Hotel Ambra in Milan, a budget hotel near Lambrate
Hotel Ambra is a plain two-star hotel in Milan's Città Studi district, with a 24-hour reception, paid parking and good public transport links. Reviews are very divided and the Google rating is low. It can work for one or two nights on a tight budget, provided you keep your expectations low.
Written by Valeria Romano
Published .
Updated
Mapiola is a travel blog: this is not the official website of Hotel Ambra.
Where Hotel Ambra is in Milan
Hotel Ambra is on Via Privata Antonio Caccianino, in Milan, in the Città Studi district. According to the description, you can walk to Lambrate metro station, and one guest particularly appreciates being close to public transport.
Its main advantage is this: from here you can reach both the centre and the university area. One guest does point out, however, that the hotel is on a private street closed by a barrier and that the building is narrow. It is not somewhere you would notice from outside, so check the address carefully before setting off.
What the rooms and services are like
The rooms are simply and functionally furnished, with air conditioning, TV, private bathroom and wardrobe. Some have a balcony or a city view. Services include 24-hour reception, free wifi, luggage storage and a terrace.
- Parking. Private but paid. One guest calls it the only positive point and says the staff are helpful.
- Breakfast. Described as a buffet, with no further details in the reviews.
- Pets. According to the description, they are welcome.
- Bathrooms. Some comments mention shared bathrooms. Ask when booking whether your room has a private bathroom.
What guests say about Hotel Ambra
Here I have to be honest. The Google rating is 2.4 out of 5, from 328 reviews, which is a low score. The reviews I have read are very divided and make it clear this is not a hotel for everyone.
The good side keeps coming up: friendly, helpful staff, a location close to public transport and a price some consider fair for what it offers. One says that at the same price you can only find dormitories. The bad side is longer.
| What guests like | What guests criticise |
|---|---|
| Courteous staff | Old, neglected building |
| Close to public transport | Poor cleaning, especially in the bathrooms |
| Low price for Milan | Door that doesn't close properly and poor privacy |
| Private parking with help from staff | Hot water and heating not working, for some |
What to know before booking
More than one guest mentions rooms that were not very clean, smells and dirty bathrooms. Another describes a door that did not close properly, little security and broken heating. A third recalls that other people also live in the building, so the sense of privacy is limited.
Even those who recommend it do so with caution: only suitable for one or two nights, writes one of them, and another says the prices are too high for the type of hotel. In short, the verdict depends a lot on the rate you find.
My advice is simple. Only book if the price is really low, check the room as soon as you arrive and, if something is wrong, ask to change it straight away. If you need a good night's rest, this is not the place.
Who Hotel Ambra is for
I would only consider it for a single night in transit, on the tightest budget and with the aim of being near the metro. For students, business travellers or visitors to the university area it can work, and the fact that it accepts pets is a plus for anyone travelling with a dog.
I would not recommend it to couples travelling for pleasure, to anyone who needs comfort or to anyone who cares a lot about cleanliness.
Alternatives in Lombardy and things to do nearby
From Città Studi the centre of Milan is reachable by public transport, and that is the real reason to stay around here. A walk through the university streets gives you a more everyday feel for the city.
If you widen the search in Lombardy, you will find CaMelia B&B in Arconate, Casa al Lago in Lecco and Villa Noce in Brescia.
Passionate about travel and about the kind of places that turn a getaway into something unforgettable. I love writing about hotels, country houses and charming hideaways, helping every traveller find the perfect place to rest and feel at home.
