Hotel Cervetta 5

The staff were wonderful, cordial and so helpful. They kept our luggage, brought it to the room while we were out walking and having lunch, made reservations, and suggested places to visit. The hotel is right in Modena's historic center, a perfect location. Our room was cozy, comfortable and clean, with lovely decor in both the room and lobby. The bathroom was spacious and had everything we needed. The large shower had great pressure and temperature, the best we'd had in Italy during almost two weeks of travel. We'd happily stay here again and highly recommend it.

Getting the doors shut was a problem too. They only closed if you slammed them loudly, so expect to hear that. Avoid this place. The duplicate charge was a nightmare. A glitch on the booking site made two rooms for me, one person traveling alone, for the same night. I contacted the site, which wouldn't refund directly because the hotel held both reservations, but offered to ask the hotel to cancel one. At the front desk I asked Mrs. Stefania for a refund. She refused, though offered a 'free' room the next night or free tax. In the reply, the hotel claimed the booking website was responsible. That's simply not true. The site contacted the hotel and the manager refused the refund, though the reservation was cancelled. The rooms were booked one after the other, not together, and the manager knew it was a mistake but is still trying to keep the money. I'll have to ask my bank for a chargeback, and I doubt they'll see it my way. It sucks to have to do that. The hotel didn't seem full, and since the reservation was cancelled, they could sell the room again if it had been. That's not the only false claim in the reply, but I'm not going through it point by point. Listen to the tone of that reply, it's the kind of service you'll get here. I regret choosing this place.

We spent only a few minutes in the room before moving to a much nicer, more spacious hotel nearby. This was a sour experience, and I suggest going elsewhere. There was no elevator or offer to help with our luggage, the decor felt cheaply done, and the staff showed no warmth, even before the booking issue about the hotel not being pet friendly came up. A bit of empathy and proper staff training could have prevented this review. They asked for documents for a one-year-old baby, though that law is meant for counterterrorism, and my toddler hardly seems threatening. In my experience, driver's licenses are usually accepted as ID. That's been true at around 50 other hotels I've visited during six years living in Italy.

The hotel is right in the city center, just a few steps from the Mercato and Plaza Grande, which made the location ideal. We had a wonderful stay at this boutique hotel. The room looked lovely and was clean, and the staff were friendly and accommodating. Just be aware there's no lift, so you'll need to carry your luggage up the stairs. It wasn't a problem for us, but I thought it was worth mentioning.