Charming little B&B in a 14th century building in the heart of Lucca…read more They have 5 colour themed rooms, we had the delightfully cosy green room. The young owners are extremely helpful and welcoming. They gave us great tips on local aperitivo bars. All rooms have private bathroom, tv and minibar. Breakfast is huge and delicious. Highly recommended.

We arrived to a very warm welcome from both Giulio and Gaia the owners of this former 14th century…read morepalace. No lifts back then and none now but dont let that bother you at all as its only 1 floor up. The room was airy and spacious tastfully decorated, clean and complete with tv, mini bar and lovely en suite. Location is wonderful, only 2 mins walk to the Guinigi Tower and less to the main shopping street. Despite its central location the hotel was quiet and relaxing. Now on to the best bit, if you like eggs you will love this place. How do you like them? Just say and they will do them for you, alongside breakfast buffet of cereal, breads, meats, fresh fruit and the best coffee in Lucca. We are going back asap and hope to many times over. Go on give yourself a treat and book NOW.

The location is really convenient: the hotel is inside the traffic-limited area but close to the…read morefree access zone and parking lots (not bad, if you are with a car). It's also close to one of the most elegant and fancy areas of Bologna (Galleria Cavour) and just 5 mins walking from Piazza Maggiore. The hotel in itself it's a real boutique hotel, that kind of effortlessly chic design for the lobby and the common areas, the Italian classic for the rooms. The rooftop is worth the staying. You have the most amazing view over the typical red roofs and clock towers of Bologna, while enjoying a Jacuzzi or a glass of wine in the lounge corner. Very sofisticate, but without trying too hard, if you know what i mean... As for the breakfast, there is quite a choice of handmade cakes, croissants, fresh fruit. The continental breakfast is also available (sausages, eggs, ham, salami, vegetables, etc.), but I didn't try it, since I am Italian and a purist! The staff is super kind and helpful. Elena, the girl at the reception, gave me the coolest advice, spacing from how to enjoy my staying in Bologna to where I could find the best flower shop in town! I will definitely choose it again, next time I am in Bologna.

We booked late and were happy to get the last room available at the property, the "small room"…read morecalled the Elena. This room is very small but super nice for the price! I have no complaints about the room. It was clean, comfortable and well furnished. While it was indeed very small, we were able to move around with no problems. The bed was cozy but comfortable and hard, like most beds in Italy; (some extra pillows would've been appreciated, we had to roll up our clothes underneath to create a makeshift pillow). Everything was in perfect working order and the room's decor was homey and comfy. The common areas are adorable with a communal kitchen, workspace with computer, and tea / dining room. There are even two friendly fish by the entryway (I really wish they had a bigger bowl, though -- I am worried about their health and happiness)! The owner has really thought of everything -- there were tourist books in various languages, a nice coffee machine, fresh flowers in the room, an in-room refrigerator, nice toiletries and even umbrellas to borrow by the door. Upon check-in, the staff was eager to offer suggestions for places to see and things to do. On our departure day, they called us a taxi. It was great service. The room had a very modern bathroom with a lovely rainfall overhead showerhead with terrific water pressure. The bathroom space was cramped but not unworkable. There was no bidet, only a kitchen-style sprayer that came out of the wall. We laughed at that but we don't use bidets anyway. The property is difficult to find. Look for the Hard Rock Cafe (it's across the street) and the new Nespresso store (it's right next door). You can walk there from the train station but I wouldn't recommend it if you are carrying heavy bags. The location is phenomenal; you can walk just about anywhere you'd want to see in the city. I was thrilled with the location. I almost hate to write this review because I don't want to secret to get out! The #1 best thing about this hotel was the in-room A/C! It is INDIVIDUALLY CONTROLLED and cooled our room down like an icebox! This is so very important in Italy and Europe in general and as an American from a desert city, I know heat and I like to be cool. We were chilly as penguins at this property. The Elena small room had zero view, but it didn't matter to us (see my photos of the view from our room). We only slept there so I didn't care if we had a city view or not. The entire city is steps outside your door! We enjoyed the complimentary breakfast. It was served at a cafe around the corner / a short walk away. You can take a table inside or outside without paying any extra. We had breakfast there twice; the first time the employees seemed SUPER annoyed at all the B&B guests and were less than friendly and welcoming. The second day it was smiles all around. And yes, we speak Italian and communicated with them in their native language (though others did not; they were really annoyed at them)! Good, fresh and sweet pastries and tasty espresso. Note that this B&B is in a very old building that is shared with full-time resident tenants. You will see locals coming and going with their dogs, groceries, etc. There is only one very old-style cage elevator that, if it is ever out of service, you'd have a very hefty climb up several flights of steep stone stairs. Just be aware of this if you have mobility issues. I'm not sure a wheelchair would fit in the elevator either, just FYI. This is a beautiful, romantic B&B. And don't you dare call it a "hotel," the owner really, REALLY hates that! He will correct you (again and again) if you do.

