Genius Downtown Hotel

Italy , Milan
MILANO , Via Porlezza, 4
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100 reviews shown

10/10

Exceptional

27 Feb 2026

Meng

The hotel is in a very convenient and central location, with the Castello Sforzesco just nearby, yet it’s tucked away on an incredibly quiet and peaceful backstreet, which is especially nice given how central it is. The staff were very friendly and helpful throughout my stay. Everything from check-in to check-out went smoothly, and I was pleasantly surprised to receive a complimentary room upgrade.

10/10

Exceptional

12 Feb 2026

Harvey

Great room, excellent staff, fabulous breakfast buffet.

Self

8/10

Excellent

02 Feb 2026

Matthew

Small but comfortable clean room close to the metro and downtown. Breakfast was enjoyable and staff were extremely friendly and welcoming.

Leisure Partner

8/10

Excellent

16 Dec 2025

barry

Good location nice friendly staff & a very clean single room with a decent bed

Leisure Self

10/10

Exceptional

15 Dec 2025

Mark

The room was spacious and clean. Bathroom clean, shower is small and the hot water pressure was very low. The staff were very friendly. Hotel is in a fantastic location with all the major attractions within easy walking distance.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

30 Aug 2025

Neha

Amazing Stay
Amazing Staff
Had a good time

Friends_and_family Friends

8/10

Excellent

11 Aug 2025

Verified traveler

Comfortable and central

The room was very clean and comfortable, staff were friendly and helpful. The only drawback was that the shower was loose on the wall so it was tricky to get it to stay up and not soak the whole bathroom! The location was brilliant, so quick and easy to walk to everything!

Friends_and_family Family

10/10

Exceptional

03 Aug 2025

Alison

All of the staff were very helpful and friendly and the location was great.

Leisure Friends

6/10

Pleasant

30 Jul 2025

Ken

Good for an overnight stay.

Business

10/10

Exceptional

20 Jul 2025

Ana

Great location, easy access to main attractions. Continental breakfast was very good. Staff very helpful.

Leisure Family

8/10

Excellent

20 Jul 2025

Verified traveler

The staff were amazing, we had to change our room due to linking sink.

Friends_and_family Friends

10/10

Exceptional

10 Jul 2025

Pamela

Location Location Location!

Excellent care from the front desk. Amazing location just 5-10 minute walk to the castle and The Las Supper and 10 minute walk to the stunning Milano Cathedral. Try the Risotto restaurant nearby - it’s retro style with authentic dishes.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

04 Jul 2025

Nathan

Good check in experience

10/10

Exceptional

23 Jun 2025

Recommend to stay

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

14 Jun 2025

James L

Tremendous hotel. Great helpful professional staff. Location is walkable to Last Supper, Castle and the Duomo. Quiet side street.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

10 Jun 2025

Wayne

They let us check in early morning as soon as we arrived which was extremely nice and helpful. Could not have asked for anything more being we were tired and sleepy after a long flight. Rooms were clean and comfortable. Thank you so much Genius Hotel. Highly recommended and would stay again.

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

07 Jun 2025

Safe, near downtown, staff and clean the best is breakfast buffet

Leisure Family

8/10

Excellent

02 May 2025

Daniel

Everything was good.

8/10

Excellent

17 Apr 2025

Claire Louise

We had a few issues with the room. Air con didnt work so we got a fan sent up. Shower head didnt stay upright. But staff were lovely, breakfst had lots of choice. Beds were comfortable.
Very convenient location. A few minutes from Duomo and Cardona station.
Quiet with windows closed, but noisy at night with them open. We were next to the lift so other guests woke us up! But a great value 3 star hotel.

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

29 Mar 2025

Ian

👍

Business_and_leisure

8/10

Excellent

25 Mar 2025

Oyunbat

good location

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

22 Feb 2025

Sabiha

We had a lovely stay here. Will come back again. Everything is close.

