Best vacation of our life!

Guest: Nancy and Tom (Eagle River, Wisconsin, USA)
Date of Stay: 04/08/09 Review Submitted: 05/16/09

We had a wonderful time staying in Bologna and loved our Due Torri apartment. The location was phenominal - so convenient to all the major attractions in Bologna. The neighborhood was very safe and close to wonderful restaurants, world class shopping, markets and the train station. We were within walking distance of everything we needed and close to the train station when we wanted to travel to other cities. The apartment was very clean, well equipped and extremely quiet - everything we needed for a home away from home for two weeks. Many thanks to Pietro for his wonderful hospitality. He made the whole experience, including our research and booking, so enjoyable. We hope to return again!! Thanks for everything and for your kindness to our daughter!

Owner response:Thanks, Nancy & Tom. I look forward to your next visit. Pietro

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, tourists without a car, sightseeing, girls getaway, age 55+.

Una estadía estupenda!

Guest: Andrea (Buenos Aires, Argentina)
Date of Stay: 01/01/12 Review Submitted: 02/03/12

Pasé un mes en el departamento de Pierto con mi marido y mi hijita, y nos sentimos muy a gusto! La ubicación del departamento es inmejorable, a dos pasos de las Due Torri inmersos en el glamour de la Boloña medieval que tanto nos gusta. El departamento es muy comodo y silencioso, volveremos a Boloña y seguramente querremos estar nuevamente ahi! Pietro fue muy gentil y atento, y nuestra hijita se deleitó con cada uno de los chocolates que le trajo ;)

Owner response:Thank you so much, Andrea! We enjoyed having you with us. We do strive to grant our guests the best possible comfort and their appreciation is our best reward. We hope you come back soon. Ciao! P&A

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, tourists without a car, girls getaway, families with young children.

Location is good, but the apartment is rather cold and unwelcoming - far from cozy!

Guest: Ginny (Seattle, WA. USA)
Date of Stay: 12/08/11 Review Submitted: 12/29/11

My husband and I stayed here for 5 nights, and while the flat is quiet and the location is superb and as described,, we found it far from welcoming or comfortable. The mattresses were thin and lumpy, the bathroom absolutely tiny and rather smelly. There was only 1 9 inch towel bar and no other place to hang damp towels, there wasn't even a bar of soap, and bits of the plastic surround of the shower stall kept falling off as did the water/temperature control handle. There is no really comfortable place to sit - the bright red futon is OK but hardly comfortable, and the straight chairs as one would expect straight chairs to be. The kitchen is ill equiped, and we had hoped to cook some, since Bologna has such foodie delights, but it was nearly impossible. Even an Ikea wine glass would have been appreciated! There was no kitchen towel, no paper towels, nothing to dry dishes or your hands on - we finally donated one of my husband's clean undershirts. And some sort of coffee maker other than an espresso maker (which had a melted handle on it and unworkable) would have been nice. The tiny tea kettle likewise had a molten handle. There is no oven. I can't imagine staying here for a couple of weeks - there is no place to put anything or room to move around. I had expected small and didn't really mind that if it had just been done up more nicely. The photos are recognizable, but the things one can do with a wide angle lens are amazing. The tile floors were cold - a scatter rug or two somewhere would have helped a lot. The wi-fi wouldn't work on an iPad - we didn't take a computer with us because we had been told there was wi-fi in the apartment. Whether it would work or not I don't know, but had expected to be able to connect the iPad. The small TV works OK, but it would have been nice to have Pietro spend a little bit of money and subscribe to cable so there were stations in English as well. From the look of reviews I gather most of his guests are English speaking. And speaking of Pietro, we never met him - that's OK, as the person he delegated to meet us was there as arranged. But we never saw a bottle of wine nor Anna's famous cake. I wish I had read the few bad reviews more carefully - it really wasn't a pleasant place to stay. But on its plus side: the location is great, it was quiet, and the pictures are fairly accurate, but it doesn't convey the lack of warmth or character. I would not recommend this property.

