I want to visit the Salone internazionale del mobile (Furniture
exhibition)
taking place from 9th to 14th of April 2003 in Milano, Italy.
Looking for accomodation nearby the Milan Fairgrounds or somewhere in
the center or at the students district.
There has to be an easy way to get to and from the fairgrounds, and
also a way (safe one...) to go out at night.
A single-bed room will do, has to be reasonably clean.
Prefer a place where young designers (I am 29yrs old) and travelers
are staying (somethnig like a Hostel) so i can also meet some people
to travel with.
My budget is 50-60 Euro.

Good afternoon, guylaor-ga!

From someone who also likes to live dangerously regarding travel
plans, I must say that you have a challenge ahead of you. I have
checked the major travel sites (Travelocity, Orbitz) for hotel
accommodations (and some hostel reservation sites) during the period
specified (give or take a day) and have had little luck finding
availability near the Milan Fairgrounds.

Therefore, going through a travel agent associated with the show may
be a better idea, as rooms are often blocked (reserved until a certain
date) for participants. For your budget, expect to get either a hostel
or a one- or two-star hotel primarily, unless you can get a better
participant rate this close to the start of the show. These agents can
also help you set up transportation to and from your hotel, and give
you advice regarding safe nighttime entertainment. Here are the
recommendations listed by COSMIT:

Visitor Information (Salone Internazionale del Mobile, COSMIT.it)
http://www.cosmit.it/   -- start from the top, inner links depend on
sessions.
Follow this path: English -> To continue click here (under Flash
movie) -> Visitors

Diners Club Travel
Centro Servizi Fiera Milano
piazzale Giulio Cesare 1 - 20145 Milan
Tel. +39/0243319694 - fax +39/0248514120
venturafiera@dinerseurope.com

Uvet Viaggi e Turismo
Via Vittor Pisani 22 - 20122 Milan
Tel. +39/02675061 - fax +39/0267506300
fmonti@uvet.com

Also on the visitor info page: "Additional services, such as transport
tickets, rail seat and sleeper reservations, transfer from or to
railway station or airport or air terminal, car hire (both
chauffer-driven or self-drive) sightseeing arrangements, excursions,
guides, interpreters, etc., are also available."

Other tourist offices in Milan may be able to help you find your room.
This list is from the reservations page for Piero Rotta, another
hostel in Milan. From the site this hostel appears to be booked for
April, but it is probably worth a phone call to find out for sure.

Piero Rotta (Ostelli Online)
http://www.ostellionline.org/ostello.php?idostello=208

Tourist Offices:

Assessorato Regionale al turismo
Address: VIA SASSETTI,32 (CAP:20124)
Telephone: (+39) 0267561
fax: (+39) 0267656292
Web address: http://www.inlombardia.it
Email: turismo@regione.lombardia.it


A.P.T. ( Azienda di Promozione Turistica)
Address: VIA MARCONI,1 (CAP:20123)
Telephone: (+39) 02725241
fax: (+39) 0272524250
Web address: http://www.milanoinfotourist.it 
Email: info@milanoinfotourist.com 


A.P.T. ( Azienda di Promozione Turistica)
Address: PIAZZA DIAZ, 5 (CAP:20123)
Telephone: (+39) 0286461251
fax: (+39) 0272002188
Email: infotrentino.milano@trentino.to 
Note: UFFICIO TURISMO TRENTINO


I.A.T. (Ufficio Informazioni e di Accoglienza Turistica)
Address: VIA MARCONI,1 (CAP:20123)
Telephone: (+39) 0272524300/1
fax: (+39) 0272524350


I.A.T. (Ufficio Informazioni e di Accoglienza Turistica)
Address: VIA MARCON 1I (CAP:20100)
Telephone: (+39) 028690623
FAX: (+39) 028690625
Note: VALTELLINA


I.A.T. (Ufficio Informazioni e di Accoglienza Turistica)
Address: GALLERIA DI TESTA STAZIONE CENTRALE FF.SS. (CAP:20124)
Telephone: (+39) 0272524360/370



Last-minute travelers often use Priceline.com to find good rates on
otherwise expensive hotel rooms. You can enter a "bid" for a per-night
hotel room rate, and Priceline will tell you if any hotels are
prepared to accept that rate. You need a major credit card to use
Priceline, so be sure to read the terms and conditions of using the
site.

Priceline: Name your Own Price Hotels
http://www.priceline.com/hotels/Lang/en-us/itinerary.asp

If you would like to check availablity for more accommodations on your
own, you can also use a travel site such as this one. The map clearly
outlines where each hotel/inn is located in relation to the
Fairgrounds. You may be inclined, after seeing the lack of available
rooms, to increase your budget and/or expand your search to other
parts of Milan. This site will let you do that easily, with maps to
help you plan your route to the Fairgrounds.