Business_and_leisure Family_with_children

10/10

Exceptional

11 Feb 2025

Anne-Marie

Lovely staff, Sophia! Great location couldn’t be better - quiet, clean great value. Always stay here on travels now

Business_and_leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

01 Oct 2024

Orlando

Reception and guest services staff were attentive and very kind. The location is excellent, near restaurants and the most popular tourist attractions.

Business_and_leisure

10/10

Exceptional

19 Sep 2024

Ken

Great stay.

8/10

Excellent

26 Aug 2024

Maxine

Had a pleasant stay for 3 night, room was clean and comfortable

Leisure Friends

10/10

Exceptional

17 Feb 2024

Lorenzo

close to everything very friendly staff i would stay again!!

Business

8/10

Excellent

03 Nov 2023

Christine

Clean and comfortable

My single room was small and not at all fancy, but it was clean and comfortable. The common areas and exterior for the downtown Milan location do not match the photos on this website--the real thing is actually nicer than what is pictured. The current photos must be from another location. We found the staff helpful and we loved a few of the details like free refills on sparkling water in the lobby.

Friends_and_family Family

10/10

Exceptional

02 Sep 2023

Yuriy

This hotel has very convenient location in walking distance to the major attractions, Duomo, Sforzesco Castle, shopping, etc. Easy transportation, train and Metro also close by. Small rooms. Good for a couple of days.

10/10

Exceptional

29 Aug 2023

Helga

All well, excellent experience, excellent staff

Leisure

10/10

Exceptional

19 Aug 2023

Barry

An excellent hotel

An excellent hotel in a great location. Friendly staff and clean and comfortable rooms.

Friends_and_family Family

10/10

Exceptional

01 Aug 2023

Kristyn

Great staff and location.

Business_and_leisure Self

10/10

Exceptional

26 Jul 2023

Jeff

This Hotel was wonderful. The location was excellent and the staff was fantastic. It was easy to walk everywhere. The castle, cathedral, and tons of shopping. The breakfast buffet was excellent and gave us a great start in the morning. Made for a great stay in Milan.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

07 Jul 2023

Penny

A lovely hotel close to everything we wanted to see in Milan. Comfortable beds and very nice buffet breakfast.

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

01 Jul 2023

Brianna

Very clean great location and great staff

Leisure Family_with_children

8/10

Excellent

25 Jun 2023

Alexander

The bathroom is dated and needs renovation. The sinks are blocked and the drains create a lingering smell. Otherwise everything else was great

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

25 Jun 2023

Michael

Perfect stay in the heart of everything.

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

09 Jun 2023

Mahshidsadat

Perfect location, amazing staff, very clean, great service, reasonable rates.

10/10

Exceptional

05 May 2023

Maddie Caris

Amazing hotel in an amazing location! Couldn’t fault our stay at all!

Leisure Partner

8/10

Excellent

07 Mar 2023

etienne ruurd

Wonderful experience

A lovely experience. A super host receptionist, Sofia. A-grade unit. Modern, clean. Great location.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

16 Feb 2023

Guerry

One night stay at Genius Hotel. Perfect location for exploring the Duomo and surrounding areas. Hotel is tucked back from the major streets. No views but quiet. Room was small but well appointed. Space for luggage was limited. Bed was comfortable. Contact with staff was limited, but they were very friendly and efficient.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

23 Nov 2022

Regina

Loved this hotel I would recommend it to anyone who is going to Milan for a couple of days. Location was perfect and the staff was incredible. The room was big for 3 people.

Leisure Family

8/10

Excellent

19 Sep 2022

Barry

Good location

Leisure Partner

6/10

Pleasant

22 Jun 2022

Kathleen

Property was in a good location as far as walking about town, but was unable to summon a taxi to our hotel on 2 different occasions. Staff just kept telling us that no taxis came to their hotel. Had we known this, we would’ve stayed somewhere else. Our room was quiet, but very small, including the bathroom.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

13 May 2022

Sofia

The room was comfortable and very clean. Location is great as a few minutes walk from Malpensa Express station and a few minutes walk from Duomo. Check in was flawless. Will definitely stay there again

Business Self

6/10

Pleasant

02 Nov 2021

joe i.

