Palazzo di Alcina - Residenza d'Epoca - Luxury Rooms -

We had an amazing stay at Palazzo di Alcina in Bologna. From the moment we arrived, we were surrounded by the warmth, charm, and elegance that define this extraordinary palace. The building itself is a beautiful gem, steeped in history yet appointed with every modern comfort. The highlight of our stay was the exceptional hospitality of Maria Cristina and her entire team. She is a truly remarkable host who is gracious, knowledgeable, and genuinely passionate about ensuring her guests feel at home. All of the personal touches and thoughtful recommendations added so much richness to our time in Bologna. Da Cesari, Buca Manzoni (located just steps away from the palace), and Da Me Nella Torree were among our favorite restaurants, which were recommended during our stay. And the breakfast—wow! I am a foodie and planned to visit several different cafes during our time in Bologna. But that was not needed by any means. Every morning the breakfast in the palace felt like a celebration. The spread was exquisite, featuring fresh pastries and bread made in-house, a vegetable frittata that quickly became a favorite, seasonal fruits, local cheeses, tea, cappuccino, and a surprise treat that helped to set each day off on the perfect note. Palazzo di Alcina is more than a hotel. It's an experience. Grazie mille to Maria Cristina and her team. We miss you all already and can't wait to return to this beautiful haven.

Wonderfully unique hotel in a 1500s vintage palace filled with art and books and ceilings a million miles high. The owners live here in their own suite and are extremely gracious and helpful. The breakfast is ridiculously over the top with homemade cakes, full cheese and charcuterie, fruit, eggs, more than you could ever want. Located right in the middle of Bologna steps away from Piazza Maggiore and all of the city's lovely sights and delicious food.

Whilst nearly everything was perfect with our stay at the Palazzo, we were very frustrated with the amount of street noise that we heard in our room each night of our stay. The double glazing of the first floor windows was still not enough to keep street noise out – particularly motor bikes. This is not really an issue that the owners of the Palazzo can doing anything about and I only mention this for light sleepers as I know they have other rooms that face an internal courtyard and may be much quieter. Now on to the good parts, and there were many. The décor of the palazzo is amazing – a 500 year old building that has been beautifully restored and is a pleasure to be immersed in. Christina provides an incredible breakfast, to the point of being excessive with choice and far too much food for any of the guests to get through. Food quality is excellent with many home made items. The room was extremely comfortable, with a great bed and pillows, excellent water pressure in the shower and generous inclusions. The overall location of the palazzo is very good with respect to the main tourist area of Bologna.

This is a difficult review to write because I had expected to love the Palazzo di Alcina Residence/B&B. But I regret staying there and would not stay there again. There are some real pluses. The breakfast is sumptuous, really spectacular. The location is central (more on that below). The B&B portion of the historic building is one corner on the 1st floor (US 2nd floor) and is run by the owners, Christine and Piero, who raised their family there. The common rooms have high ceilings and are decorated in a classic way. Christine does not speak English and Piero is limited in his English-speaking ability so communication can be unsteady. (Interestingly, all of our email communications had been in English.) Both can be charming at times. There is no other staff, except for an attendant at breakfast. All of the other guests we met conversed in English. Our room was of an adequate size with a large bath and a firm, comfortable bed. But we had no hot water on the first night because they forgot to turn it on (it requires a key). There is no air conditioning in the common rooms, but there was a standalone air conditioning unit in the bedroom, inconveniently positioned at the foot of the bed in the path to the bathroom. Because of ducting, it could not be moved a lot. It was somewhat noisy at night. We might have overlooked these drawbacks but for our car experience. We arrived by rental car. The location of the B&B is in Bologna’s restricted traffic area. (Unsurprisingly, there is an exception for driving to lodging in the restricted area for that very purpose.) They suggested that we stop by to drop off our bags before returning the rental car. When we arrived in the rental car to drop off our bags, we explained to Christine and Piero (more than once) that we were on our way to returning the car and provided them with the license plate number specifically requesting that they report our brief stop in the restricted area as authorized to the traffic authorities. We reiterated our understanding that only they as owners of the lodging could to make such a report to the traffic authorities. They did not say that they needed any additional information from us nor that we needed to do anything else. So, we assumed that they would timely make this administrative report to the appropriate traffic authority. During breakfast the next morning, we inquired about the required report and asked them to confirm that it had been made to the traffic authority. To our surprise, they had not. Indeed, for the first time, they expressed a complete lack of knowledge as how to do so! They said that had we parked the car at the garage they usually use, instead of returning the rental car, the garage would have handled the details of a report. They then did some searching on a government website and informed us that if we had only purchased a permit by midnight the night before on an Italian-language website we would have been fine, but now there was nothing they could do. As a result, we face a monetary fine (likely €100) at some unknown time. We asked as to how this situation might be resolved retroactively, and they responded with impatience and said it was not their problem. Piero then became visibly angry, said we were wasting their time and then launched into a diatribe of accusation, e.g., such as that we had arrived later in the day than expected (though we had sent an email to them specifying our expected arrival time two days prior and received a confirmation from them). The bottom line is that Christine and Piero are running a business in a traffic-restricted zone. The Bologna traffic website makes clear that that it is the lodging’s responsibility to make the report of entry in a traffic-restricted zone by guests to the appropriate authority. As business owners, they are charged with knowledge and have the standing to make a report. They are the locals, guests are not. So, we were surprised that the required report was not timely made by Christine and Piero, and shocked by Piero’s hot-headed behavior which certainly put a damper on our stay. After this, we had no confidence in seeking their assistance with anything, including restaurant and sightseeing reservations.

The best place to stay when you visit Bologna. A real palace. The owners and staff are very friendly and helpful! A fantastic breakfast! When you stay here you fell like you are in another century! We suggest this place to everyone! Panos & Lydia

If you want to maximize your experience in Bologna, you MUST stay here! Ideally located in the heart of Bologna (walkable to train station), this 1600s palace is a truly special place. Piero-Francisco and Maria Christina, the owners and hosts, made every effort to welcome us and assist us in anything we needed. The room was very uniquely decorated and very comfortable. The bed linens were exquisite. Breakfast was so tasty with an assortment of many tasty items. The palace is decorated with renaissance period artwork and truly outstanding antiques. If you are traveling to Bologna, you cannot miss this experience. We have traveled to Europe many times and this place rates at the top!

After a disastrous Airbnb stay with my parents, I needed to quickly find a hotel that had two rooms with air con and would allow us to immediately check in. I called L’Isola di Alcina, and that single phone call started an amazing trip for my family and I that we will never forget. The hotel is a former palace, about a three-minute walk from the main piazza. You could not ask for a better location. To say the hotel is breathtaking would be a massive understatement - think stunning artwork, gorgeous chandeliers, lush furnishings. Even the tall, colorful ceilings took our breath away. We booked two rooms, which were incredibly spacious and comfortable. We had seating areas, large, modern bathrooms, dreamy beds, and, especially important for my parents, air con. What really made this one of our favorite hotel stays ever (no exaggeration) were our hosts. Such incredibly kind and thoughtful people. We felt so cared for by them, and we enjoyed their stories about the history of the building. Last point - the breakfast is out of this world. A feast for queens and kings. Fresh bread and cakes, mounds of delicious fruits and cheeses, and the best fresh orange juice you can imagine. Stay here - you will never forget this hotel. We are already planning to return next year. This hotel is what holidays are made for.