Boutiques of Italy
I must confess before I dive into this comparison that Italy is one of my favorite places on earth and I have been blessed to travel there more than once. I was so excited about this trip that I did a lot of research and decided to go with two boutique hotels that overall had great reviews. I went in the height of summer and the Expo was in full swing so Milan was the place to be and I wanted to make sure I was getting the most of my short trip.
Firenze Number Nine is modern with a touch of funky and conveniently located a short walk from the central train station so it was easy enough to find. I was worried about walking there with our luggage but it was not an issue. I really loved the location as we could easily step outside the hotel and find something to do. The check-in process was super easy and the staff was unbelievably helpful, suggesting places to eat and go whenever we needed it (including a cool spot that I can’t wait to write about soon).
There were three unforgettable moments during our stay:
1- the discovery of the shattafa in our bathroom (I believe that we were lucky to get a room fitted out for the differently abled, but any Arab would DIE of happiness if they spotted a shattafa in a hotel room)
2- we were told that the items in the mini-bar were free for first use (so after they restocked we would have to pay)
3- every morning I would get a free 10-minute massage with my breakfast (of course I would leave a tip) and I started looking forward to waking up early in order to sign up for this perk!
It would be tough for Bosocolo Milano to beat the Firenze but I packed up and headed out.
Pulling up to the Boscolo I took one look at our friendly doorman dressed head to toe in black and red with a top hat that would put a smile on anyone’s face and I knew I would have a tough time with this post. The vibe at the Boscolo is wacky with hint of sanity- from the playful lobby décor (including a giant light up Mickey) to the green deflated pillow-shaped chairs, fun was the name of the game and luxe was part of the show as evidenced by the in-room Nespresso machine. The rooms definitely have a more upscale feel than Firenze, my favorite distinguishing factor was the colorful row of product available in the restrooms.
The check-in process was a little slow given that I had emailed ahead of time but the hotel is a short walk from the major shopping areas and the Duomo so although I was worried about it being too far away from the spots I wanted to see, those concerns turned out to be unfounded. I tried to get a massage but I planned poorly so I think if I go back I’ll definitely plan ahead and schedule some me-time. One thing to keep in mind for this hotel is that the shower is all-glass so I would be sure to go there with good friends.
Overall, I would return to both of these hotels but I did prefer the Firenze Number Nine over the Boscolo Milano because it had a homier feel and the staff were beyond friendly and the hotel just does things out of the box to make you feel special without having to pay extra for the perks.