Owner response:After so many glowing reviews this is the first negative one. Frankly, we are puzzled. These guests stayed 5 days, never bothered to call and notify us of these issues – too bad, we could have fixed all immediately. Nevertheless, this gave us the chance to thoroughly re-check everything in the house. This what our apartment features: - Mattresses 2 sets, one (which guests used) orthopaedic, the other (on request) extra-firm. Please note: we replace mattresses every 3-4 years regardless of their conditions. The orthopaedic ones were purchased in 2009 and the frame is orthopaedic too; - Bathroom: toilet is chemical, no smell is possible; - Towels bars, hangers: we have FIVE in the bathroom; - Shower: we checked, everything was in good working order except for the water handle, that had been damaged by these same guests (we fixed it, anyway); - Chairs: they are excellent Vienna chairs – maybe guests did not like their design; - Kitchen equipment: 6 glasses, 8 dishes, 3 coffee cups, 2 cappuccino cups, 2 mugs, 2 salad bowls, 1 colander, 1 cheese grater, 1 truffle grater, 3 pots (1 large, 2 medium), 1 frying pan, 2 cutting boards, silverware for 5, 1 bread knife, 1 roast and meat knife, 3 assorted ladles, 1 nutcracker, 1 can opener, 2 corkscrews, 1 kitchen scissor, 4 kitchen towels – plus appliances. - Coffe & tea, oven: 1 espresso maker, 2 kettles, 1 microwave oven; - Internet: we provide our guests with two different, self-installing USB sticks that are in perfect working order. We never had problems, perhaps guests were unable to understand the (English) directions; - TV, only Italian channels: we still believe that once in Rome…Plus cable tv service is still unavailable in Bologna. - Wine, cake: alas! We were out of town when these guests arrived and the person in charge for the check-in is such a bad cook! Apologies, Virginia. We owe you and will make up the next time you stay with us. And yes, as clearly stated in the ad (size in m2 quoted) it is indeed a tiny apartment. We cannot make it bigger of course, but for being cold and unwelcoming please check our other reviews :-) Ciao, Pietro & Anna.

Recommended for:Tourists without a car, sightseeing.

Très agréable, très propre - super!

Guest: Papageno (Belgium)
Date of Stay: 12/03/11 Review Submitted: 12/20/11

L’appartement est très agréable bien conçu très propre, l’équipement super. J’ai également apprécié l’acceuil de Anna et Pietro très professionnel et efficace. L’emplacement est rêvé, près de Piazza Maggiore, et donc au centre de tous les centres d’interet. L’ambiance du quartier est très sécurité et à la fois très chic et fun. J’ai apprécié les échanges avec la propriétaire super gentille, et arrangeante, encore une fois merci pour acceuillir les locataires dans des endroits adéquates aux photos qui vendent le produit . La douche/salle de bain est très fonctionnelle, le couchage matelas est extrêmement confortable, belle ambiance, j y reviendrai c’est évident. Dernier merci à Anna la propriétaire ainsi qu à Pietro pour son acceuil ponctuel poli et souriant.

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, tourists without a car, sightseeing, age 55+, families with young children.

Perfect location, comfy and clean apartment

Guest: Nan (Brooklyn, NY, NY)
Date of Stay: 10/29/11 Review Submitted: 12/20/11

This apartment is great and right in the heart of the vibrant historical district of Bologna. There are cafes and restaurants at your door and everything you need is a short walk away - butcher, fruit/veggie shop, wine shop, supermarkets, shopping and a whole open air market. There is an amazing gelato parlour nearby - Piazza Re Enzo. The bust stop is less than a block away and a short ride to everything. Also an easy stroll to Via Indipendenza, the train station and beautiful Margherita garden. The apartment itself has a modern, fully equipped kitchen, a small yet functional bathroom and comfortable beds. Although it is close to a lively street it is not noisy because it is set in the back of the block. We will be sure to return and are so glad to have discovered this apartment and this colourful part of Bologna!

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, sightseeing, age 55+.

Excellent apartment - Clean, quiet and comfortable

Guest: Nando from Rome (Rome)
Date of Stay: 10/08/11 Review Submitted: 12/17/11

Excellent rental - very clean, perfectly functional, cozy and quiet. The kitchen had all the tols we needed and there is wifi included in the price. Very comfortable beds. The apartment is located in a key area of the historical center with everything at a stone's throw. There is no washing machine, but a laundromat is only one block down the street. We spent 6 days here and loved it, the owners treated us like family. Absolutely recommended. (Nando - Rome, Italy) === Appartamento eccellente! Pulitissimo, tutto perfettamente funzionante, confortevolissimo e silenzioso. La cucina è totalmente equipaggiata e c'è anche il collegamento wi-fi incluso nel prezzo. Letti molto confortevoli. L'appartamento è localizzato nel pieno centro storico di Bologna con tutto a portata di mano. Non c'è la lavatrice ma una lavanderia convenzionata è a un solo isolato di distanza. Abbiamo passato 6 giorni in questo appartamento e ne siamo stati contentissimi, i padroni di casa ci hanno trattato come fossimo loro parenti. Consigliatissimo! (Nando - Roma)

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, tourists without a car, sightseeing, age 55+.

