Hands down my new favorite hotel in Europe and it’s a decent Bonvoy redemption to boot. Hi there,
my name is Kevin and I make honest and to the point narrated video tours about hotels and
flights all over the world. This is episode 119 and today we are going to explore the Excelsior
Hotel Gallia in Milan, part of Marriott’s Luxury Collection. The full tour starts in 10 seconds.
Welcome to Milan. I’ll show you in just a bit, but the beautiful Centrale station is just behind me,
making this hotel convenient for just about anyone. I stayed here on a Bonvoy redemption
during the peak summer seasons and the hotel was near capacity. I’ll point out that the
entire building you see here is the hotel, including the modern building on the left
which was built as part of the major renovations that took place before the hotel reopened in 2015-
the combination of modern and classic meant to mimic the modern revival of this neighborhood.
If you’d like to know how many points I paid or my next five videos in queue,
please check out the description below, but first. The following video is an honest review of a hotel
stay that actually happened. This video is not sponsored by any travel related company
and was filmed anonymously. This video may include praise for an incredible Murano Chandelier and or
disturbing nit-picky dialogue related to unsavory train station aromas. Viewer discretion is not
necessary, it’s just my opinion. If you suspect that you or someone you love may have unknowingly
been exposed to content with a hidden sponsorship, please ask the content creator how much they paid.
If you support authentic and honest travel content, please give this video a like and
subscribe with notifications on so you don’t miss a beat. You guys are my sponsors so
feel free to check out my Patreon in the description below. Many thanks in advance.
As we walk to the entrance of the original Palace Gallia, let’s play a little game. I
want you to guess who the owner of this hotel is. Your three choices are: A. An
Italian Family, B. A Big Conglomerate or C. The Qatari Government. … Answers locked in?
If you chose Qatari Government you are correct and you win a trip around the world of my admiration.
The Qatari government, through their Katara Hospitality developement fund
actually own quite a few hotels it turns out and if this property is
any indication of what their other hotels are like, I’m ready to pack my bags now.
During the major overhaul some years ago, the central stair case was preserved and now serves
as one heck of a centerpiece with an 80 meter tall Murano glass chandelier hanging in the middle.
You know this bit already, so turns out Switzerland is actually a wee bit
closer to central Milan than Malpensa Airport is, so if you are able to,
fly into Linate Airport which is very close to the city center,
where the Excelsior is, literally just a stone's throw away from Centrale station.
While we are talking about a train station, let me very briefly mention the low point of this
hotel- and I will admit it was very hot during my stay here so that could play a part, but the
exterior had an aroma that I can only describe as humid mid summer bus terminal. I think you get it.
Right now we are crossing from the new annex lobby back to the main lobby. Let me tell you a bit
about the hotel itself. The original owner, Carlo Gallia was born in Italy in 1861. After working
for years at the iconic London Carlton Hotel and developing a vast knowledge about the industry,
in 1905 Gallia returned to Milan and on the rumors that a new train station would be built nearby,
bought a plot of land just opposite the future site of Centrale Station. Delayed by, among
other things, World War I, the station and hotel didn’t begin construction until the mid 1920s,
with the hotel completed in 1927 and the station in 1931. New problem though, the dawn of the
automobile meant the station and therefore the hotel was no where near their planned capacity.
As we move through the common spaces the attention to detail in this renovation becomes more and more
apparent. Combining the Belle Epoque period architecture with modern Milanese style.
Following World War II and the death of Gallia in 1944, the future of the hotel was in question but
eventually it became successful after the war and after multiple expansions and changing of hands,
landed itself as part of Katara Hospitality, ready to join the Luxury Collection of then
Starwood Hotels. The hotel underwent a massive renovation and expansion and reopened in 2015 in
coordination with the World Expo which was held in Milan that year and since then has served as
a showcase for the Made in Italy movement becoming a Calling Card for Milan as Elle Decor has put it.
I think for obvious reasons, I rarely if ever talk about engineering and
craftsmanship on this channel, but that is where this hotel differentiates itself. In
addition to bespoke details throughout that elevate the hotel visually,
the hotel literally feels solid as a rock. You will not touch a single cheap material here and
the metal work that we’ll see in the room just elevates this hotel to a level I rarely see.
