We loved staying at Hotel Milano and will definately stay there again when we return. The ambience reflected Old San Juan perfectly. I can't say enough of the staff, they were exceptional. My only suggestion would be to open the rooftop in the afternoon for patrons that would like to sit in the sun to read or just relax or in the evenings just to relax and view the city (the rooftop is open for breakfast).

I've read a regative review and I'm really sorry they didn't have a good experience. They really missed something wonderful. We travel a great deal and always try to stay in an area where we can experience the local people. We adjust our expectations accordingly. Also, when I make my reservations well in advance, common sense tells me to reverify my reservations before my arrival date.

I grew up on the island and have always known this hotel to be a lovely spot in the heart of Old San Juan.

Something must have happened in the past few years...

No one helped us with our luggage- even though the bellhop was hanging out in the lobby speaking to the desk clerk.
We also arrived to find the famous "Panorama" restaurant on the top floor closed "until further notice". The Panorama, by the way, is also the location of the internet hotspot on the property.
The elevator jolts so strongly when it reaches its destination that you desperately grab for something- anything- to hold on to; and it never gets any better.
There is a stale carpet smell that permeates the entire place, and upon entering our room our hearts sank.
This was not like any of the rooms pictured online- everything was rusty and smelly, there was barely any room to walk, every surface was sticky, the mattress must have been at least ten years old and it showed- the pillows were flat, the blankets had an odor to them, etc. We went to the lobby and requested a room change and were told that nothing could be done, but that they would refund our next two nights stay if we wished. (We had paid for the full three nights months ago). Funnily enough, the lady at the front desk did not seemed surprised at all that we were disappointed with our room- as if this were a common event for her.
We decided to toughen up and stay through the night. We watched all of the six channels available on the grimy tv set and laughed at the fact that there was no phone book available (plus even local calls are thirty cents a minute) but there were tons of pamphlets on catholicism on the dresser (all marked as "please do not remove from room")
The next morning we woke up and there was a cockroach on our wall, just casually traipsing by. Then we headed out to beautiful Old San Juan after waiting for the elevator with a "professional". (nope, not kidding).

If you are on a super tight budget and want to stay in the heart of Old San Juan ( a definite bonus) then take this place into consideration. This place can definitely be sold as a motel, but that is about it. Consider the HoJo around the corner.

They were kind enough to refund our money, however- I genuinely hope that our stay was atypical...

My family and I stayed at Milano for 2 nights in April and were very pleased with the wonderful location, the cleanliness, and the friendly helpful attitude of all staff. Breakfast on the roof deck was fine too. We did find street noise a problem, and suggest you book upper rooms that face the back or side rather than the main street.

We read the reviews and Hotel Milano sounded acceptable for a short stay in San Juan. The rooftop resturant was a big draw.
The rooftop resturant has been closed since December, the "free contentinental breakfast" is now $5.00 per person. Although we were told none of this on the telephone, we would have been OK if we had been given a room we could sleep in.

Our room (303) vibrated with noise from a compressor of some sort outside the window. I asked for a room which was not next to the compressor and was given the key to 403. As this was right above 303, it also vibrated. But, even worse, when I first flipped on the light, a cockroach came scurrying out of the fake plant on the table. I told the clerk about the roach, he offered me the key to room 304. We spent the night in 304. The room has no windows, just some glass blocks near the ceiling. The room vibrated and rumbled all night long. It was loud. The walls were vibrating so much that the framed pictures on the wall vibrated - adding even more noise. The dresser vibrated against the wall- more noise. . Sleep was absolutely impossible.
The staff were polite and did alllow us to check out the next morning (a day early) without paying the usual $50.00 fee.
All three of the rooms we were shown were completely unacceptable, I would not recoment this hotel to anyone.