Hotel Annunziata

The location is great, but the room is just okay and has an odd layout. The shower barely has any water pressure. There isn't coffee or tea in the room, and if you want hot water, you have to ask the front receptionist to heat it. They'll give you a thermal for free, or let you use a small glass cup for 5 euros. That makes no sense to me. A four-star hotel should have these basic things in every room. They need to raise their standards, and I don't think the hotel deserves such a high rating.

The hotel and rooms are absolutely fine, the staff are very nice, breakfast is top class, and the price is fair. We can highly recommend it if you're not bringing bikes. For cyclists, the arrangement was a letdown. We paid 5 euros per bike for an uncovered parking spot in another building, about 200 meters from the hotel. In over 20 years of bike travel, this was the first time we'd had to pay. In Rome, Bologna, and other cities, our bikes were kept securely in a storage room or locked garage for free.

We were touring Italy by bicycle in early June 2025, and the Annex had a genuinely useful bike area indoors, with locks, a pump, and some tools. The rooms were large, and that's one positive. But this was the most uncomfortable hotel or B&B experience of our three weeks on the road, and we wouldn't stay again or recommend it. The air conditioning was the main problem. The room started at 24.5 degrees Celsius, and although the unit blew slightly cool air, the temperature climbed to 25.5 degrees within an hour and stayed there all night, even after it cooled outside. Staff insisted that the unit was working because the air felt a little cool, which was ridiculous. Another guest in the Annex had the same issue that night. The unit needs servicing, perhaps a refrigerant check, or it's far too small for the room. I can't imagine how uncomfortable it would be in July or August. There was also a faint sewer smell on entering the Annex, which got very strong in the bike storage area. Our room was directly above it, and opening the windows late in the evening wasn't an option because the smell outside was too strong.

Ferrara is wonderful for getting around on foot or by bike. We stayed in the Prisciani annex and it was great, with very helpful staff.