Holiday Inn Express BOLOGNA - FIERA

Sono stato benissimo!!!

We were pleasantly surprised at the hotel, considering the exceptional price for Italy. It is new and very attractively decorated. It was about 4 miles from the center of town near a shopping center. The breakfast was very elaborate and more than the ordinary continental breakfasts served at a Holiday Inn Express. We used the hotel as our base and toured the city of Bologna, which is a historic old city and university.

E' molto vicino alla Fiera. Raggiungibile dalla stazione centrale in autobus in circa 30 inuti. Il prezzo in promozione lo rende molto conveniente. Personale della concierge molto professionale.

Hotel was too far from city center and there was no bus service on the week-end that we were there so we had to pay a lot just to get to the city and back by taxi. The check-in staf were very incompetent. After a long and weary check-in, we were given a room on the 1st floor. We went up to find the whole floor was in darkness. Took our suitcases back down and told the check-in. The only one who spoke English, seemed like he did not believe us. Sent us up with the one who did not seem to know anything. What was crazy was, instead of going up to check, he made us go up with him, (with us lugging our suitcases) just to discover there really were no lights. Back we go downstairs with our bags where we were given another room on the 5th floor. Before we went to our room, we asked if there was a place we could find something to eat. He vaguely told us that there was a place about 300m. behind the hotel. We went to our room to freshen up and then went down to find the restaurant. We asked for exact directions when we were down there and with the recommendation of another staff member we made our way to a restaurant called San Sisto. We were told it was not far away but we got lost as we walked in the direction of the first roundabout. Apparently it was on the right of the second roundabout. When we finally found the restaurant (after walking for more than half and hour in the cold and misty wet evening), the restaurant told us they were closed. It was only 1900 hours. It seemed like if service was important to this hotel, they would not let 2 foreign tourists who did not have their own transportation walk all the way there without first calling the restautant to check or make reservations. In any case, the whole experience was terrible which made our 2 day stay in Bologna very disappointing, indeed! On check out day our taxi was already waiting with the meter running and he still did not have our receipts ready. So we had to leave without it. What a sad, sad hospitality business. We are going to write to the General Manager, for sure.