My husband and I do weekend shopping trips in Milan a few times a year and the Principe Di Savoia has become one of our favorite hotels. We arrived right as Men's Fashion Week was beginning, so were lucky that we found a room with a good rate.
Service: Friendly and unpretentious. We had booked through leading hotels and upon check-in, the hotel couldn't find our reservation. No problem--we had the confirmation on our phone and the manager was very quick to find us a room and ensured we got an upgrade. Fantastic--no hassles, no lecturing, no frantic phone calls--they fixed it quietly and quickly. The concierge desk as also helpful with restaurant recommendations. They managed to get us a last-minute reservation at a super-popular and totally booked Michelin restaurant a bit outside of Milan.
Room: We were upgraded to a suite, with small entrance area, sitting room, large bedroom and HUGE marble bathroom, with double-sinks. The view was lousy--looked like an abandoned business district, but we booked for the central location so it was no biggie. Wi-Fi was included in the room and it worked perfectly--no need to wander around trying to find a good connection. The room was decorated in baroque style, with wood and glass sliding doors to separate the sitting area from the bedroom. Very opulent, plush decorations. We overheard a woman in the lobby complaining that the rooms weren't "modern" enough, so if you're expecting modern architecture, clean lines, etc, the Savoia is not the place for you. Lovely room--turn-down service, slippers and we had champagne and snacks waiting for us when we returned later--a gift for booking through leading hotels. Sometimes the gifts are really lousy (hotel cufflinks), but champagne is perfect.
Dining:
We only ate breakfast here, but what a breakfast! Try to make sure it's included in the room rate--if not, it's over 50 Euros per person. There is a huge buffet with everything you can imagine--fresh fruits, champagne, eggs, bacon, waffles, desserts, etc. But in case it's not enough, you can order things like pancakes or eggs benedict from the menu (no additional charge). We ordered 2 eggs benedict--they were a little slow coming out, but the breakfast room is quite nice, so it was relaxing to have a long breakfast with the English newspapers.
Location: 10 minute walk from the main train station, so very easy if you don't have much luggage. And about 10 minutes walk to the main shopping areas. It's not right in the middle of the shopping district, but the metro is right out front.
Overall: A new favorite, with reasonable rates and lovely service. Great breakfast!