Need help with choosing a boutique hotel/small inn or B&B in Pisa for 1 night in August upon arrival to Italy. Budget is around $150. Want to be within walking distance to restaurants and shops. Will be catching a train to Cinque Terre the next day.

We stayed in Pisa twice and loved it. The first time, we only stayed one night but we returned because, after seeing Leaning Tower, we liked the rest of Pisa very much. We returned on another trip and made it our base for going to San Gim, Lucca, Livorno, Cinque Terre, and re-visiting Florence and Siena. I hope you have time to get a good tour of the Duomo--it is a superb place and too often ignored.

We stayed at the Royal Victoria: http://royalvictoria.it/

It's on the water (Arno) about half-way between the Tower and the train station--15-20 minute walk (not sure because we were always strolling) so you might want to take a taxi to the train. Ask for a quiet room as street noise bothered us the first time.

I'm starting to sound like an ad but the term "old world charm" described the place to us. Original family owners run it. Not sure how prices have changed since we were there.

Please do a trip report!

Though we haven't stayed at the Royal Victoria personally, it is a great location, sort of at the halfway point & Piazza Garibaldi, very near the daily market, lovely at night

The other side of the river (train station side) we can recommend the Best Western Hotel Bologna. It is just a 10 minute walk to all kinds of restaurants/centro storico. Just around a corner (actually through an archway) is the gourmet restaurant Marina di Pisa.

We stayed at the Royal Victoria several years ago and loved it. Huge room with a bathroom as big as the average European hotel room. Prices on the website look more than reasonable (starting at E45)

We stayed at the Royal Victoria about 30 years ago and loved its old-world charm and huge rooms - we could have got our bedroom at home into the bathroom.

Fast forward about 25 years and we were shoe-horned into a room that had obviously been created out of part of another - one of the large ones divided into 2 perhaps?

the charm was still there in the public rooms but the bedroom left a lot to be desired.

if you are thinking of staying there, ask for a big room.