Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
( 051 745 74 11;
www.bolognarthotels.it
; Via IV Novembre 10; r from €140; )
One of
four upmarket hotels run by Bologna Art Hotels, this refined pile just off Piazza Maggiore
seduces guests with its slick service, smart rooms furnished in elegant gold, blue and bur-
gundy, swirling grey-and-white marble bathrooms, complimentary chocs and an unbeat-
able downtown location.
Hotel Metropolitan
( 051 22 93 93;
www.hotelmetropolitan.com
; Via dell'Orso 6; r from €140; )
Providing an-
other lesson in Italian interior design, the Met doesn't miss a trick. It mixes functionality
with handsome modern furnishings and finishes everything off with an all-pervading
Thai-Buddhist theme, presumably to inject a bit of peace and tranquillity into its frenetic
city-centre location. It works.
BOUTIQUE HOTEL
€€€
Prendiparte B&B
( 051 58 90 23;
www.prendiparte.it
;
Via Sant'Alò 7; r from €350)
You will never - repeat,
never
- stay anywhere else like this. Forget the B&B tag: you don't just get a room here, you get
an entire 900-year-old tower (Bologna's second tallest). The living area (bedroom, kitchen
and lounge) is spread over three floors and there are nine more levels to explore, with a
17th-century prison halfway up and outstanding views from the terrace up top.
Find a millionaire to shack up with and pretend you're an errant medieval prince(ss) for
the night.
B&B
€€€
Il Convento dei Fiori
di Seta
( 051 27 20 39;
www.silkflowersnunnery.com
;
Via Orfeo 34; r €140-420, ste €250-520; )
Be-
fore you get to Bologna's budget options, you have to gawp at all the pricey places, in-
cluding this chic boutique hotel housed in a 14th-century convent. Religious-inspired fres-
coes sit alongside Mapplethorpe-style flower photos and snazzy modern light fixtures;
beds come with linen sheets and bathrooms feature cool mosaic tiles.
BOUTIQUE HOTEL
€€€
Eating
Gastronomic tip number one: learn the local lingo and ask for
tagliatelle al ragù
. Calling
the city's signature meat sauce 'spag bol' is like calling champagne 'fizzy wine'. Two
