Boutique Hotel Calzavecchio

The hotel was neat and clean, with parking and a good train connection to central Bologna. But we weren't satisfied with breakfast. For a four-star hotel, the selection was very limited, and the food quality was very low. We didn't expect a lavish spread, but the overnight stay isn't cheap.

We asked on Sunday about ironing clothes for an important day on Monday. The front desk said the room was closed for the weekend, but promised we'd be able to use it in the morning. Come Monday, they refused because we were checking out. We'd planned around what they told us, then got another baseless excuse and no accountability. It's not really about the iron, it's the lack of courtesy, professionalism, and follow-through. The front desk staff seemed bothered and gave us contradictory policies with smug indifference. It felt like they were trying to be as unhelpful as possible. Our time at Hotel Boutique Calzavecchio was infuriating. If you care about being treated like a guest, consistency, or basic customer service, stay somewhere else. This place calls itself “boutique,” but it's a joke with shiny furniture. Never again.

The pastries offered a good range, though the ones I tried were dry. The coffee was good, but the bar never seemed to be open. For US standards, this is definitely budget and not what I'd call boutique. My bed was very hard, with thin linens and flat pillows. I had to ask for a kettle, then provide my own tea and sugar after the first day. I put up the DND sign for the first two days, but they still made up the room, folded my clothes, threw out the soap, changed the shower head and room heat settings, and closed the curtains. They didn't refill the tea or sugar. It was a nice stay, but nothing luxurious or particularly comfortable.

The room, 410, was far too hot and the air conditioner barely cooled it. After about an hour it started making a very loud, strange bubbling sound. Turning it off and back on stopped the noise for a while, then it began mumbling again. That spoiled my sleep, which is a big drawback when sleeping well is one of a hotel's main jobs. The tub shower was awkward too. The tub is narrow, and the wall faucet gets in the way when you stand there. There was no way to make tea or coffee in the room. The hotel has a modern interior in an early 2000s style, with Fornasetti pieces used widely. I liked the general impression. The room was a decent size, with enough space to open a larger suitcase, and there were plenty of parking spaces. Breakfast was good, not especially rich, but much better than the average in Italy. Dinner at the hotel restaurant was surprisingly good and fairly priced. There's a small park with a fountain opposite the hotel.