Emilia-Romagna Hotel/Inn Recommendations Needed
 

My husband and I are going with another couple to the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy in September. We have all traveled quite a bit throughout Italy in the past, but I'm having a tough time coming up with a hotel, inn, agriturismo, or Airbnb in Bologna or Modena. We would consider staying in a different town or in the countryside. This is a 3-night stay, and we'll be focusing on the food of the region. It would be great to stay in something that is nice architecturally (historic is perfect), and not too fussy. We are willing to spend up to about 150-300 Euros per room per night, or we could all stay in one larger place. Thanks in advance for any recommendations!

I enjoyed my stay at the Hotel Corona d’Oro in Bologna. From my trip report of my stay in 2017:

The Hotel Corona d’Oro (single room, €165.00/night), well located on a pedestrian street, turned out to be an excellent choice after an inauspicious start. Cinderella would have been right at home in my first room, a small, dark rectangular single far from reception whose window looked out on to the nearby wall. When I inquired about the possibility of a brighter room, I was told that they were fully booked. I went out briefly but realized I’d forgotten my iPhone and so returned.

I decided a rest period was in order and didn’t put the room key in the slot which controls the electricity. Suddenly there was a man entering my room. It was the manager, Sig. Michele Piazzolla, thinking the room was unoccupied because of the empty slot. I took the opportunity to ask again about a brighter room, not so isolated, closer to reception. He said perhaps tomorrow, he would check. In five minutes, I had a call back, would I like to see another room? Room 103, my new room, was perfect. It overlooked the street in front of the hotel and, more square than rectangular, it felt spacious, with herringbone wood flooring and soothing tones of beige, taupe, and cafe au lait with blue accents. Breakfast was served downstairs and offered an extensive selection. My notes singled out the juice press for fresh orange juice, the prosciutto, and the rice cake for special mention.

bon_voyage, thank you - I will take a look at Hotel Corona d'Oro!

Will you have a car? Depending on the lodging location in Bologna, driving in/out could be a challenge. It's a big city with big city traffic AND a ZTL. I haven't stayed in Modena, but I'm quite sure it also has a ZTL (zona traffico limitato).

It's been a few years, but we enjoyed our stay at Al Capella Rosso in Bologna and reviews are still very positive. It has a great location for Bologna sightseeing but probably not as a base for driving excursions away from the city. The hotel is about a 20-minute walk to/from the Centrale train station, so if you did end up with a few spare hours you could easily visit Modena (some trains take only 17 minutes), Emilia Reggio (some trains 32 minutes), or Faenza (about 45 minutes)

I've stayed at Hotel Corona d'Oro twice and really liked it both times. (And fortunately I never got a wall-facing room like bon_voyage did at first.)

I forgot to mention that the Al Cappello Rosso in Bologna has an apartment that sleeps 4+.

https://en.phihotelbologna.com/apartments

Thanks, Jean - We will have a car, so that's definitely a consideration. We have a lot of good stories to tell about accidentally driving into ZTLs! I'll take a look at Al Capella Rosso - it could work, if we plan well regarding the driving.

Thanks, Leely2, it's great to have another positive review!

We also enjoyed Capello Rosso right in town in Bologna.

We prefer, though, staying in Ravenna -- Albergo Capello is right in town and has a restaurant downstairs; great Piazza del Popolo with aperitif/complementary buffet snacks and a great passagiata along with world class mosaics. We often stay just outside the historic center in one of the guest houses -- we aim to try Palazzo Bezzi next trip.

Ferrara is another nice town for a stay; can't remember out hotel, though, sorry!

annw, great suggestions! I'm glad you mentioned Ferrara and Ravenna. I'll research those, as well. Thank you!

If you are looking for an agriturismo, I can heartily recommend Bosco del Fracasso just outside Scandiano. Anna and Maurizio were wonderful hosts when we stayed a few years ago. Anna even took us to a small factory where we saw cheese being made from the morning's milking to the aging rooms. https://www.boscodelfracasso.com/locations/

https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...4ca2fab4c.jpeg

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greytop13, that looks amazing! I'll take a look at the agriturismo. Thanks!