Best Western Hotel San Donato

Nice hotel in great location close to the two towers Excellent views of the towers from the terrace Good breakfast and friendly staff throughout Many restaurants within easy walking distance Only issue is walls appear to be paper thin so the noise from the kids in the next room was a bit disruptive less

We travelled from Rome for a one night in Bologna at the Best Western Hotel San Donato. The hotel is situated right next to the two towers. It has a lovely rooftop area over looking them, with free coffee between certain times. Our room was spacious, comfortable and clean. Breakfast was extra 7 euros each, it was great value for money. Lots of cold meats and cheese, croissants, cereal, cakes, yogurts, fruit juice, coffee and a selection of cooked items. The staff were friendly and very helpful. I have already recommended this hotel to a friend for her visit to Bologna less

I've stayed in hundreds of hotels around the world and have written quite a lot of reviews in booking.com and tripadvisor.com. This is the first time I report an outstandingly bad case. We arrived on January 22, 2020 and immediately found some problems in the room: the wash-basin was full of water and the water did not go to drain at all (did the maid ever clean it??), a similar – but not so serious - case in the shower, and the bathroom door handle was loose and nearly fell. They did repair the things but did not apologize. The next day in the morning I found that the bathroom door handle was not properly fixed and got loose again but decide to report it after excursion. Coming to the hotel at 2:30pm we found our room not ready yet. I asked the receptionist that I would like to talk to manager about all problems. The manager was Alfredo Riccioti. He refused to accept anything: that we had problems yesterday, that the room had to be ready by 2pm - as stated in the hotel info, and when I showed the loose room handle he accused me of breaking the handle and threatened to charge me for this. And all of this despite that other hotel persons confirmed what I said. I never saw such an arrogant and ignorant person in my life! Finally after I had said that I was ready to call police he calmed down and offered a new room. But never apologized. As the manager refused to give me the name of his boss I called Customer Service of Best Western hotels to raise a claim about the unacceptable behavior of the manager. The claim was written and they called me back 30 min later. They did apologize “for inconvenience” but not for the behavior of the manager, calling it “misunderstanding” - actually they closed ranks. And perhaps this is the worst of all – they consider such behavior acceptable! I was asked for email address but never got any response to my claim. For me all this is NOT acceptable and certainly that was my last stay in Best Western hotels and I strongly recommend to all to avoid staying in San Donato hotel in Bologna. Unless you like such a “service” and “misunderstanding”. P.S. The hotel is rather worn out. Wi-Fi is free but practically does not work in the rooms – you have to reconnect 10-20 times a day. less

We stayed here for two nights and were somewhat underwhelmed. This is as 3 star of a hotel as you can get, contradictory to some of the reviews. The highlights (and only real positives) of the hotel are the location and the front desk staff; right in the heart of the city (Jewish ghetto) near several restaurants and coffee shops, with kind and helpful staff to greet you. We stayed in a standard room that looked like it hadn’t been renovated since the 80’s. Stiff bed with almost no lighting in the room, but we spent very little time there anyway. The room temperature was very hot though, regardless of the thermostat level. We later found out that the hotel turns on the heat during the winter months, and air conditioning was not available. We slept with the window open, but the room still felt like a sauna at times. There are better hotel options for this price in Bologna, but we wanted a central location to be able to get to most places by foot. It’s fine if you’re in town for one night to see the sights, but don’t expect a comfy bed - compare it to other Best Westerns in the US. Overall, a very average hotel (3 stars) that offers a good base location. less

Though tricky to navigate to in the rental car, once there it's difficult to ask for a better location. Walk out the front door and you are straight into an the historic Piazzetta Achille Ardigò. This square is home to Chiesa di San Donato, a church built in 1454. ....It is a further 2 minute walk to reach the centre of activity of the old city - Piazza di Porta Ravegnana with Piazza Maggiore not much further on. Very helpful reception staff who talked us through by phone on how to navigate the tricky lanes and roads to reach their front door. Inside is a fully staffed reception. There are excellent lounges and balcony areas equipped with tables and chairs to sit outside and enjoy the atmosphere. A bar inside assists with this... Our room also sported a balcony with views of the magnificent "leaning" towers in the city and was very neat, tidy and daily serviced. When we did decide to eat breakfast there, the array of choices and the quality was excellent. All dining staff were also of a high standard. Secure parking is available but costly at €24 per night. The hotel is in an old but fully renovated Italian Palazzo - Palazzo Malvasia which dates to the 13th century. One of the better places we have stayed and can definitely recommend. less