Revisited the Star Rosa in January 2012. The lobby, front desk and the restaurants had been fully renovated since my last stay here. Absolutely loved the new trendy look of the lobby and the bar.
I was disappointed with the room though (room 353). It was one of the older non-renovated rooms with a worn out carpet and an old fashion bathroom. It had view to the back yard and was not too noisy. The only problem was the loud reckless people in the corridors in the middle of the night. The beds were very comfortable.
Though for a rate of over Euro 280.-/night I had higher expectations.
You pay for the location of this hotel and there is nothing more important than a central location if you are in Milan for a short shopping break.
I was pleasantly surprised that the renovated breakfast room was nothing like the old tired version I had still in my head. It was now a very modern and comfortable.
Since the regular coffee was still no good I ordered cappuccino, which was much better. The breakfast buffet was absolutely sufficiently stocked.
Nothing beats the location though.

It is hard to beat the location of this hotel, right in the heart of Milan, next to the Duomo. The most interesting sights and main shopping areas can be reached walking, thus avoiding completely public transport.

Entering one can get disoriented, because the lobby is very large and the check in desk is hidden from view, but staff is very helpful. We were given an upgraded room on the forth floor, which was a very nice surprise. Even more so when we reached the room. We know Italian standards for hotel rooms, which are quite low. But this room was nice and large by any standard and more modern than most Italian hotels were I stayed.

Moreover, it was nicely decorated. We even found complementary coffee and tea, which is basically unheard of in Italy. The bathroom was also nice and functional, with shower and without the useless bathtub.

Breakfast was included, and I was curious to see what was being served. Here too, standards were quite high. Although very crowded during our stay, the breakfast area is quite pleasant and the buffet food offered includes what one would expect in a top hotel. Cereals, fresh fruit, pastries, cold cuts, scrambled egg, jam and yogurt were all available. Waiters serve drinks at the table.

In the evening we decided to try the bar area which is also quite large. We were pleasantly surprised to see that there is a buffet available for customers, inclusive of fresh fruit and local delicatessen. We already had dinner, so we tried just a few things, but a French couple sitting near us was actually having a full dinner having paid only for a couple of drinks. They helped themselves at least four times each…

The final pleasant surprise was that our room was cleaned very efficiently while we were having breakfast, which is something that happens very rarely nowadays. During some of our stays we had rooms made as late as 4 pm, and only after having asked the reception to send someone – even in 5 stars hotels.

The only minus point is that for the Christmas season we got a special tariff, but normally rooms are at least 100 Euro more expensive. Surely not unreasonably expensive, but still …

I have stayed in this hotel several times and enjoyed the experience. The price-quality combined with the location is excellent. Mind you that the standard rooms are not in the same design hotel style as the other categories. Therefore, my advice is that you book at least the deluxe room for a genuine Milanese design experience. It is definitely worth it!

The breakfast is really good. The only drawback is that as it is a huge hotel including a conference centre, you may get stuck in queing to breakfast (happened to me one morning). The front desk might get crowded at times as well, but overall the experience is great. And I cannot praise the location enough!

Obviously, Rosa Grand is hotel pretending on the luxurious level with the same price tag. The next ones is what positive impressed me: standard modern rooms have true taste décor, not so large but mirrors give them more space, old-fashioned window frames, spacious wardrobe, unbelievable closed to Duomo, abounding breakfast and that all…
Breakfast service is what has to be improved as soon as possible: the waiters are fully absentminded, they are like broken robots. The same opinion have my colleagues.
Unfortunately there is no swimming pool and sauna or any other water-relaxation.
I would like to recommend this hotel for the visitors who want to live too closed to the main sightseeing attraction.