Palazzo di Alcina-Residenza D'Epoca

The owners were warm, helpful, and clearly care about both their guests and the Palazzo. We felt very well looked after. Breakfast was a whole experience, with plenty of local delicacies and homemade food to choose from. The rooms were comfortable, spotless, and each one had its own look, all decorated with great taste. The hotel itself is beautiful, with an impressive, almost iconic interior. Palazzo di Alcina is also in a handy spot for getting around Bologna. We couldn’t be happier with our choice, and had a high quality stay.

Stay at the Palazzo. It’ll make your trip. We were a group of 9 traveling around Italy for a few weeks, so planning took some work, and Maria Christina and Piero Francisco were helpful with it from the US. They’re two of the most charming and interesting people you could meet. The rooms are beautifully decorated with original art while still having modern conveniences. This magnificent Renaissance palace is a unique place to stay. I’d go to Bologna just to experience it.

The property is unusual, very clean, and centrally located, but it wasn’t our cup of tea. We really wanted to like it, yet something felt off. The language barrier didn’t help, and we got the sense that the hostess cared more about keeping an eye on guests than making them comfortable. The breakfast spread was amazing, but when my wife put her coffee cup on the placemat, the hostess came right over and moved it onto the saucer. The maid serves breakfast and cleans all the rooms seven days a week. When we asked to take a picture with her, she said the owners wouldn’t allow it. You have to ask the Hostess to turn on the air conditioner with the remote, and guests aren’t allowed to touch it. On our last day, she came looking for the remote she hadn’t left with us, and seemed to suggest we’d put it somewhere in our room.

Breakfast was awesome, and it was lovely to relax with the old, splendid wall paintings all around us. The host family were so nice, considerate, and welcoming. Meeting them was one of our most wonderful travel experiences, and staying here felt like being at home. I loved them so much. This homely luxury B&B in Bologna is definitely one you shouldn’t miss.