Italy Accomodations

I probably have an odd view on accommodations. I like to stay in very comfortable places and sometimes that means paying higher prices. However, if I am going to pay a pretty penny, I want to make sure we have time to enjoy it. If on the other hand you are only using a bed and a shower between a couple of busy days sight-seeing then just opt for a cheap place. In other words, I am just not very interested in the middle of the road accommodation. This way I can subsidize a nice place with a cheap place.

In deciding on accommodations, I used the Rick Steves’ guidebooks. Rick Steves is good at finding lower-end value accommodations. He does list some nicer places as well. The locations are generally outstanding. That is, central to sight-seeing/restaurants so you save valuable time. So depending on how long we are staying at a place and how much time we will actually be spending at the accommodation will determine the quality of the accommodation we choose.

Here are the places we booked:

Milan - Hotel Star (175 Euro per night)

Centrally located hotel in Milan. Looked like a comfortable place for dispensing of jetlag. But we never made it there. More on that in another post.

Venice – Hotel Flora (240 Euro per night)

A very comfortable hotel in Venice close to St. Mark’s Square. Good beds, friendly staff, and good breakfasts.

Siena – Palazzo Ravizza (230 Euro per night)

This was an OK hotel. This was listed in Karen Brown’s book as well. I am not sure why, but I never felt completely comfortable here. I chose this since we were spending 3 nights in Siena and I expected we would spend a fair amount of time relaxing in the room between activities.

Florence – Hotel Enza (90 Euro per night)

Bargain time. I had scheduled busy days while in Florence, since we would be spending so little time at the hotel we opted for the cheap joint. It turned out to be perfect and a steal for the money. Comfortable bed, clean bathroom, and cash only. They also made Museum reservations for us.

Vernazza – La Mala (140 Euro per night)

I wanted a comfortable place with some character while we explored the Cinque Terre on the Mediterranean. That was exactly what we got. Unfortunately we could only get 2 nights.

Vernazza - Armanda (70 Euro per night)

The owner of La Mala offered us this room for our 3rd night in Vernazza. It was clean and roomy, but no view. But since we were heading out early in the morning to catch the train it worked out perfectly.

Murren – Chalet Fontana (90 Swiss Francs per night)

After viewing the accommodations offered in Murren, it seemed that most places were not worth the money. So we settled on Chalet Fontana with shared bathroom facilities. But when we arrived it turned out that the downstairs apartment was not being used so we were put up there. It had a large living area, kitchen, and large master bedroom. At no extra cost. WOW!!

Stresa – Hotel Borromees

This hotel was in the Rick Steves’ book. Not as a place to stay but as a tourist attraction! It seemed perfect for an end of trip accommodation. A stunning hotel with a magnificent breakfast. It was the only time on the trip that we decided to sit in our room and watch TV.