Hotels near Piazza Maggiore

If this is your first trip and you want to spend zero time on buses, book a hotel near Piazza Maggiore. The square is the city's living room, and the whole historic centre fans out from it under porticoes. From a bed within a few blocks you can walk to the Asinelli tower, the Quadrilatero market and a hundred trattorie without ever checking a transit map.

Best for

First-timers, short stays, no car

Walk to towers

2 minutes

Walk to station

15–20 minutes

Price

Mid to high (it's the centre)

Why book right by the square

Bologna's centro storico is small and flat, and Piazza Maggiore sits at the bullseye. From here you're a couple of minutes from the leaning towers, five minutes from the food lanes of the Quadrilatero, and a flat stroll to the university quarter and Santo Stefano. The porticoes mean you can walk to dinner in the rain and stay dry the whole way.

You also get the square itself as a bonus. There's usually something happening: an open-air film in summer, a market, students sprawled on the steps of San Petronio. Step out for a coffee before the day-trippers arrive and you'll see why people who stay central rarely regret the extra euros.

What you pay for the location

This is the most expensive postcode in the city, and you're paying for the address as much as the room. Expect mid-range to upper rooms here, with a handful of grand four-stars and design hotels in the old palazzi off the square. Rates jump hard around the big trade fairs, Cersaie and the motor and packaging shows in spring and autumn, when the whole city books out. If you want to spend less, you don't have to go far.

Drop a few hundred metres toward the Via Zamboni side or out past the towers and prices ease while you keep the walkability. For the cheaper end, see our roundups of good-value places to sleep and small B&Bs, or compare the trade-offs in the full neighbourhood breakdown.

The kinds of places you'll find here

The streets right off the square run from polished four-star hotels in restored palaces to small boutique stays with a dozen rooms and a frescoed ceiling. There are a few proper top-end hotels for a special trip, plenty of mid-range options, and a growing number of apartments and short-term rentals in the old buildings if you want a kitchen and more space. Light sleepers, take note: a room over a pedestrian lane can still be lively on weekend nights, so ask for something on a courtyard or upper floor.

Should you stay here or nearer the station?

If you're city-hopping by train and travelling light, staying by the station saves you the drag of luggage across cobbles twice. If you're here to soak up Bologna and eat, the centre wins every time. The walk between the two is only 15 to 20 minutes anyway. Weigh it up with our guide to hotels by Bologna Centrale, and if you're stitching together a wider trip, the getting around page covers buses, taxis and the airport link.

Good to know before you book

• Reception desks are often small and unstaffed at odd hours in the little palazzo hotels. Send your arrival time ahead.
• Breakfast near the square is sometimes just a voucher for the café next door, which is no bad thing in Bologna.
• Families should check our picks for family-friendly hotels, since many central rooms are snug and lift-free.
• Travelling on a tighter budget? The city's hostels and a couple of station-area options stretch your money further.

Still deciding which corner of the city suits you? Start with where to stay for a first visit, then come back here once you've settled on the centre.

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