Originally Posted by
flyr16
Great update OP. We are heading to Florence and Bologna soon and narrowing out hotel choices. This info is helpful.
A brief update on our recent hotel stays in Bologna and Florence:
In Bologna we stayed at the Grand Hotel Majestic Baglioni, mentioned above. We booked through Luxury, a frequent poster on this board. He obtained for us a very nice upgrade to a suite. The hotel is certainly the best option in Bologna. It is old, but well maintained. The suite was covered in yards of fabric, very nicely done with a very large bathroom, covered in marble. A deep soaking tub, acres of marble around the double sinks. Comfy bed and - outstanding sheets. Large balcony with chairs. The location is just a block from the main square, in the middle of everything. Very good bkfst spread, typical Italy and well done. Service was good. Overall, likely the hotel still could use some updating to bring in "current" yet, that may be part of its charm. We enjoyed our stay.
In Florence we chose the Savoy. Again Luxury obtained for us a nice upgrade. We had an oversized room, with double high ceilings, certainly over 20 feet. A very large balcony overlooking the main piazza. The bathroom is well done but on the small side. Excellent water pressure and excellent bath towels. While the Savoy too is an an old building, it has been completely renovated and even while we were there they were updating/redoing some carpets and other items. The lobby is on the small side, with a few comfy couches and such. Service was excellent. Great front desk and an outstanding concierge(s). They know the city well and every request was me with "absolutely" "we can do that." Irene is the hotel's restaurant and it is pretty, and gets a local crowd at lunch and dinner. Nice seating area outside. Very good bkfst spread again. We were in Florence in November, low season and, thus, it was not nearly as crowded as we have seen it in summer. It really is more enjoyable when less of a madhouse.
In contrasting the two cities: we had never been to Bologna before and found it very "livable" so to speak. Great to wander, much less crowded with tourists and the food shops and such are just outstanding. Great food. Friendly restauranteurs and shop owners. The two cities are but 35 mins away from each other by train.
We likely will return in a couple of months time and will probably add Milan to that trip, we will look for someplace that is "old" but "updated" for that stay.
Thanks for the feedback from others.