Let’s head up the the Terraza Bar, sitting on the 7th floor and overlooking
the Piazza. The first being their all day menu and the second, for dinner-
the terrace is a beautiful place to spend a few hours with a few drinks,
just make sure you’re prepared for the prices which match the grandeur of the hotel.
I’ll note that also for the World Expo, this entire neighborhood
had a facelift of sorts as well. Now we head to the other side of the
hotel to check out the beautiful indoor pool, which is accessed through the Shiseido Spa.
Walking up one level further through a curved staircase lined with solid stone
walls with stainless steel inlays, we find quite a refreshing sight.
Just down the hall from it is also a nicely sized
and outfitted fitness center, also accessed through the spa.
Alright let’s head to the room. I had booked an Excelsior Room with a Piazza View,
which is essentially their largest non-suite room.
Something you’ll notice as you walk down the halls and then especially in the rooms is-
everything smells like a luxury car dealership, but not in an abrasive way. There is so much
leather lining the walls that the entire area just has the pleasant and luxurious scent.
The doors, probably heavy enough to guard a vault have no silly things like door handles,
you just tap your key and push. The rooms are,
no surprise, luxurious. And beyond the smell,
there is also I think a bit of an automotive design aesthetic to the room itself.
This is one of those rooms that you and easily see how spotlessly clean it is. On
each side the of the bed there are lighting controls, outlets and an integrated clock.
I’ll mention that my room is on the 6th floor, which is the highest normal guest room floor
and therefore my windows are shorter and perhaps the room a bit darker. I asked about this after
checkin and they offered another room on the 2nd floor, but the view wouldn’t be as good- so I was
happy to stay. If
you’ll notice the hanging pendant light here- there is a lot of metal work like that throughout
the room. Brushed stainless steel, mirrors, blacks, greys- that combination could surely
go in a very cold and tacky direction pretty easily, but here, it is just uniquely high end
and plush. A
nicely sized
working area has plenty of connectivity hidden behind a stainless panel.
While I’m not usually a fan of carpeting in rooms, when they feel like this, I’ll gladly take it.
Around 30 minutes after getting to the room these decadent little cakes were brought to
the room. The mini bar area is will stocked
and complementary with a variety of plastic bottled water, nespresso pods, and Dammann teas.
Next up we have the closet. The scratch from guests opening the safe when the door isn’t
fully lowered is one of the few things in the room that’s not in pristine condition.
The large bathroom, full of mirrors as you may have guessed,
has a large double vanity and features Trussardi amenities in single use bottles.
The bathroom
is equipped with a bidet, large soaking tub
and nicely sized walk in shower with some incredibly soft robes.
There is a mirrored sliding door to close the
bathroom and let me just point out the worn spot in the floor. I think it’s a testament
to the quality of materials used throughout the rest of the room that this room is used enough
for the floor to show wear, but everything else feels near brand new, 7 years later.
The level of detail and precision is just
on another level- and that’s the last I’ll say about it.
From the room
there was of course a beautiful view which allowed me to catch
the thunderstorms that would break the heatwave we had come through.
The next morning, I watched dawn break over Centrale and then headed downstairs
to the Gallia Restaurant. Note, there is also a Gallia Bar, but it was closed for
normal service at the time of my stay. The breakfast buffet was quite a spread.
These have to be the most beautiful pastries I’ve seen at a breakfast buffet.
There was also a self juicing station available which you could do yourself
or the staff would do for you- I just don’t think it belonged in
the middle of the restaurant since it’s not exactly a quiet machine.
While there were hot items ready for service, the server asked me if I’d like something
freshly prepared- so I happily asked just for some scrambled eggs with a bit of bacon and
sausage and I was given this enormous portion. So, I hope you’re thinking what I’m thinking.
It’s an incredible luxury hotel in the heart of the city and offers kind, warm and genuinely
friendly service. This is one of the few hotels that will make it onto my own personal Best of
the Best list. I hope you enjoyed the video and if you did, please hit that thumbs up button and
subscribe for weekly new content. I’ll see you next time at the Hyatt Centric Milan Centrale.