Hotel Porta San Mamolo

The hotel grounds are lovely and green. Some days I was happy just to stay there. Our room was clean and updated, and the staff were quick to take care of our needs and complaints and very accommodating. Check-in was easy and fast, and the lobby is simple, without any glitz or glamour. The hotel is surrounded by residential buildings and shares its location with two fantastic restaurants. It’s about a 10-minute walk from the busiest part of Bologna, which felt just right to me. Thanks for a wonderful stay.

The breakfast buffet had a good range of options, and the staff serving it were friendly and attentive. We also found all the staff welcoming. Our room was spacious, with a little hallway between the bedroom and bathroom, and the bedroom window looked onto a lovely courtyard garden. You could sit there for breakfast too. There were only two rooms on our floor. The one real nuisance was the temperamental lift. At least four times we had to call reception to get someone to let us out from the ground floor. It would also be nice to have a small bar, so guests could enjoy a quiet drink in the courtyard. We booked as part of a package.

The staff really went out of their way for us. They arranged a parking space and called two excellent nearby restaurants to reserve dinner. The room was comfortable and clean, and breakfast was excellent. We were lucky to find such a beautiful hotel. It’s in a quiet, convenient spot, within walking distance of Piazza Maggiore, and we’ll stay here whenever we’re in Bologna.

Breakfast was good, but the location is a bit far from both the main square and the train station. A warning about rooms 101-105: they face the street, and traffic and people coming and going made it VERY NOISY all night. Room 101 also has the illuminated hotel sign right outside its only window. There are no blackout curtains, so the light comes straight in.