Porta San Mamolo

Traveling solo, I usually book a double room, since the single rooms tend to be bad in general. But here I booked a “Classic single room” since the pictures looked so promising: queen-sized beds with nightstands on either side and a nice decor. My booking stated that the room size was 16 sqm. Upon arrival a tired night porter hands me the key and points to a narrow, dark corridor, located on the ground floor. I enter a really small depressing, bare and 100% charm-free room (no 3). Definitely not 16 sqm. A window facing a fence. A 90 cm bed in one corner. The ceiling lights glaringly bright. Everything is beige. The very narrow bathroom has a moldy shower with only shampoo (no soap). The toilet have sen better days as well. The room was RIDICULOUSLY noisy. I could hear the night porter yawning and burping… Woke up every time guests arrived during the evening/night - hearing every word they said. Also paper thin wall to the adjacent room. In my booking I noted that I wished "a quiet room as high up as possible, thank you." I understand that a hotel cannot cater to all the guests requests. But my very poor overall experience is not acceptable regardless. The trend that mediocre hotels overcharge because calling themselves “boutique” is annoying. And this is definitely not a four star hotel. Hence my protest with a one star review. But I guess they don’t care. Neither when I checked out, nor when I later picked up my luggage, did the reception ask me how my stay was. Also: WiFi was very poor, coming and going. Breakfast was ok, but definitely not a four star experience. Walking here from the central station takes approximately 30 minutes, to the southernmost part of the city centre where the hotel is located. Most sites of interest are more central, so I would recommend a hotel further north.

This is a lovely property, it is a quirky hotel with many wings that mean you end up walking in a different direction depending on your room. It has a delightful courtyard for breakfast and lounging in. Breakfast was a wide ranging selection with attentive staff who remembered our coffee order after the first day, impressive! Great restaurants across and down the street. Rooms were very comfortable with lovely toiletries.

Very comfortable and enjoyable stay in this hotel on the edge of the old town. We were greeted when we arrived by the very friendly owner who told us the story of how he'd acquired and renovated the hotel. The other staff were also helpful and friendly A comfortable room and a good base for exploring Bologna as the old town is a short walk away. There's a lovely little garden for breakfast or an afternoon drink.