Milan: Fiera Accommodations
http://www.venere.com/cgi/ihr/vcom/city_area.php?affiliate_id=1823&country=Italy&city=Milano&zone=it_mi_fiera&lg=en


I wish you the best of luck in your search, and have a great week in
Milan!

-- mother-ga


Additional travel resources:

Milan Hostels Finder
http://www.yourtravel-hq.com/hostels/milan_it.htm

Travelocity
http://www.travelocity.com

Orbitz
http://www.orbitz.com


Search strategy:
salone internazionale mobile milan
budget hotel milan
youth hostel milan

This comment is not the product of a research (I think you got a fine
answer above), but based personal experiences.

- There is a youth hostel «Piero Rotta» in: 
Via Martino Bassi 2,
20148 MILANO (MILANO)
Tel. 02 39267095
fax 02 33000191
e-Mail: 
posti: 380 

I tried to call them (when I came) and they told me back then that
they cannot make reservations, just come there. If you make a
membership in the Youth Hostel Association you'll get some discount,
but nothing that is so significant if you don't travel much. They have
rooms of 6, which are unisexed, and "family rooms" in which you could
choose your roomies (you pay for a room, not a bed, in family rooms).
I recommend to take a family room, where you have control of the key,
etc (we found our roommate on the way to the hostel). Their breakfast
is horrid, eat elsewhere.

In general, Milan is very expensive for what it offers, and that
includes the hotels. In Milan's central train station there's a
tourist information office, that could also make reservations for the
same day for you, or help you otherwise (for the few sites that the
city has to offer).

Sites: 
http://www.ostellionline.org/ostello.php?idostello=208

Dear guylaor-ga,

There is a search engine for messageboards, www.boardreader.com, which
is recommended by Bob Cowen in his website on travel tips,
http://www.internettraveltips.com.

Several searches on boardreader for Milan produced:

(1) 
Q & A:
Does anybody knows a good hostel in Milan?
Thanks

Milan is the most expensive city in Italy, and the prices are similar
to Paris or Berlin and I suggest backpackers skip Milan altogether –
especially if this is your first trip to Europe.
If you go to Milan, some hostels to try are hotel Kennedy (tel
02/2940-0934) or hotel cesare correnti (tel 02/805-7609) or hotel
ullrich (tel 02/804535). The Piero Rotta Hostel (HI) is not that great
but pretty cheap – via Martino Bassi 2, tel 02/3926-7095) Fax:
(2)39267095.

http://www.bugforums.com/ubb/Forum1/HTML/000197.html


(2) (Too expensive)
Milan:
Hotel Ada (70 Euro) - This hotel is not in any guidebook. I found it
through a posting. It is a 1 star hotel but seem more like a 2 or 3
star hotel. It was clean and has modern bathroom, TV, large room,
etc. The only problem is it is right across the street from Milan
Stazione Centrale (train station) so it is in a seedy neighborhood (I
found it seedier than Rome Termini). If you don't mind being near the
train station & more concerned with price, it is a great hotel with
easy access to major train station, and metro (only 4 stops to Duomo),
and right across the street from the shuttle bus to the Malpensa
airport.


http://www.travel-forums.com/forum/showthread.php?s=d71a8380957926b95a70b29d45074b37&threadid=13018&highlight=room%2Bmilan%2Bitaly%2Bstayed



I also did a search on google, using the keywords,
  pensione milano $6 duomo

Among the many results were:

These hotels, edited from a longer list:

Arno, Via Lazzaretto 17 (tel 02.670.5509). Off Viale Tunisia, not far
from Stazione Centrale, and packed from March to July. Friendly
service, and it's good value too. Tram #4 or #11.
L90,000–120,000/€46.48–61.98.

Brianza, Via P. Castaldi 16 (tel 02.2940.4819, fax 02.2953.1145).
Respectable, basic one-star in the vicinity of the Stazione Centrale.
Entrance on Via Lazzaretto. MM Repubblica or Pta Venezia.
L60,000–90,000/€30.99–46.48.

Cinque Giornate, Piazza Cinque Giornate 6 (tel 02.546.3433). Two-star
hotel a ten-minute walk from Piazza Duomo; it often has rooms when
other places are full. MM Duomo or S. Babila.
L120,000–150,000/€61.98–77.47.

Cittą Studi, Via Saldini 24 (tel 02.744.666, fax 02.713.122).
University-quarter hotel that is a good deal if you get one of the
rooms without bathroom. Bus #61, #90 or #91.
L120,000–150,000/€61.98–77.47.

Gelsomina, V. Pier della Francesca 4/7 (tel 02.3419.1742).
Comfortable, friendly pensione; all rooms are en suite. Tram #33 or
#29 from MM Garibaldi, or buses #57 or #94.
L90,000–120,000/€46.48–61.98.

San Tomaso, Viale Tunisia 6 (tel & fax 02.2951.4747). Very popular and
friendly pensione in a building full of such places. Separate, clean
bathrooms and a notice board crammed with testimonials from
travellers. MM Centrale or Repubblica. L90,000–120,000/€46.48–61.98.