CHEAP SKATES

THE STAFF WAS HELPFULL, GIVEN THE GOOD LOCATION OF THE HOTEL AND THE PRICES THEY SHOULD INVEST SOME MONEY FOR UPDATES, THE ROOM FACED A COURT YARD THE AC/ HEAT COULDN'T BE CONTROLLED WAS A BIT CHILLY, TO MANY MOSQUITOES IN THE ROOM WAS BITEN A FEW TIMES

10/10

Exceptional

27 Jan 2020

Verified traveler

Definitely a good choice for single travelers or couples. We travelled with our little son, so it was harder in some aspects. Clean room, not big, but has a very high ceiling, which provide a spacious feel inside. Good free breakfast and very convenient location - just 5 minutes away from Duomo.

Leisure Family_with_children

10/10

Exceptional

17 Jan 2020

andreea

Great location

The hotel has a great location . It’s near all the attractions and shopping. Hotel is very clean , good breakfast and very helpful staff.

Self

8/10

Excellent

23 Sep 2019

Emily

Good location for us.

Partner

4/10

Poor

21 Aug 2019

Kritika

Noisy and simple

The hotel is under renovation which caused much noise and distress, you can't sleep in the mornings because of the bangings.
Besides that the cleaning ladies doesn't seem to understand what the sign \"do not disturb\" means, cause they knocked on my door and barked in, every day for 3 days of my stay, even though I had my sign on the door.

8/10

Excellent

23 Jul 2019

Mary Grace

Staff was very friendly and super helpful. Gave great suggestions on where to go and what to do. Room was clean and AC was awesome.

2/10

Poor

22 Jul 2019

Payam

Terrible experience

False advertisement by hotels.com and the company. Room was mentioned to have balconies and paid for that but never delivered the promise and charged the same.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

22 Jul 2019

Mark

Great location and comfortable room

This is a nice hotel about a 5 minute walk from Duomo di Milano. It is also about a 2 minute walk to a metro station. Great location! The room was clean and comfortable, and the staff was helpful with restaurant recommendations nearby.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

20 Jul 2019

Yuko

Perfect to stay in Milan

It was an excellent hotel with this price. 10 minutes away to many places you would like to visit. I went to see opera at night and walked back to the hotel easy and safe. Also, a market called Punt Simply is 10 minutes away. Breakfast was pretty good! All the staff was very friendly and helpful. I will stay there again. Only negative was WIFI was weak in the room.

10/10

Exceptional

17 Jul 2019

Debra

Lovely hotel!! Staff was very friendly.

The hotel was in a great location and very clean. Staff helpful and baggage hold until room ready convenient. Great free breakfast buffet which had a very great selection of foods. Nice little sitting area to relax if you didn’t feel like going back to your room. I would recommend this hotel to anyone choosing to stay in Bologna. The city is really interesting with fabulous food and many porticos to roam around town. Should have stayed a few more days!!!

Family

10/10

Exceptional

27 Jun 2019

Yeaji

Everything was great except for slow wifi

Family

6/10

Pleasant

20 Jun 2019

Raven

Poor air conditioning.

Air-conditioning only switched on in periodical 10 mins interval, not the best way to sleep in summer days.

10/10

Exceptional

05 May 2019

Sharon

Highly recommended

A great place to stay in all respects. Modern, streamlined, clean and helpful staff. The breakfast is great and the location so convenient.

8/10

Excellent

12 Apr 2019

Jocelyne

Very pleasant hotel in the lively Brera district.
Excellent location, close to everything.
Super clean rooms ans common areas.
Very nice friendly and helpful staff.
I will definitely come back

Business Self

10/10

Exceptional

30 Mar 2019

Russell

Nice short stay

Nice short stay, great staff and breakfast.

10/10

Exceptional

27 Nov 2018

Zakaria

It was a nice hotel, the staff was sweet and helpful. However, the best thing about the hotel is the great location in the centre of the city and near the metro and the train station

10/10

Exceptional

04 Nov 2018

Patrick

Top Milan place.

