Lobby
Check availability

Reviews of Il Canale Hotel

3 out of 5
Il Canale Hotel
Via Bertiera 2, Bologna, BO

Reviews

8.2

Very good

Rating 10 - Excellent. 131 out of 416 reviews" "
Rating 8 - Good. 204 out of 416 reviews" "
Rating 6 - Okay. 56 out of 416 reviews" "
Rating 4 - Poor. 18 out of 416 reviews" "
Rating 2 - Terrible. 7 out of 416 reviews" "

8.6/10

Cleanliness

8.6/10

Staff & service

8.0/10

Amenities

7.8/10

Property conditions & facilities

8.2/10

Eco-friendliness

Reviews

2/10 Terrible

Mario

Travelled with family
Disliked: Staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Horror
Air conditioning not working and making a lot of noise. Breakfast so limited and the woman in charge of breakfast is so unpolite. Really disspointed.
Stayed 2 nights in Aug 2023

8/10 Good

Christy

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
The hotel staff were really lovely - friendly and helpful. They agreed to keep reception open for us when our flight was delayed and didnt rush us in when we finally got there. They also really helped us with our onward journey plans and there was no problem with leaving our bags during the day while we wandered round the city.
Stayed 1 night in Jul 2022

8/10 Good

Christy

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
I assumed we would have a view of the canal from our room. The door was hard to open. We liked the tile floor and the service.
Stayed 1 night in Jun 2022

6/10 Okay

Verified traveller

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, room comfort
Hotel review for Il Canale
Quaint hotel in the heart of Bologna. Plain room and furnishings Comfortable bed Very thin walls-you can hear everyone talking and walking around.
Stayed 6 nights in Apr 2022

10/10 Excellent

Martine

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Great location and great staff.
Wow! Super location. Nice staff that went above and beyond for us.
Stayed 3 nights in Nov 2021

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
Dated but nice location
The location is great - close to the centre and by the canal. The staff were helpful, too. My single room had no exterior window, but they changed it when I asked. The decor of the hotel is very old fashioned, and the room small, but it was clean
Stayed 2 nights in Nov 2021

10/10 Excellent

Anne

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Quirky & fun
I loved this quirky hotel, with the antique bicycles and luggage in the corridors! Also I enjoyed the roof deck overlooking the canal. Fun!
Stayed 2 nights in Oct 2021

8/10 Good

Marco

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Small and cozy
Central and no frills hotel. I stayed in a single room and enjoyed it.
Stayed 3 nights in Jul 2021

8/10 Good

Steve

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Lovely little gem of a hotel.
Amazing location in the heart of the old town with many restaurants and shops only a short walk away. The hotel is quirky but that is not a bad thing as it is very original and more boutique than the standard chain hotels. Staff incredibly friendly. Minor issues such as the bathroom radiator not working but if you left door open it would get heat from the room so no great issue. WiFi really strong and can even stream.
Stayed 3 nights in Nov 2019

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Good Location for city sites Clean rooms and friendly staff
Stayed 4 nights in Nov 2019

10/10 Excellent

Christopher

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Friendly hotel in a quiet, but central location
The Hotel is centrally located just a ten minute walk from the train station, then another ten minute walk to the town centre. A great place from which to see all the sights. And if you feel like a change, both Florence and Venice can be easily visited in a day by train from Bologna. When you're finished for the day there's lots of affordable bars and trattorias nearby the hotel. The hotel has all the features you'd expect at this price point - PLUS a kettle in your room - essential if you're a Brit and must have tea in the morning! Staff are friendly and very helpful. The picture of the Canal (one of the historic hidden treasures of Bologna) does actually show the rear of the hotel. Top tip: follow the Via Bertiera to the far end (three minute walk) and there's a CONAD supermarket for snacks and everything you've forgotten to bring.
Stayed 3 nights in Nov 2019

8/10 Good

Maja

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Very central
We had one nigth at Hotel I Canale, and we had a nice stay.
Stayed 1 night in Oct 2019

8/10 Good

Vicki, Penrith

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
Love Bologna and hotel good value.
Great location between station and Piazza Maggiore. Small hotel but be aware that there is no air conditioning in October and our room was hot and stuffy. The hotel did provide us with a fan but this did little to help. The room we had was small and the bed a bit firm for our liking. Easy walking to everything. Can’t comment on breakfast as it wasn’t included in our rate.
Stayed 2 nights in Sep 2019

