Starhotels Excelsior is the practical choice for anyone whose trip depends on trains. It stands on Viale Pietramellara, about a minute on foot from Bologna Centrale, so arrival and departure by rail, including day trips to Modena, Parma, Ravenna and Florence, is as easy as it gets. Via Indipendenza and its porticoes begin about five minutes away, the Bologna Museum of Modern Art is about seven, and Piazza Maggiore and the Two Towers are about seventeen minutes on foot, which is a pleasant walk along the main avenue. This is a four-star hotel with a restaurant called Avorio serving breakfast, lunch and dinner, a café and a bar, a gym, a business centre, a concierge and a 24-hour front desk. Free wireless internet is included, and the airport is about twenty minutes away by car, so it works well for short stays, business trips and family visits alike.
The rooms
The room list runs from superior doubles and twins through deluxe doubles and junior suites to triples and family rooms. Family rooms sleep up to four and a connecting family room offers two bedrooms, which makes this one of the easier hotels in the city for parents travelling with children, and the property also lists baby baths and childcare services. Room sizes grow from compact superior rooms to roomy suites, so choose according to how much luggage you carry.
Eating and drinking
Breakfast is served as a buffet for a surcharge, and the on-site restaurant also offers kids’ meals. If you prefer to explore, the station area has plenty of cafés, and the walk along Via Indipendenza leads to the trattorias and market lanes of the centre.
Practicalities
Self-parking is available for a daily fee, but spaces are limited, so ask in advance. One pet is allowed per stay for a fee, the premises are smoke-free, and an elevator, express check-in and check-out, dry cleaning and laundry services are available. The station location is convenient but busier than the quiet lanes of the old town, so light sleepers should request a room away from the road.
Who it suits
Rail travellers, families, business visitors and anyone who plans several day trips by train and wants to be at the platform in a minute. If your priority is a historic setting with a view of the Piazza Maggiore, a hotel in the old centre will feel more atmospheric, but for convenience, space and flexibility, this location is hard to beat. The walk into the centre is easy and flat, and a taxi is cheap if you arrive tired.
Why stay here
- ✓Avorio restaurant
- ✓Cafe and bar
- ✓Gym
- ✓Business centre
- ✓Free wireless internet
- ✓Concierge and 24-hour front desk
- ✓Family and connecting rooms
- ✓Parking for a fee
Good questions
How far is Starhotels Excelsior from the railway station?+
It is about a one-minute walk from Bologna Centrale, which makes it very convenient for day trips by train.
How far is it from Piazza Maggiore?+
It is about seventeen minutes on foot, or about five minutes to Via Indipendenza, which leads towards the centre.
Does the hotel have family rooms?+
Yes, there are family rooms for up to four guests, including a connecting option with two bedrooms.