Was our second stay in Milan, staying near Duomo a month earlier. This stay, so near the Castle but also Via Dante, metro and Cardorno train station (and lovely stroll back to Duomo area in any case) was terrific. Arrived very early, bags kept of course, immediate advice on seriously good restaurant in Via Rovello for lunch (returned for evening meal a couple of days later). All expected hotel needs very good- wifi, breakfast, servicing etc with so helpful staff. Close to a theatre where we landed music as well. Easy access to main historical and artistic sights, walking or trams/metro. Walked from Castello/Carolina metro with roller bags, no hassle and so close but also just off main streets for quiet. Wine etc also available.
This was last stay of a month long stay in Lombardy and was such a pleasant, convenient place to stay with friendly and helpful staff.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

23 Jun 2018

Jesse

Great, modern option w/ excellent staff

This hotel is a great option for Milan. You're within walking distance of a ton of sites as well as the trains, but mercifully it is a couple of blocks away from the super-touristy area, so it's quiet.

We had a 3 person room. It was tidy and modern, and we had enough room to move around and organize our luggage. The bathroom was a bit small; the only complaint was that the way the shower is designed, it's impossible not to flood part of the bathroom floor. Regardless, housecleaning always left it immaculately clean. There was A/C and climate control in the room, which was great given it was in the 90s while we visited. (Note to U.S. Americans traveling in Italy in the summer: yes, it can get really hot, and no, not all hotels have A/C, or if they do, you can't necessarily control it in your room.)

One of the biggest reasons I'd say here again is that the staff here is fantastic. The woman who checked us in was very friendly and helpful. We had a tendency to roll in right before breakfast closed, but the kind workers in the kitchen still offered to make us eggs or crepes before they shut down. The front desk also made great recommendations for meals.

Friends

10/10

Exceptional

07 Jun 2018

Lynn

Excellent Boutique Hotel, Excellent Location!

We loved this hotel and it was one of our favorite accommodations in Italy. We found the hotel staff very warm, friendly and helpful. The front desk staff speak English fluently and were all receptive to our questions, concerns, and provided excellent recommendations. I needed help making a dinner reservation and the night desk gladly made the reservation for me. One night our air conditioning didn't work well (which wound up being my error). I reported the problem in the morning and within a few hours a repair person checked it. We spent 3 nights in Milan and having a wonderful hotel to return to after long days of sight seeing made our experience even better. We stayed on the 2nd floor in a room with 3 twins. The elevator is small (by American standards, fit 3 of us each with a suit case) so we chose to take the stairs to and from our room. The room and bathroom were spacious and outlets conveniently placed for recharging phones, plugging up flat and curling irons, etc. The lighting both natural and artificial were very nice. We loved the modern décor! Our room and bathroom were exceptionally clean, linens pressed. There is an outside metal window shutter that could be shut to darken the room if needed. (We didn't use this feature). The hotel it literally a 6 min. walk to the Duomo and shops and a 25-40 min. walk to the channel. There are lots of wonderful restaurants all around the hotel. The location is very convenient to all transportation and the city center.

10/10

Exceptional

27 May 2018

Agustin

Great hotel

Excellent location, amazing service. The breakfast was magnificent and the AC worked beautiful (in Italy AC available doesn't mean that it worked and you will be able to cook down your room...) Overall excellent experience. If I ever come back I will definitely stay here again.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

13 May 2018

Mary

Excellent location, friendly staff, very clean and comfortable rooms.

10/10

Exceptional

09 Apr 2018

Verified traveler

Nice hotel close to the historic area.

We walked to see everything we wanted. Public transportation was good. The only drawback, being close to a busy area, there was some traffic noise. Not much after 10:30.

10/10

Exceptional

21 Feb 2018

Liudmila

Great hotel

Amazing hotel and location. Breakfast was great and yummy!