Stayed here for two days location was GREAT! Staff was friendly really liked the decor... You are…read morereally centrally located. My only complaint is when I booked the room online it clearly stated it had AC... The first night was horrible we had the AC on and it only pumped in hot air also the room we where in was sooo hot. After having a horrible nights sleep and being attacked by misquito's I called over to the main desk a woman answered when i asked about the AC her only response was " We recently switched the AC to heatas it was cold a few days ago" I asked if anything could be done as the room is miserably hot. The only thing she said was "i'll notify the owner" so we went out around Florence seeing all it had to offer only to come back to a VERY HOT room.

An amazing place right in the heart of Florence! The Residenza Giotto is located in very Central…read moreVia Roma, at the corner with the Duomo square. It's a small B&B made of 8 rooms with balcony, and a kitchen with a beautiful terrace. In the Summer you can enjoy breakfast looking at the magnificent Duomo and Giotto's belltower! Staff is extremely friendly, and helping every need during breakfast time. Wi-Fi in the rooms is free. And if you're lucky as I was, you can even fall asleep watching the belltower!

We stayed here for 4 nights and it was perfect! Giorgio and Silvia, who run the quaint and tidy…read moreB&B, were very friendly and welcoming. The B&B is centrally located next to the Duomo, in Florence's city center. We enjoyed an excellent view from our balcony of the church and bell tower. Also, each morning we were served a delicious breakfast with coffee. Next to the dining area, we could step outside onto the porch to enjoy the view of the Duomo. Silvia and Giorgio also provided excellent restaurant recommendations with a helpful map. Also they called to make reservations at both the Uffizi and Accademia museums for us. Reservations can be confusing and hard to set up for non-fluent Italian speakers. Giorgio and Silvia both speak fluent and clear English, by the way. The rates for our stay were very reasonable and well worth it, for the high quality of service and comfort we enjoyed. There is free Wi-Fi internet that had a strong signal for our entire stay too. Summary: Great vacation B&B, friendly and efficient service with at a reasonable rate! "Molto bene!"

We only planned our trip to allow a one night stay in Modena, but, after staying here and seeing…read morethe town, we wished we had stayed much longer. The room was large and included a kitchenette. They brought a lovely breakfast tray to our room, but we never figured out how to work the coffee maker. There were two huge windows and the room's temperature was very comfortable. The city itself is lovely and virtually tourist free compared to Rome and Florence. The food is fantastic, and there aren't the typical tourist traps. I'd highly recommend coming, even if you aren't able to get into Osteria Francescana. The only downside was that the staff doesn't speak much English and we didn't speak much Italian. We thoroughly enjoyed our stay.

His is by far our favorite stay in Italy!…read more The apartment is clean, and looked like a museum! Such wonderful furnishing, got everything you need! Local ion is great, in the center of this wonderful city, and close to Osteria Francescana, if that's where you are heading (which we recommend)! Breakfast is served in your room, and it is fresh and tasty, great pastries and savory stuff. This was a highlight for sure! What was not so good, is a minor detail that should be added in the information about the b&b. Check-in time is very strict, since they only have a few rooms they are rarely in the office. Hence, when we arrived at 12 no one was there to open the door, we called them but their English wasn't that good, and our Italian is nonexistent, so we walked around with our luggage in 30 degrees heat. We are used to be able to leave luggage when the room is not ready, but that'd ones not work here. So take the check in time literally and you will be fine! Staff is very helpful, after we tried to reach them, an English speaking person called us and let us in. So it all worked out fine. This would never make me not stay here again, we truly loved it's! But we think people should know this, so it does not happen to any one else.