Siena, Via P. Castaldi 17 (tel 02.2951.6180, fax 02.2951.4615).
Stazione Centrale area hotel, with small, spotless rooms with tiled
floors and shower; entrance actually on Via Lazzaretto. MM Repubblica
or Pta Venezia. L120,000–150,000/€61.98–77.47.

Valley, Via Soperga 19 (tel 02.6698.7252). Very pleasant rooms, very
close to Stazione Centrale, just two blocks to the east. MM Centrale.
L120,000–150,000/€61.98–77.47.

Villa Mira, Via Sacchini 19 (tel 02.2952.5618). Two blocks from
Piazzale Loreto, this is a quiet, family-run place with nicely
furnished, clean rooms. MM Loreto. L60,000–90,000/€30.99–46.48.


http://www.malcolmclark.plus.com/ym/travel/milan/milan.html#hotels


Here's a € (euro), useful to have them on hand if you want to do a
search, say

   
  pensione milano €6 

and perhaps the word for fairgrounds in Italian. 

Best wishes,
Intotravel-ga.


P.S. Best wishes on your stay in Milan. I really loved that city.

Hi, Just out of curiosity I searched for more information on this, and
found that Milan is really, really booked up for this period. For
example, all the cheap hotels in Milan which you can book through
www.bootsnall.com.

Maybe it is that any hotel you can book online is going to be more
booked up than the others. Most of the hotel websites I've been to,
you can't make a reservation online; you have to send them an email.

However, there is one system where you can book online, for many of
the "cheaper" hotels; listed below are the relevant pages on Milan.

cheap hotels in milan, by city centre
http://www.ferreri.freeserve.co.uk/milancheaphotels.html


by exhibition centre (url for Hotel Edy below)
http://www.ferreri.freeserve.co.uk/milancheaphotels.html#Milan%20cheap%20hotels%20by%20Exhibition%20Center,%20San%20Siro%20football%20stadium



Budget hotels in central Milan: by central railway station & in main
shopping area
http://www.ferreri.freeserve.co.uk/milanbudgethotels.html

                              *   *   *   *   *

I checked a lot of the hotels and they're booked up for the dates.
Hotel Edy is near the Milan Exhibition Centre (is that the same as the
Fairground, Fiera di Milano?), and it does have a vacancy for the
first four nights.

For some reason they're mysterious about the price of a single room
with bathroom, "price on request". (Room with shower is 57 euros.)


Hotel Edy, Via delle Forze Armate 8 - 20147 Milano
The Hotel Edy is conveniently situated between the Milan Exhibition
Centre and the S.Siro Stadium. The close proximity of the Line Red
Metropolitan (Metro stop: Gambara) allows you to efficiently and
quickly reach any point of the city. Only a few stops from the Piazza
Duomo Metro, the Hotel Edy is suitable for anyone who travels often,
for work or for leisure.

The Hotel Edy is a small, comfortable hotel with a friendly, welcoming
environment. All rooms are equipped with bat and shower, telephone,
color tv, and breakfast in room. The Hotel also features 24-hour
reception.

Room available for April 9th 10th 111th 12th.   
Top of list is single room with shower. Then at end, below
descriptions of double and triple rooms, is: single room with
bathroom.

HOTEL EDY Via delle Forze Armate Milan     tel. +39.02.48707995

* * *  The hotel can be booked online at the url above. But it may be
better to phone because of the ambiguity about the pricing.     * * *


                              *   *   *   *   *

Here are some other possibilities.

Albergo Salerno  Ph: 02 2046870  $63 Canadian 
Plain, older rooms near the train station. Not a good value
members.shaw.ca/guideforeurope/swissit.html
    


Recommended by Frommers in their "hanging out" guide

Hotel Speronari (Via Speronari 4; tel. 02/86-46-11-25, Fax
02/72-00-31-78; M1, M3 to Duomo; L70,000 single w/o bath, L100,000
double w/o bath; V, MC) ….  among the best bargains in Milan ..

Hotel Minerva (Corso C. Colombo 15; tel. 02/837-57-45, Fax
02/835-82-29; M2 to Porta Genova; L115,000 single, L125,000 double; V,
MC)  … slightly overpriced, but all have TV and private bathrooms
Hotel Colombia (Via R. Lepetit 15; tel. 02/669-21-60, Fax
02/670-58-29; M2, M3 to Centrale F.S.; Closed in Aug; L100,000 single,
L140,000 double; AE, V, MC …. Northeast of the city center toward the
train station.


 and the London Times newspaper recommends:

Hotel Nuovo (Piazza Beccaria 6; 00 39 02 8646 4444) is a real find. It
is modern, bright, spotlessly clean and friendly — and all this for
£59.53 for a double (£32.64 without a shower).
www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,194-522717,00.html 

{ Hotel Nuovo, Albergo Nuovo, is also listed in Lonely Planet,
according to a posting somewhere. }