Family

10/10

Exceptional

19 Feb 2018

David

Perfect location, will return

The hotel genius downtown is a cute VERY quiet (it’s on a little side street alley) modern boutique hotel located in the center of the main Milan attractions, restaurants , shopping, metro and tram. It is also very convenient to the Cadorsa train station (8 minute walk), especially if you are coming from MXP airport. ( The express train will bring you to). We stayed in a triple room, which was a little small but it is not surprising for Italy hotels. The bathroom shower could use a glass enclosure as it is covered by a curtain that allows the water to get to the bathroom floor and you will need to use towels around it. The soap inside the shower, is supposed to be good to use for hair, but that was not clear to us. There is no hair conditioner, so bring a little bottle if you need one. The breakfast was excellent with plenty of variety including fresh crepes and fresh omelettes. The staff is very friendly and helpful. Despite the few negatives mentioned of the room, we would definitely come back. The price for the hotel is reasonable for the excellent location when you compare it to other hotels near by. I would definitely recommend this hotel to anyone traveling to Milan and want to be in the middle of everything, yet on a nice quiet street to get a good nite sleep.

Family

8/10

Excellent

16 Dec 2017

Keith

Milano

Great location and friendly. Perfect for Teatro Del Verme.

Family

8/10

Excellent

30 Oct 2017

Verified traveler

Great hotel in central location

Great hotel that surpassed our expectations. Feels like it has been recently refurbished.

10/10

Exceptional

26 Sep 2017

Wifi working, but on and off all time

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

15 Aug 2017

Carol

All staff were excellent especially reception

Family

6/10

Pleasant

11 Jun 2017

Jose

Just OK

Pros: Good for one night. Great location, friendly staff. Cons: dark room with no views, no coffee maker in the room and no coffee available in the lobby (hotels.com indicates under amenities: \"Coffee/tea in a common area.\" That was not the case when I stayed at the hotel). For those with early morning departure, no breakfast boxes nor coffee available. Breakfast begins at 7:00am.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

05 Jun 2017

Sandy

Nice hotel

Great location, breakfast was very good, friendly helpful staff.

Partner

8/10

Excellent

16 May 2017

Jarrard

Very friendly staff, rooms small but very nice

We enjoyed the hotel, in a quaint cobblestone back alley very conveniently located.

The room was smaller than expected however was adequate, nice and modern.

The toilet flush broke and the basin was slightly precarious leaning off the wall a little.

Staff immediately fixed the flush with no further problems.

Unfortunately the air conditioner didn't work however even at 29 degrees the fan was enough to keep us cool.

Breakfast was very enjoyable , fresh made crepes and omelettes, fruit, cereal, yoghurt, breads and pastries and cold meats and cheeses.

I would recommend this hotel to couples.

8/10

Excellent

04 May 2017

Darryl

Quiet

It was an average but nice hotel. Strictly modern, but ina good location to see nearby shops, restUrants, the Castle.

Partner

6/10

Pleasant

14 Mar 2017

Lora

Great location, Very friendly and helpful staff

The hotel has a great location, friendly staff, wonderful breakfast etc. My only complaint would be that my room was next to the only elevator and was noisy all night long. Also, the bed was not comfortable in my room although my group had a second room on another floor and it seemed great all around. I would still highly recommend for location and helpfulness of staff. They might have offered to move me but I never said anything because we were only there 2 nights.

Family

8/10

Excellent

01 Feb 2017

Frank

Great location!

Hotel was great! Love the location, it was very easy to go out and lots of options around to sightseeing and close to restaurants.
The only downside is that you can hear everything from the neighbors. When shower is on, when they flush, walk in their room.

6/10

Pleasant

19 Jan 2017

Gary

Decent hotel

I stayed in a single room that was small. Inside the room was a twin bed, chair and small TV. The bathroom was actually decent-sized and clean, with a stand up shower, toilet and sink. I liked the hotel because of its proximity to the center of Milan and its closeness to the metro. The breakfast was surprisingly good and the staff at the front desk spoke English and were helpful.

10/10

Exceptional

24 Sep 2016

Muna

Very close to shopping area and Duomo

Hotel staff was very helpful and friendly. We enjoyed our stay and would definitely return and stay at this very same hotel. It was literally a few minutes away frm the nain shopping areas as well as the Duomo. Restaurants are just round the corner from the hotel.
The room was not so big but it was very nicely organised so that we had enough space to store our clothes and etc. It had an en suite bathroom and was very modern and clean inside in comparison to the outside area.
I am definitely going back to Milan and will stay again at this hotel.