We recently came back from our Italian adventures and I couldn't rave more about Modena and…read moreQuartopiano. This is by far the best B&B we've ever stayed at. Located on the top floor of an apartment building, the two room feels like your own Italian home. In some strange way, I really felt that Quartopiano was my home away from home. Each morning, either in the kitchen our at their cute cafe (Mon Cafe) nearby, freshly baked pastries were available with your choice of caffeine. Best part of all? I really think its the owners, Alessandro and Antonio. They made us feel extremely welcome and answered any questions we may have had. I promise, this beautiful B&B will not disappoint, if anything, it'll become one of the highlight of your trip as it did for us.

I am very surprised this place has so few reviews! You people don't know what you are missing! I…read moreagree with everything Ngo says! We spent four nights there recently and could not have been happier. The decor is simply delightful country French - I know - we are in Italy, but it's so lovely you can forget that detail. So many creative and elegant touches in the furniture and furnishings. It almost feels like you are at the home of a very sophisticated relative. Antonio, who lives on the same floor, but in his own apartment, could NOT have been more HELPFUL! He knows everything and everyone in Modena - especially in the restaurant game, since he and Alessandro have a lovely cafe (Mon Cafe) of their own. Need a reservation? Tell Antonio what you like and he will recommend the most amazing places -- AND call for your reservation, because not all the really authentic and great places speak English. But when you arrive at the restaurant and they know Antonio sent you, you won't need to speak English or Italian, you will simply be taken care of like the best customer in the place. One one more KEY thing - and I hope this is still available when you go -- Antonio was able to reserve a parking space right in front of the door of the B&B for our rental car (we used Modena as our base for visiting the region, Parma, Reggio Emilia, Mantua, etc.) and what a LUXURY to just cruise up the street and pull into the ONLY spot available (Antonio's) at any time of the day or night. This place is really special, thanks to the owners - I hope you get to experience it.

Rita Lucherini's hands on cooking class was a delight. With one day's notice, she picked us up at…read moreour hotel in Barga. In her large kitchen we made bruschetta, farro soup, 4 kinds of pasta from scratch (tagliatelle, maccheroni, ravioli, and spaghetti), 4 sauces (pomodoro, ragu, Salciccia , and butter with fresh sage), and tiramisu. Lots of chopping and simmering and getting our hands "dirty"! While cooking we had white wine, then red with dinner. She's a great teacher. Nothing fancy, just how to make good food in a simple way. Price was 85 euro each....we thought that was quite reasonable for 5 hours of cooking and eating, with recipes to take home! She's Italian, born in Scotland, so excellent English. Rita also has a few apartments and a B&B called La Mezzaluna, so she offers 4 and 7 day cooking experiences with some side trips to nearby places in Tuscany. Much less expensive than the upscale, pricey things I've seen advertised. I think her website is www.residencelamezzaluna.it She's also on Facebook.

From the owner: Have fun and join our cookery and wine tasting holiday in this beautiful part of Northern Tuscany…read more Combine cooking and wine tasting and learn all the basic Italian cooking techniques and traditions la bella "Garfagnana and Serchio Valley has to offer. We will visit our local market, wander the streets of Barga, known as one of the prettiest villages in Italy and we shall visit Lucca and Pisa .The most part of the time there are concerts, folk festivals, outdoor food festivals (where you can savour typical products), theatre, Barga Jazz and the Opera Barga. Available is my 4 night and 7 night holiday which includes accomodation all meals airport and local transfers,cooking and wine tasting sessions plus live entertainment with Alex. You may want to join my daily lesson which lasts 4 hours and we will then savour together our meal prepared with a glass of finest Tuscan wine. Come to La Mezzaluna and Cook and Dine with Rita Tuscan Style..