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Stayed 3 nights in Sep 2019

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Quirky, affordable, location was good, wifi was intermittent though
Stayed 2 nights in Sep 2019

8/10 Good

David

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2019

10/10 Excellent

Marie I

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Amazing! Loved location, spacious rooms. Staff was so friendly and helpful!! Would return here and recommend to others. WiFi great!
Stayed 1 night in Jul 2019

8/10 Good

ROSE

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Good choice in good location in Bologna.
Although the hotel is somewhat dated and worn, I felt that it perfectly fit in to the ambience. It's a very comfortable and cozy place and I loved the quirkiness of the decor. Staff were all very welcoming and friendly. Breakfast was a bit better than what is typically offered in Italy. I thought that the location was very convenient.
Stayed 2 nights in Jul 2019

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Travelled with group
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
Location is excellent. Staff couldn’t be more helpful.
Stayed 4 nights in Jun 2019

8/10 Good

Doug, Dayton, OH

Business traveller
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
In general I saw little of the property. I was in town 1 night travelling on business via the airport. Taxi to the hotel was 18-22 Euro. I arrived at 7pm and departed before 9am the next morning. I selected the property based on the reviews. I was in room 1 immediately across from reception. The room is simple and basic. A bit larger than many European rooms and opens onto a courtyard. I enjoyed breakfast downstairs. In general the property is what one might expect from any property between the train station and the center. The gentleman at the desk was extremely friendly and helpful. His recommendation for a single business person looking for a simple dinner was on point. The young lady in the morning was equally friendly. One item to note is that there is a 1 hour lead to book a taxi. For me not an issue but notably different from what some with frequent business travel might expect. This is not, generally, a business hotel, but for my purposes of not wanting a business hotel for at least one night on a 2 week "new hotel every night" trip, this was a pleasant and refreshing departure.
Stayed 1 night in Apr 2019

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Home from home. Staff treated us like family. Nothing was too much trouble. Fantastic location. Rooms super clean, breakfast ample. Some really good trattorias within walking distance. Highly recommended
Stayed 4 nights in Jan 2019

10/10 Excellent

David, Manchester

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Good quality for the price we paid, old hotel with character in a typical old Bologna building, not posh but not scruffy. Great location in the old town close to all the restaurants and bars. Only 10 to 15 minutes walk from the bus and train station. Would definitely stay again.
Stayed 1 night in Oct 2018
Response from Giuseppe on 20 Nov 2018
Thanks David for your review! We are happy that you appreciated our hotel and hope to see you again soon! Kind regards

10/10 Excellent

Margaret, New Zealand

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Step back a century to luxe
I felt like we were in a gorgeous black and white romantic movie, will never forget the one night we spent there, I was crying for about twenty minutes after we left for a four star hotel with all the mod cons. I just didn't want to leave. Hot water not really that good, but you can't beat the atmosphere, the light, the friendliness, the furnishings the eccentricity.
Stayed 2 nights in Sep 2018

8/10 Good

liz, NZ

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Great stay
Staff were excellent. Fantastic location. Very good breakfast. Nice room and bathroom. Nice little hotel. We would recommend to our friends!
Stayed 1 night in Sep 2018

4/10 Poor

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness
Disliked: Room comfort
Hot with no WiFi
On our European vacation, we were fortunate to spend one night with our family in Bologna. We booked Il Canal because they had a quad room that could accommodate all of us, the location was good, and the price was reasonable. If you like eclectic, old, European-style hotels, you will find it adorable (despite the smallest shower ever), and the location is good - just a short walk to the Piazza Maggiore. Unfortunately, that’s not enough. We arrived on a hot afternoon, and they hadn’t turned the air conditioning on in the room. We turned it on immediately, but it never cooled off the entire evening, night and morning. Being in the room was miserable. The hallways and lobbies aren’t air conditioned at all (or it wasn’t on despite 95 degree temps), so there was no relief to be had. To top it off, despite the fact that they advertise WiFi, there was none in our room. First, they insisted there was. Then, they said it was because we were trying to connect too many devices (not the case). Finally, the front desk clerk just admitted there was nothing he could do. When we tried to watch TV instead, we discovered they had no English stations. All-in-all, an uncomfortable night. I would not go back.
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2018

8/10 Good

Brian, London

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Nice central hotel with a lot of individual charm.
Stayed 4 nights in Jul 2018

