Santa Barbara Hotel

The staff were helpful and courteous throughout our stay. The airport was only a short taxi ride away, and it was an eight-minute walk to the train station. We had a wonderful stay!

It worked fine for a business trip when we just needed somewhere to sleep, though it wasn’t luxurious. The rooms were okay, nothing special, and I’d avoid the restaurant because the food wasn’t great. Getting there was easy from the motorway, with parking outside and almost no traffic trouble in that area on the edge of the city. Public transport was good too, and getting into central Milan didn’t cost much.

The room was unbearably hot and stuffy at night because the staff said they turn off the air conditioning. They told us to open the window, but there was no screen and mosquitoes were everywhere. I had a one-year-old baby with me, so I kept it shut, and the baby had a horrible night in the heat. We’d rented two rooms for three adults and a child so our family would have more space, but even the reception service was terrible. I felt like I’d thrown my money away. Think carefully before booking, don’t count on the air conditioning working or on good service, and keep your bags locked.

Our stay was deeply uncomfortable, and the way the staff handled our questions made it even worse. We arrived looking to book four nights for three adults and a baby, and showed the receptionist the stay on Booking’s app to avoid confusion across languages. We’d been in the area a few days and wanted to move somewhere nicer. She booked two single rooms. When she took our passports, I asked if she needed my daughter’s too, and she said no. An hour later, when my wife, daughter, sister-in-law and I returned, she was nearly attacking us verbally, asking if we were all staying there and accusing us of never saying so. We explained that my sister-in-law lives locally but we were all staying. We were told they couldn’t stay, and ended up paying another $200. That evening, after visiting the Cathedral in Milan, we returned to a room that was about as hot as the 84-degree weather outside. The A/C seemed broken. The room phone didn’t work, so I went to the lobby and was told they switch off the A/C at night and we should open the windows. There were no screens, which meant bugs or sweltering heat while trying to sleep with our one-year-old. I can’t believe a hotel would deny guests A/C and call itself a four-star place. The stay was uncomfortable, but the staff’s rudeness whenever we raised a concern was worse. I wouldn’t recommend it unless you’re prepared to keep quiet about anything that bothers you. This is the first negative review I’ve left for any establishment, and I’m very disappointed in Hotel Santa Barbara in San Donato Milanese, Milan.