Guest House Domus Urbino

Right in front of the Doge’s Palace, the location has a breathtaking view over Piazza Rinascimento. The rooms are minimal, as you’d expect in a converted convent, but very clean. The hotel gave us a temporary pass for parking in the restricted traffic zone, which was excellent. Breakfast had something for everyone and was good, and the staff were very friendly and helpful. I’d recommend it for soaking up Urbino’s Renaissance atmosphere.

The price felt fair for a spot right across from the Doge’s Palace. Our central triple room was large, with two rooms, and the helpful staff brought us a fridge, a plug-in hairdryer, and extra pillows. There’s no air conditioning, just rather noisy fans. The furniture is old, the walls need freshening up, the wall-mounted hairdryer and shower slide were broken, and so was the fridge. There’s no connected hotel concierge, and the door and keys are open to everyone. It seems nobody looks after these things until a guest points them out.

The location and friendly staff couldn’t make up for the heat. It was 36°C on July 23, and the room was 30°C with no air conditioning. We asked for a fan but were told the hotel didn’t have one, so we couldn’t sleep. At almost €100 a night, we weren’t happy.

The staff were very kind and especially helpful. While we were there, they let us use the restaurant space even though we’d ordered takeout rather than food directly from the hotel. It’s a comfortable place with a breathtaking view of Piazza Rinascimento. The rooms are quite sparse, but the antiques help bring Urbino’s Renaissance atmosphere to life.