hotel review: i portici hotel

(Bologna, Italy).  I had never been to Bologna but I kept hearing it was the food capitol of Italy, so as someone who loves to eat, I had to come.  I had originally wanted to book at the Hotel Metropolitan which was recommended by numerous travel guides and articles, but it was booked solid over 8 months in advance!  Can you believe it???  

Alas, I had to go with my second choice - I Portici Hotel.  Based on the photos, it seems very modern and almost sterile, but I was ultimately swayed by the fact that its restaurant (Ristorante I Portici) had a Michelin star and was mentioned in many glowing food reviews. 

We booked a Standard Double Room which includes free High-Speed Internet but did not include breakfast and parking.  I attempted to get reservations at the restaurant months in advance, but after several miscommunications, they finally clarified that I could only get reservations 10 days in advance.  Because I'm an anal person, I marked it on my calendar and sent in my request exactly 10 days in advance and got a reservation for our first night at the hotel.

So, what was our experience like?

bologna - highlights, tips and recommendations

(Bologna, Italy).  I'm embarrassed to admit that the only thing I was really interested in doing in Bologna was eating.   Even though I read Frommer's Guide on Bologna which described it as "a big, working city of one million inhabitants" and "home to the world's oldest continually operating university" - none of that information seemed to enter my head at all.  Instead, my head was filled with thoughts of gelato and tortellini.