Tracking hotels

Made a Hotel List today to keep track of the bookings, with preferred hotels from the research to date. However some places are still causing problems, but good old Venere.com seems to be helping out:

Bologna: Hotel M, the one that I think might be a student hotel, is not showing any availability on Venere, and I’m reluctant to contact them direct (the website seems so out of date). The B&B I found is not offering singles at all on Venere, but doubles/triples at €90 in the next couple of months; nothing in 2010. I also found some serviced apartments at €39, in the middle of town; downside is a €50 cleaning charge at the end, which rules it out for just two nights, plus it looks from photos as if the bed is actually a sofa bed.

But Venere are offering the Best Western Hotel Maggiore at €49! Includes breakfast (from 6:30) and free Wi-Fi. About 2km out of town, but according to reviews – which are generally good – a good bus route from the station and into town. Sounds like a no-brainer. I’ll arrive late-ish from Cremona and can eat locally, although it would be nice to have a wander round town to get my bearings. If the bus service is really good there will really be no problem getting between the hotel and the city. From the bus website there are loads of buses passing the hotel.

Milan: My first choice shows an absurd price range of €50-€120 and still won’t accept my next year’s dates. But Venere has Hotel G, a 3-star, closer to the station, at €45 without breakfast. They have a dining room and normally serve breakfast, so perhaps I could buy a breakfast when I get there. I’ll be arriving late and checking out first thing, so I just need a decent place to sleep. Venere reviews don’t quite match the 8.2 score, and there are some bad ones on TripAdvisor. Jury still out.

Lucca: Originally looking at Hotel D, not far inside the walls on the station side. But uneasy about the reviews, some of which are good, but others very critical. Most people seem to post about an annexe, which is more expensive. €40-€50 single in the (small) main hotel, without breakfast, €65-€75 in the annexe. Rated #33 on TripAdvisor. One of the moans is that they force you into paying in UKP, to gain on the currency exchange. An alternative from the Rough Guide, Hotel T, is also split over 2 or 3 sites, further north, but it’s a small city and it probably only adds 10 minutes to the walk from the station. This one rated #36 on TA, though the reviews read better than that. Single €50 with bathroom, €35 shared, according to the website.