Brera Apartments

Sleek, contemporary and well-priced apartments in the vibrant Brera district (sleeping 2-4, self-catering)

Carefully styled to please fashionistas and the design-conscious, these elegant 1-bedroom apartments are modern, minimalist and airily open-plan. There are 5 in total, set in the hip Brera area, known for its cornucopia of shops, bars, evening promenades and nightlife. The 3 'Brera Apartments' are on the 1st, 2nd and 3rd floors of a 1960s cobbled courtyard of flats off the Via San Fermo, and combine pure white walls with designer fixtures, flush fittings and shiny wood floors.

The split-level, slope-raftered 4th, the 'Garibaldi Apartment', sits on the 5th floor of a 1950s steel-and glass block. It has a mezzanine double bedroom (reached via a twist of glass and metal stairs, and with a thick glass panel in its floor), and a sofabed in the kitchen-sitting-dining room below, should you want to bring kids. It feels softer and cosier and was our favourite, though all are lovely, and since our visit they've added the 5th 'Moscova Apartment', which looks equally snazzy. But whichever you choose, you won't want for a thing; these really are homes away from home. You get WiFi, a satellite TV, an iPod dock, and a substantial DVD, CD and book collection to chill out with. Your kitchen is small, but well equipped with espresso makers and gleaming equipment, and there's a supermarket round the corner from each apartment. Best of all, though, you're a 20-25 minute stroll from the Stazione Centrale and Duomo, so you can live like a local but explore with ease.

Highs

• Good value for money, considering the fresh, modern design and central location in an expensive city
• The wealth of shops, restaurants and buzzy bars in the immediate vicinity, plus the Pinacoteca di Brera museum - Brera is a great neighbourhood
• Ideal for a romantic weekend, or for a city break with a young family - each apartment has a baby cot, and most have sofabeds
• A big choice of films and box sets to watch (from Saw to Six Feet Under to Gone Baby Gone), and pay-per-view movies on TV
• A lengthy information document, with tips on Milan's museums, restaurants, takeaways, spas, grocery stores and lifestyle stores

Lows

• Our key for the wooden street door to the Brera Apartments was really tricky to turn and we didn't have a 24-hour number to call, so were very relieved when another resident let us in late at night
• Customers of the restaurant/bar below our window were chatting rather noisily on the pavement after dark, but shutting the window effectively restored our peace
• No balconies or outside lounging areas
• No ovens, just hob cookers