8/10

Excellent

29 Jul 2016

Verified traveler

Friendly with great location!

Halls a bit rundown, hard to keep stuff dry woth shower arrangement. Steps away from main shopping street leading to Duomo!

Family

6/10

Pleasant

23 Jul 2016

Verified traveler

excellent

Claudio was amazing. The croissants were the best ever! My laundry was incredible done. I would recommend this hotel. Thanks Claudio.

8/10

Excellent

19 Jul 2016

ALEXANDER H

Nice hotel downtown

Room was small, but not tiny. Clean, quiet, great staff, very close to all tourist atractions. Would stay again.

6/10

Pleasant

03 Jun 2016

Jason

Great location, appropriately priced

appropriate price for value

Family

10/10

Exceptional

28 May 2016

Heston

Good stay in Milan

Great location and quiet rooms at night for rest.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

22 May 2016

Verified traveler

Close to all tourist sites

Partner

8/10

Excellent

17 May 2016

Verified traveler

Great location!

Well located to main sights, stations and underground.
Very friendly staff, comfortable room, my main complaint is their are no stairs, so the lift is in constant use up until 3am which really disturbed my sleep.
Free breakfast was a bonus and really good.

Family

10/10

Exceptional

28 Feb 2016

Luciana

Excellent hotel!

It was a very pleasant stay, the hotel was very comfortable and within easy access from all the amenities.
The staff was very helpful and pleasant.
Great breakfast!

8/10

Excellent

15 Feb 2016

Ifor

Handy and comfy!

My stay in the Genius Hotel Downtown Milan was exactly what I needed. Close to all the local amenities and cultural highlights. I was able to walk to see the sites, which was just what was needed for my last day in the area.

8/10

Excellent

02 Nov 2015

Lisa

Great Location!

Great location equal distance to the Last Supper and the Duomo. Also walking distance....even with luggage!....to the Cardona train station. Only downside is that is was quite noisy in the wee hours with trash pick up outside. Maybe we just hit the wrong day! That is the only reason for my neighborhood and comfort rating.

Partner

8/10

Excellent

17 Oct 2015

Verified traveler

Location! Location!

Perfect location, very nice and helpful staff. Short walk to the castle, train station, Duomo. Basic room facilities.

8/10

Excellent

15 Oct 2015

Carlton

Well kept secret

Very helpful, friendly staff at front desk and dining room. Wonderful breakfast selection.

Partner

6/10

Pleasant

13 Oct 2015

joseph

size matters

Hotel seems to be a recent remodel of an old building which is fine. However, the tiny rooms seemed to have been remodeled more for design effect than comfort. Both of us being architects, we were able to point out many missed opportunities in the remodeling but not much could compensate for the room size. The room would have been fine for a single traveler with one piece of luggage.
Perhaps our room being on the attic level was not typical of the rooms below, but I would caution couples with more than one piece of luggage to inquire on the room size.
The staff was friendly and helpful and the location was very convenient for getting around town but size does matter.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

25 Sep 2015

Verified traveler

Stay here. Be happy!

We stayed 3 nights and found the location perfect, the modern style very clean and comfortable and the staff super friendly and very helpful with goofy traveler needs!! I would stay there again easily.

Partner

8/10

Excellent

23 Sep 2015

Verified traveler

The hotel is very well situated for the station, and also for the Duomo and castle. We only stayed one night but found everything to our satisfaction.

Partner

8/10

Excellent

04 Aug 2015

Susan

Great location and comfortable hotel for a one night stay.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

23 Jun 2015

Eugenia M

Great hotel in excellent and quiet location with very good service, breakfast and clean comfortable room and bed. I would definitely stay there again !

8/10

Excellent

22 Jun 2015

David

Good and cost effective hotel

Good hotel in excellent location. Easy to get to and close to La Scala, Duomo lots of cafés etc.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

31 May 2015

sandra

Ideal location for the castle ,Duamo ,opera house