For my stay in Italy to visit EXPO 2015 I was looking for a cheap but modern hotel, and found it: Hotel Ornato in Milan. Well, not exactly cheap, but the value for money is fine. Instead of paying up to a hundred euros more per night for a hotel in the centre of Milan, I rather chose Hotel Ornato in the Bicocca/Niguarda area, where the real Milanese live, and I really enjoyed my stay.
Hotel Ornato Milan: location and getting there
Hotel Ornato is named after the street Via Luigi Ornato (Ornato was an Italian patriot) and belongs to the Mini Hotel Group with a total of eight hotels in Milan. Part of the rooms had just been renovated, and for some extra euros per night you can stay in one of them. The unrenovated economy rooms are cheaper, but I opted for a new Happy Room. The hotel is in Niguarda in the northern part of Milan. I took the metro from Milano Centrale to the station Bicocca and walked the remaining 1.5 km with all my luggage. What I only learned later is that buses and trams stop just a few steps from the hotel entrance. The stop is called Niguarda Nord.
My room at Hotel Ornato: check-in, interior and WiFi
I could check in immediately and took the elevator to my room on the second floor. In the corridor there was a drink dispenser that I used often during my stay for cold water, coke or juice. My single room was big enough for me and my luggage. Most of the interior is from IKEA, so I immediately felt at home. Some people can’t handle an open closet, but I liked it and hung up most of my clothes. The bathroom was even more spacious than the room, with a big shower and lots of space.
The WiFi at Hotel Ornato is free, but my connection wasn’t always good: sometimes it dropped, or it was so bad that I couldn’t even check my emails. As I spent most of the time in the room just sleeping it was okay, but still annoying.
Breakfast, noise and my verdict on Hotel Ornato
I wanted to enjoy a variety of Italian breakfasts with brioche and cappuccino, so I didn’t have breakfast at the hotel and can’t say anything about it. Even though my room had windows over the street, it wasn’t loud. All in all, I really enjoyed my stay at Hotel Ornato and would book a room there again anytime. At the time they had a special EXPO 2015 promotion (one night in a double room plus an EXPO ticket), which you could check out on their homepage.
What to do near Hotel Ornato in Niguarda and Bicocca
There aren’t many attractions directly around the hotel, but I can recommend a walk or jog in the Parco Nord Milano and the Asian restaurant to the left of the hotel when you leave it. For a supermarket (Carrefour) I took a bus to the metro station and a tram for one more stop to V.le Testi Via S. Marcellina. Close to the Bicocca metro station is the Museo Interattivo del Cinema. With the metro you are in the centre of Milan (Bicocca to Zara and to Duomo) in about 19 minutes, and at Porta Garibaldi station (Bicocca with M5 to Garibaldi FS) in about 8 minutes.
Address: Hotel Ornato, Via Luigi Ornato 64, 20162 Milano, Italy
More from my Milan trip: taking an UBER in Milan, lunch at illy Cafe Milano, veggie balls at IKEA and the ibis Styles Milano Centro hotel. Browse the tags Hotel Milan, Hotel Review, Niguarda Milan and 3 Star Hotel, or the categories Lombardy and Italy.
Pictures of Hotel Ornato, Gruppo Mini Hotel in Niguarda and Bicocca
Where is Hotel Ornato in Milan?
Hotel Ornato is at Via Luigi Ornato 64, 20162 Milan, in the Niguarda/Bicocca area in the north of the city.
How do you get to Hotel Ornato from Milano Centrale?
Take the metro from Milano Centrale to the station Bicocca and walk about 1.5 km, or take a bus or tram to the stop Niguarda Nord, which is a few steps from the hotel.
Is the WiFi at Hotel Ornato free?
Yes, WiFi is free, but on my stay the connection wasn’t always good and sometimes dropped.
How long does it take from Hotel Ornato to the centre of Milan?
With the metro it takes about 19 minutes from Bicocca to Zara and Duomo, and about 8 minutes with the M5 to Porta Garibaldi station.
What are the rooms like at Hotel Ornato?
The rooms have an IKEA-style interior with an open closet. My single Happy Room was spacious with a big shower, and part of the rooms had just been renovated.
Is Hotel Ornato a good hotel for visiting EXPO 2015?
I thought so: it was cheaper than a hotel in the centre, well connected by metro and quiet. At the time the hotel offered an EXPO 2015 package with a ticket.
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