakfast with great choices. My only complaint is that the funky room design and everything black in the room and bathroom drive one crazy after a while. The black bathroom and fixtures look unclean (because everything shows on dark surfaces such as water spots, discoloration, chips,etc). The maintenance of boutique hotels is sometimes questionable.

Traveler's tip on shopping

Major downtown shopping is just around the corner.