|
Many of the citys hotels cluster around piazza Bra, though there are also several along the busy corso Porta Nuova (the main road to the station). Generally, the further south you go, the less pleasant the surroundings. B Firenze, corso Porta Nuova 88, T 045 8011510, F 045 8030374, http://www.hotelfirenze.it Part of the Best Western group, the hotel Firenze has some surprisingly good prints in its foyer, but its otherwise very much standard, uninspiring fare. It's comfortable and spacious, well equipped for business and convenient for the station, but also bland. Service is somewhat down in the mouth and, on balance, rooms are overpriced. B Giberti, via Giberti 7, T 045 8006900, F 045 8001955, http://www.hotelgiberti.it An enormous, shiny, modern building, when hotel Giberti claims to be right in the centre of Verona, it means the Verona of ugly, concrete tower blocks near the station. Inside its very smart, however, with water tumbling down a sculpture just inside the door and lots of white leather and columns in the open reception area. The 80 rooms are furnished in a mid-20th-century style, with polished wooden floors and marble bathrooms and the whole place has a businesslike feel. B Grand, corso Porta Nuova, T 045 595600, F 045 596385 http://www.grandhotel.vr.it With its striking, fascist-era, Liberty-style façade and ornate balconies, this hotel is indeed grand, with 62 rooms, walnut doors, free internet connections for those with laptops, a large breakfast room with a generous buffet breakfast and English-language newspapers. The courtyard and garden are attractive too, with sculptures, grass, sun-loungers and a waterfall which just about blocks out the sound of the air-conditioning pumps. Its also convenient for the station, though its a fair walk from most of Veronas main attractions. B San Luca, via Volto San Luca 8, T 045 591333, F 045 8002143, http://www.hotelsanluca.it On a street off the top of corso Porta Nuova, San Luca is, externally at least, one of Veronas uglier hotels. Inside, however, its surprisingly inoffensive as well as being personable. Its also spotlessly clean and tidy, well equipped, and although its on the less interesting side of piazza Bra, its not at all far from the action. For those who like their hotels modern, plain and efficient, and arent too worried about an air of middle age hanging over the place, it might be the answer. C Bologna, piazzetta Scalette Rubiani 3, T 045 8006830, F 045 8010602 http://www.hotelbologna.vr.it The building housing this hotel just off the corner of piazza Bra apparently dates back to 1200, but there's little sign of it in the anodyne design of this mid-range, middle-of-the-road hotel. It's a great position to be in, however, in a relatively quiet street but close enough for piazza Bra to be seen out of the windows of many rooms. You can rent a car from the hotel for E52 a day. Generous buffet breakfasts also go some way to making up for the ugly carpets, the brown furniture and the pink bedcovers. C Colomba dOro, via C Cattaneo 10, T 045 595300, F 045 594974, http://www.colombahotel.com With an extravagantly frescoed reception area and a velvet-lined lift, the Colomba makes its intentions clear from the start. Relatively plain rooms, however, dont quite live up to this start, though they do have attractive stained wood furniture, iron-framed beds, and all bathrooms have baths. C De Capuleti, via del Pontiere 26, T 045 8000154, F 045 8032970, capuleti@easy1.easynet.it Despite suffering slightly from the inevitable corporate feel that comes from being a part of the Best Western group, De Capuleti manages to be surprisingly stylish, with exposed stone walls, beams, wooden floors, tasteful art, shiny desks, carefully placed vases, flowers, and fresh fruit in rooms. Opposite Juliets tomb, it becomes tourist-orientated in summer, but is business-based out of season. C Giulietta E Romeo, vicolo Tre Marchetti 3, T 045 8003554, F 045 8010862, http://www.giuliettaeromeo.com Almost in the shadow of the Arena, this is a smart, friendly and efficient hotel with all the facilities youd expect from a three-star establishment (such as air-conditioning and satellite TV) but without much character. Corridors and stairs have a particularly nasty yellow sponge effect finish, but rooms are a bit better with muted colours and grey-tiled bathrooms.
|