Holiday Inn Milan Nord Zara

After finding cheap flights to Milan, we were having big problems finding a hotel that was (a) anywhere near 'cheap', and (b) anywhere near Milan. The Holiday Inn was slightly more expensive than some of the other hotels, but with good reviews and a good reputation, we thought we'd pay the extra and stay there. With the benefit of hindsight (and the information I'll give you now) this could have been a great stay, but there are a couple of things to note before booking. The good. Nice hotel, excellent staff, very clean. The bad. Here we go. The location is bad. Now, we'd planned for this, and if you've got a car, it won't be an issue. Really. Free parking. If you don't have a car, you'll have read about the local train station... and this is where things get fun. When we arrived at the local station there wasn't a taxi in sight, and no obvious way of obtaining one. Without knowing Italian to call a local company (or a number), you'll be stuck. Even the local bus drivers didn't know where the hotel was and we ended up walking the 2km there. The hotel did say when we arrived that if we'd called them they could have organised it, but hindisight's wonderful. The next issue was getting anywhere. 2km to the station isn't a long journey. We'd expected to taxi it most days for a few Euros, but if this is your first trip to Italy WOW are you in for a surprise. Italian taxis start the meter from when the booking is made, regardless of where they are. The first two taxis had 10 Euros already on the meter making it a 17 Euro trip, and this became a frequent problem no matter where we went in Milan. The hotel does have a driver that will do the trip for 10 Euros, but this is subject to availablility... and it's a busy hotel. If you haven't got a car be prepared to spend a LOT of money on taxis. There was no bath in the room, strange for a 4*, but not unheard of and didn't worry us. What was irritating was that there was no shower door/curtain, and the base of the shower was level with the bathroom floor meaning that every time we had a shower the floor flooded. It was a bad design and we went through a lot of towels. The 'free' computers in reception. The first day one worked, the second two days neither worked. We had WiFi notebooks, and this would have been a problem printing tickets that we'd bought although the fantastic staff, (and they really are) did it for us on their computer. Don't rely on these computers being available. The breakfast was basic, but a selection of standard continental food. Flies constantly buzzed around the fruit and we wondered why they hadn't covered it, but it was edible. In summary, it was a reasonable stay. Had we known about the taxi/station situation before booking we'd probably have spent an extra 100 Euros on a more central hotel as the taxi bills really racked up quickly, but if you have a car it's a nice place to stay.

We chose this hotel in a somewhat hurried way and did not realise it would be so far from the centre of town (Milano, not Monza). It was easily reached from the North, being visible from the expressway, and there was no traffic around, but reaching MIlano downtown meant one had to drive there and find a parking for the whole day, which did not come cheap. The breakfast buffet is nice and the staff quite helpful. When we visited around Aug 15, the hotel was mostly empty.

Great, comfortable hotel on the way towards the airport. the rooms were clean and nicely kept, the staff onsite was very helpful and breakfast was good. the hotel also have underground garage which is nice. the only drawback is there was a large group at check-in which kept the lobby busy and noisy.

The hotel is comfortable (including beds), clean, complete, staff are very professional and responsive, and they offer an excellent rate. We were there for just one night, after a day visiting Como. We had a car, so going into the city for dinner was not a problem for us. If I didn't have a car, I would have picked another location.

The hotel is 15 to 30 minutes from the circuit depending on traffic. You have a big free parking lot in front and on the side, a restaurant opened until late at night with very good food and ice creams ;) The front desk staff is very friendly and speak different languages! The rooms are very cosy even though you travel with kids! And the prices, depending on the event on Monza, are very correct!

The rooms aren't big, and if you come with four expect to have bunk beds. It is a nice hotel to pass by but wouldn't recommend for those who are staying longer in Milan. I was unlucky and got a bunk bed, and the sleeping wasn't much comfortable. The beds were kind of unattractive. But overall an ok hotel for it's price.

For a big chain, the customer service and attention to detail by the staff was first class. The breakfast was also stand out - the ability to squeeze your own orange juice was a nice touch and the kids absolutely loved the pancake maker!

I came with my tour group from Indonesia to this hotel, at first sight, you would think this is an old hotel, and still when you enter the lobby, it looks like a 3 stars hotel with a small lobby, but when you enter the room, you will find a nice and comfy room. The most important is the cleanliness is good. So i love it.

I am very thankful about this hotel. It is very clean,comfort bed,big bathroom. The breakfast is nice. We had dinner in the restaurant and I ate selicious Rissoto Milanese. I recommend this hotel. It is located on the highway but when the window is closed is really quit. The air-condition made my night the best I have had in Italy.