Perfect for Day Trips to Firenze, Venice, etc.

Guest: Patrick O. (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)
Date of Stay: 10/23/11 Review Submitted: 11/04/11

My girlfriend and I just got back from a 10 day trip to Italy. We used Pietro's apartment as our home base while we took day trips to Florence, Venice, Ferrera, and Ravenna. Because of Bologna's central location we were able to jump on the train (10 min walk) and be in each of these cities by 9 or 10 am. This allowed us to see all of the sites in each locale and spend the other days seeing the sites in Bologna. If you haven't looked into visiting Bologna you should. It is a wonderful city filled with history, food, and the nicest people. Pietro's apartment is just around the corner from the Piazza Maggiore, the Basilica di Santo Stephano, and all of the other great sites in the city. Having access to the apartment allows one to make use of the ancient markets that line the streets off of Maggiore. A treat for any cook. I highly recommend this cozy apartment. Patrick from Philadelphia

Owner response:Thank you so much, Patrick! I really hope you come back soon. Pietro.

Recommended for:

In The Middle Of It All

Guest: BubbasMom (New York City)
Date of Stay: 09/30/11 Review Submitted: 10/14/11

My husband and I spent a week in Bologna at the Due Torri apartment and could not have been happier. The only thing that could have made us happier is to have had the pleasure of meeting Pietro himself but unfortunately he was not available during our stay. The apartment was perfect for us. It was clean, quiet and in an excellent location on a charming street. The location was an appx. 20 minute pleasant walk down Via Indepenza from the train station and centrally located within minutes from all the major sights. If you are planning to stay in Bologna I highly recommend to anyone to stay here. Looking forward to going back!

Owner response:Hi Dana! Let's make up for what was missing -- come back soon, I'll be there this time. Ciao.

Recommended for:Tourists without a car, sightseeing, adventure seekers.

THE PERFECT RENTAL - LOOK NO FURTHER

Guest: Ninny (Berlin)
Date of Stay: 09/02/11 Review Submitted: 10/14/11

We spent a week here in September 2011 and the apartment couldn't have been more perfect for us. It is cozy and welcoming, extremely clean, with excellent brand new mattresses and linens -- and a GREAT owner, always eager to help -- all promises and commitments were amicably honored. This is not just the usual rental and photos don't do justice to it. Most important feature, it is located EXACTLY in the center of Bologna with the best restaurants, stores and attractions right there, a pictoresque open air market no more than two minutes walk. It has internet connection and all the basic kitchen tools. Everything we needed to set up housekeeping was in the apartment when we arrived, and we also got a complimentary homemade cake with a bottle of spumante to toast. The air conditioning worked beautifully and efficiently as did everything else in the apartment. The apartment is quiet and removed from the street. We felt safe and secure at all times. We recommend this rental highly and will rent it again ourselves shouod we return to Bologna.

Owner response:Thank you so much. We look forward to having you over again soon.

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, tourists without a car, sightseeing, age 55+.

Our stay in Bologna at Due Torri

Guest: Dr. Paul (Davis, California, U.S.A.)
Date of Stay: 06/28/11 Review Submitted: 08/01/11

The unit was small, but very efficiently configured, and I recognized the unit from the listing photos immediately. The unit was well maintained, clean, and the entire building was very secure. The unit overlooked an interior courtyard, so noise was never a problem. The building is located in the heart of the center of old Bologna, a one or two block walk to the market area, restaurants, Piazza Maggiore, Due Torri, and the University. The owner and his representative were helpful with our late evening arrival, and responsive to our needs. I would recommend this property to any friend or relative visiting Bologna. Do not miss the nearby market area, with its many Salumeria's, fruit stands, and Enoteca's. Be sure to spend a quiet morning or afternoon sipping espresso at one of the cafe's near the tourist office overlooking Piazza Maggiore. Trattoria di Leonidas is not to be missed for it's fine food and attentive service. Enjoy a breathtaking view of Bologna from the top of Torre Assinelli.

Owner response:It was a pleasure having Dr Paul over and we thank him and his wife for it. Hopefully you will be back soon!

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, tourists without a car, sightseeing, adventure seekers, age 55+.