Review Diana Majestic Milan, the belle époque is as good as gone
Perhaps it is better to come for the appetizer or dinner and go to sleep elsewhere
MXP
Marriott
It is a historic structure, in a building built in 1908 in the Art Nouveau style, you could say that the Diana is still the Diana, but it needs a total facelift, so like its companion the Marriott Milan.
In this article:
Reservation
It is a category 6 facility, of better Bonvoy family in Milan offers only the Bvlgari, booking an award night at this facility costs 45k Bonvoy points, which fortunately I did not waste because in this period of partial lockdown, the cost of rooms is so low that the conversion would be even more disadvantageous.
Did you get your flight cancelled, miss your connection, land late?
You could get up to 600€ compensation per person
I booked a classic king at a cost of 133€ by taking advantage of the special rate for gold elite customers. Thanks to the status I received 25% off the room price and complimentary breakfast. A saving of more than €45 obtained through one of the benefits of my American Express Platinum
Upon check-in no special welcome, despite elite status, but a welcome surprise of a room upgrade, as I am assigned a garden view room, the true gem of this facility.
The room
They say some rooms are furnished with antique furniture, however, mine had only old furniture or if we want to be thematic, we could call it agé.
The room is large and the little terrace overlooking the garden a real treat, but everything else is to be sent to the scrap heap.
The television is awkward, the bar fridge noisy, the mattress is not king but it is two single beds joined and without the topper if you lie in the middle of the bed you sink.
The bathroom is vintage and we can say that it has seen better days, not finding terrycloth face towels is very boarding house 2 star 80s.
The thing that puzzles me is that this structure being a category 6 should be perfect, luxurious and appropriate to Marriott standards.
It seems, however, that the standards here are latent, especially those of sanitation, as one can read In my visit to the other Milan Sheraton, there is nothing here that I had appreciated.
The towels are not sealed, nor is the TV remote control, there are not even wipes to sanitize the surfaces, much less are there signs explaining the protocols adopted, only an a4 sheet on the credenza explaining to the customer the rules in place for travel in Milan.
Services
The garden is an absolute oasis of peace, obviously a suitable location for an aperitif or dinner, or just to sit and enjoy the silence and peace. Unthinkable given that we are in the heart of Milan and Viale Buenos Aires.
Also demonstrating the lack of standards is the small fitness room, which in the covid and social distancing era, probably should be closed since it is tiny and has no ban on the use of machines, like what happens in the San Siro Sheraton
F&B
Certainly the lounge bar and restaurant are the gem of this establishment, sophisticated decor and ambiance. Peace and tranquility, also because this is Milan in the time of the Covid.
I had a quick appetizer, a charcuterie board (good) with fried bread and a tiramisu (really delicious): In the room that can accommodate more than 100 people, there were 3 of us...really a strange effect for a place that is often the scene of big events in the nightlife and not only in Milan.
Breakfast
Upon arrival in the breakfast room I am greeted by a "Good morning sir, didn't they tell you that we only serve breakfast in the room?" I explain that on the contrary I was specified breakfast times and location by the very front desk when I arrived
Usual qr code to access the menu and no visual choices. So I decide to go with the classic, but I must say that the breakfast did not live up to the restaurant's reputation.
In conclusion
Absolutely not worth a category 6, for comparison the Straf by Design Hotel is a category 5 and costs 10k Bonvoy less, but definitely offers a better product. Not to mention the Sheraton Milan San Siro which is a category 4 and that in Bonvoy points it costs almost half as much. Of course, here we are in the center of Milan and the view of the garden is unique however it is not enough to justify the price (the pre covid one, not the one on this night).
This stay earned me a total of 4,988 Bonvoy points, 1,590 basis points, 398 elite bonus and 3,000 extra.
Pro
- The garden is unique
- When there was a movida here was at home
Against
- The rooms are not vintage, they are old and no longer up to the standard of 2020