Hotel San Donato

“Perfect location.”

This hotel is perfectly located in the old and lively university quarter of Bologna. It needs some renovation and the reception team could be more friendly. The rates in Bologna are never very cheap. Ask for a room on the city if you tolerate a bit a noise.

“Well located hotel, but few other merits.”

The hotel is well located by the unversity district and very near the two towers. Most important sites are within walking distance and there are numerous eateries. We found the nearby Pappare' on Via De' Guidei a good, nexpensive place for breakfast with its selection of pastries, tea, coffee, fres… more

The hotel is well located by the unversity district and very near the two towers. Most important sites are within walking distance and there are numerous eateries. We found the nearby Pappare' on Via De' Guidei a good, nexpensive place for breakfast with its selection of pastries, tea, coffee, fresh orange juice. On arrival at the hotel we were immediately asked to pay the local room tax for our entire stay which set a sour note -- I am not aware of ever having to pay such fees in advance before. The room was very clean if a little cold due to excessive air conditioning which we kept turning down. Having travelled to Italy about ten times over the past 30 years, we were surprised to find the room was entirely devoid of any information of any kind and not only was there no tea / coffee making facility anywhere (in or outside the room), bottled water was not provided. These are minor points, but remarkable for what clearly wants to present itself as an upmarket hotel. There was an unfurnished balcony, but with high walls. Sheets and towels were changed daily, which is both excessive, envronmentally irresponsible, and an unnecessary expense. Again this was out of line with what we are used to at other hotels we have stayed out. The hotel claims breakfast on its terrace with stunning views. This, plus location, was the principal factor in choosing this hotel as we are used to good to outstanding Italian hotel breakfasts. Given the price the hotel charges for breakfast that appears to have risen even in the week we were there, such expectations would seem reasonable. On the first morning we were unceremoniously ushered into a relatively small breakfast room with no option to eat out on a terrace offered. The provision was indifferent to poor. The cappuccino I was served was frankly unpalatable -- in Italy! -- the fruit juice from a machine was not very attractvely flavoured water, there were a few slices of cheese of the kind one might find anywhere -- in a city rightly proud of its cheeses --, there was tinned fruit in clingfilm covered bowls, the yogurts were watery, need I go on. My wife and I hardly needed to discuss whether to have breakfast at the hotel subsequently, though it took us a bit of time to find an alternative that suited us well. We overheard on the penultimate day a member of staff explain that the bar -- the small breakfast bar -- was open 7 - 10 each evening, but we never saw evidence of this. Then there is the saga of the nightdress lost by the hotel. The hotel was very reluctant take any responsbility, but eventually we were promised a car to the airport in recompense only to find at the airport it had not been paid for. So, Bologna is lovely, but the Hotel San Donato rather less so.

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