ABC

Located about a 10-minute walk from the Duomo, the one-star ABC Hotel offers 20 well-priced rooms situated inside one of the oldest buildings we visited on our tour of Milan. In fact, architects and art students apparently go crazy for the hotel's original marble and mosaic tiled floors, high ceilings and lush garden terrace. There’s a young, bohemian atmosphere here. Walls are painted in bright colors and the stairwell is crammed with paintings. Even Dolce, a miniature Yorkshire terrier, skitters with an air of cool throughout the hotel’s halls. The ABC’s air-conditioned rooms are a jumble of garage-sale finds, including desks and side tables that span the centuries and more jaw-dropping antiques picture frames and tables. All rooms are equipped with a TV and phone. In-room artwork is sparse yet bright and the bare-bones floors could do with some new carpeting. Bathrooms are one-star quality, but they’re clean and well-tiled. We recommend this place for its low prices and arty atmosphere. During warmer months, it’s undoubtedly our first choice for the large terrace and sky-high ceilings (saving graces during those stifling Milan summers). Breakfast is included.