We are going to Italy in October for a conference in Siena. The conference will be held at Santa Maria della Scala located by the Duomo. The list of hotels suggested at the conference web page are:

5 star Hotel:
GRAND HOTEL CONTINENTAL
- 4 star Hotels:
HOTEL ATHENA
JOLLY HOTEL EXCELSIOR
HOTEL PALAZZO DEI PRIORI
- 3 star Hotels :
HOTEL CHIUSARELLI
HOTEL DUOMO
HOTEL MINERVA
HOTEL PORTA ROMANA
HOTEL SANTA CATERINA
HOTEL VILLA LIBERTY

Ten minutes driving from the Congress site:

- 4 star Hotels:
HOTEL DEGLI ULIVI
BEST WESTERN HOTEL EXECUTIVE
HOTEL GARDEN
HOTEL VILLA SCACCIAPENSIERI
- 3 star Hotels:
HOTEL ARCOBALENO
HOTEL ITALIA
SANGALLO PARK HOTEL
HOTEL VICO ALTO

Any information on any of these hotels or any other suggestions? We're probably going to spend at least a week in Tuscany and were thinking of just staying in Siena. We are also considering renting a car to tour the countryside.

Thanks for any help/suggestions.

We stayed at Hotel Duomo a couple of years ago and found it pleasant, clean and in a terrific location.

We love Siena and the hotel is a great location to explore the city, but I would not stay there to explore Tuscany - too difficult to get in and out of with a car. Suggust you stay in a smaller town or agriturismo to get the best taste of the region.

Have a great trip!

I've stayed at the Hotel Duomo too, way back in 2000 or 2001. Very central location, our room was spacious (we had a triple, don't know about the others) and it was very reasonably priced.

I stayed at Chiusarelli a few years back. This is a good hotel if you have a car. It is just outside the city center but an easy walk to all the sites. Parking was easy as I recall.

I think there are mentions in some reviews of odd/rude/cold behaviour by some of the staff. I can't say I recall experiencing this, but honestly we spent very little time at the hotel so YMMV.

We stayed at the Chiusarelli for several days while visiting my daughter who was with a group staying at the Jolly. Both are on the same street about a 2 minute walk apart and both are just outside the wall. This is the street that has the outdoor central bus station which is much closer to the Jolly than the Chiusarelli. Close enough to where it might be obtrusive but unobtrusive at the Chiusarelli. The street is a busy one so if you choose either hotel, specify a room in the back. Having said that, both overlook the soccer stadium in the back. The Chiusarreli was quite nice with public space that can be described as tasteful and elegant. Our room away from the street was modern, clean and had an excellent bath. The included buffet breakfast was excellent. We had no complaints. My daughter's room at the Jolly was very different and dormlike as was the entire floor that seemed a bit run down. I do not know if that is characteristic of the hotel, but that was her experience. Between the two, I would choose the Chiusarelli which we found to be very pleasant and a good value. I have also read some negative things about desk staff, but our experience with hotel staff there was very positive. They could not have more pleasant or helpful. We met a couple from the mid-west at the Chiusarelli and they shared our views of the hotel.

Thanks for all the info. We expect the hotels may start filling up since the meeting was announced last week. We're planning on trying to get a reservation this weekend.

Barb

We stayed in Siena in April 2006 at the Palazzo Ravizza. 198 Euros for the Garden Suite. Great location on the edge of Siena (but still within the walls) with views of the countryside. 5 to 10 minute walk to Duomo. Lots of rave reviews on Fodors and Trip Advisor. We did what you're thinking about, rented a car and used Siena as a base of operations for touring Tuscany. Another huge plus about Palazzo Ravizza is they have a free parking!

We stayed at HOTEL VILLA SCACCIAPENSIERI last year and enjoyed it. Room #51 in the Lemon Building. No charge for car park. Can take a bus into the city -- just a short distance.

Someone mentioned the Palazzo Ravizza in another thread and I checked it out. The free parking did catch my attention. I also checked out HOTEL VILLA SCACCIAPENSIERI since others had high praise for it. I think we'll probably stay in the city just because my husbands meeting is there and that way he can go back to the hotel inbetween sessions.

Thanks for the info!

Here's another vote for the Palazzo Ravizza. The location and the parking situation makes it ideal for day trips driving to places like Montepulciano, monterrigioni, San Gimignano, Volterra, etc.

And assuming your room is on the garden side, you will not believe the views of the countryside!

It's a short walk to the town center, and you can see the tower of the Duomo from the street in front of the hotel.

The only knock my sister and I had about the place when we stayed in 2002 was that the lamps had dim bulbs - like 25 watts, which made it difficult for us to read at night when we wanted to plot the next day's itinerary from our guide books.

And still another vote for the Palazzo Ravissa. Besides the parking (which makes it very convenient for making Siena a base w/car), the breakfasts were delicious and the gardens were beautiful. Being on the edge of the city walls you have the convenience of being within the city yet the views make you feel like you are in the Tuscan countryside.

We were very pleased with our stay at Santa Caterina. The location was just outside the city wall so it made coming and going easy. The staff were very pleasant; the breakfast in the garden was delicious in a lovely setting; the view from our room (the only one with a balcony) was just what you think of when you think of Tuscany; and they had parking available. I'd stay again if I returned to Siena.

We stayed in that same room, Toni. View was lovely! It was a comfortable, pleasant hotel as a stop on our way to Venice.

Barb:


I, too, am with Toni and Marianna...The Santa Caterina is superb...quiet, a ten minute interesting walk to the center and bell tower. The hotel is just feet from the south gate (Porto Romano)..Parking in the back...and the big feature is the marvelous view from the grounds in the back...wonderful way to enjot their breakfast buffet.

Stu T.

I'd like to thank everyone for their responses. We finally sat down and decided our schedule - a week in Siena (including 3 days for the congress), 2 days in Florence and 3 days in Rome. We decided to stay in the Hotel Duomo, partly because of location and partly due to price. I was disappointed that Palazzo Rivizza never responded. We also looked at the Santa Catarina, but they were more expensive and further away from the meeting site.

Again, thanks for all the suggestions.

Barb