Ostello Bello Bologna

The people were nice and helpful, and the place itself wasn’t bad. But the rest of the stay was awful. We were there for the Metallica show and paid 700 euros for the second night. It felt like they were taking advantage of the circumstances. The lift was broken the whole time, so every trip meant climbing to the sixth floor, 70 stairs or more. If the hostel was charging so much because of the concert, they should at least have given us something better in return.

Other guests were quiet and respectful, and the rooms and neighborhood were quiet too. The staff were very friendly. Hostel rooms felt spacious, and there’s a shared kitchen if you want to cook. For a quick, easy breakfast you can try the one downstairs, though there are several other options around the neighborhood.

The location was good, about a 15-minute walk from central Bologna, but I wouldn’t come back. We didn’t feel we got our money’s worth. There was lots of noise, presumably because the walls weren’t soundproof, and we could hear everything next door. The bathroom smelled, was dirty, and had a constant sound of water running through the pipes. Staff weren’t especially friendly, though they did answer our questions. The main problem was the heat. There was no air conditioning until June, and even with the night temperature at 28 degrees, I think it’s a basic need when sharing a room. I was on the top bunk where the heat rises. Staff suggested opening the window, but it was actually a door to a balcony, and leaving it open overnight didn’t feel safe. The hostel also felt lifeless and quiet, even in the communal kitchen, and wasn’t as social as I expected. The beds had privacy curtains, but were squeaky, and unlike at other Ostello Bellos, they weren’t made up. For the price, I expected that.

The staff were kind and supportive, and that was the one good part of this hostel. I chose Bello for its location between the station and city centre, but this was the worst accommodation experience I’ve had. I paid a price similar to hotels and mistakenly expected a hotel room, but it was only a hostel. Mostly students seemed to stay there, making noise all night by shouting and banging doors. Breakfast was poor, and the room was noisy too, with people playing table football while we ate. The cleaning standards were very poor. In the end they gave us a different room from the one confirmed on Booking.com, without the promised large bathroom and city view. If you’re not a high school student, I wouldn’t recommend staying here.