Residenza Accademia , Mantegna Hotels

The staff were really nice, and the room was comfortable. Residenza is right in the city center, which makes it a great base for exploring Mantova. Parking was very cheap, so no need to worry about that :)

The location is hard to beat: this apartment sits in Mantua’s historic center, inside a beautiful old residence with an elevator. The careful renovation is clear as soon as you walk in. Our stay was genuinely pleasant. The flat felt spacious and high quality. The ceilings are over four meters high, with lovely wooden beams that give the place warmth and character. The new windows worked well, and even though we faced the main street, it was completely quiet at night. The kitchen has been fully modernized, and the cooktop was very efficient. We appreciated the host’s small touches too, including two bottles of water on arrival and a moka pot. A note for families: we were asked for 3 euros per person for the city tax. After checking the local rules ourselves, we clarified that guests under 14 don’t have to pay this tax in Italy. We were traveling with two young children, so we had to point out that the charge applied only to the adults. A few small things could be fixed. The bathroom door wouldn’t close, the toilet brush was broken, and the shower was blocked so the water wouldn’t drain. I had to open the drain by hand to get the water flowing. One mosquito screen was missing and probably needs to be put back. These are minor, easy-to-fix issues. It’s a beautiful, comfortable apartment, tastefully renovated and in a fantastic location. We’d definitely recommend it.

Housekeeping was awful. I put my backpack on the floor and it came up white with dust, even though it had been black. The staff also reprimanded the manager who had arranged and booked the hotel for our group because he asked for a discount since he wasn’t having breakfast due to the group’s religious obligations. They did it in the breakfast room, in front of everyone at the table, and ridiculed both the young man and the whole group.

We could walk everywhere from the hotel, and the restaurant was excellent. We had a really nice family stay, with clean rooms, attentive staff and reasonable prices. Breakfast was good, though there wasn’t a huge selection. Our room felt a little small, and the heating was inexplicably switched off for several hours in the afternoon, leaving it cold. When we called, staff said that was hotel policy and offered blankets. With a young child, that wasn’t ideal.