6/10 Okay

Michele, New York

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
The hotel is near the canal but not visible from any rooms. It is clean and decorated in a quirky artsy style, which we liked. It is centrally located, so conveniently walking distance from most historic and cultural sites. It is also next door to a sex toy shop (nothing exceptionally explicit in the windiws) and the neighborhood has a lot of graffiti. If you’re traveling with kids, this may or may not bother you. The room and bathroom were clean, even though it’s all a bit old and there was some mold on the shower door and the plastic toilet flush button kept falling off the wall when you pressed it. The staff are very helpful and, although the WiFi works, it is not strong enough to reach every room. It didn’t work in ours but did in the hallway. For the price and location, it’s worthwhile.
Stayed 2 nights in Jul 2018

8/10 Good

Helen

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Friendly hotel in good location
Great location. Just off via Indepenza about 15 minutes walk from the train station and 10 minutes from the main square. Friendly staff & quirky hotel. Small room but was good to have a kettle to make hot drinks. We found some lovely family run trattorias in the surrounding streets. Bologna is an amazing place & lots going on. If you want good value, you can't go wrong here. We didn't rate the breakfast & preferred to eat out anyway as there are so many choices.
Stayed 4 nights in Sep 2017

8/10 Good

Steven

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Comfortable stay in Bologna
We stayed for 4 nights.Large bedroom and ensuite shower room, both were kept clean. Good breakfast of cereals, fruit, pastries, bread,rolls, yoghurts, jam, honey,cold meats and cheese. Staff were friendly and recommended places to eat. Only slight issue was that room number 1 was opposite reception so might be noisy if you wanted an early night. Hotel was in the centre of the town but in a quiet area. It was within a short walk of the twin towers and many of the historic sites. Window shutters and comfortable bed ensured we had a good night's sleep.
Stayed 4 nights in Sep 2017

6/10 Okay

Verified traveller

Liked: Staff & service
Friendly staff, good location
A modest, budget hotel. Friendly staff etc we had a good family room for 2 adults and 2 kids
Stayed 1 night in Sep 2017

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Great location. Great staff. Would come again!
This staff was friendly when we arrived and happily gave us a discount on breakfast as we were under the impression it was free. Beds were clean and ceilings were high. I wish the AC was a little bit stronger (newer) as the room never quite got cool enough.
Stayed 2 nights in Jul 2017

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Staff & service, property conditions & facilities
I enjoyed it. Relaxed place.
Nothing fancy here. Has an old school antique vibe almost bordello ish.

10/10 Excellent

Philip

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Convenient clean quiet and friendly
The manager and his fiancée were perfect hosts and the hotel fantastic value. It may not be a 5* hotel but it gets top ratings from us. It was a 5 min walk from the centre in a very quiet side street, no noise at night. We have already recommended it to our friends and if we go to Bologna again we would have no hesitation at staying here again

10/10 Excellent

Chris, UK

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Bologna is a gem Zanhotel II Canale a treasure
Wonderful, friendly staff Fantastic location (Bologna is definitely worth a visit) The eclectic displays of antiques on each floor are a quirky, individual touch. You'll be warmly welcomed in this well-run family establishment!

8/10 Good

DORELLA

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Very convenient location, clean with young and nice staff. Better to arrive around noon as the front desk is usually unattended. Sexy shop just around the corner that might be embarassing if arriving with unfamiliar people.

10/10 Excellent

Susan

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Fun and friendly hotel
This hotel was perfectly situated with 5 minutes walk to the wonderful historic buildings and museums of Bologna and 10 minutes walk to the station to get easy trains to Ravenna, Parma etc. an excellent base. It isnt the most luxurious of hotels, but the people were really friendly and helpful and the decor was querky and original. We would certainly stay there again.

10/10 Excellent

Hugh

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

6/10 Okay

Justyna, London

Liked: Staff & service
Basic hotel in central location
The hotel is very conveniently located not far from the train station or the main piazza of Bologna. I had a single room, which felt quite small because the bed was not single and dated heavy furniture was taking up most of the space. The room and bathroom were clean, but I would maybe recommend less air freshener as it hangs in the air for hours, which is quite annoying in a small space. The breakfast was very basic, I would probably choose to go to one of the cafés nearby instead if you have a few spare euros to spend.

8/10 Good

Helen, London

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, room comfort
Good comfortable central hotel
This hotel was ideal for our 4 night stay in Bologna. Not particularly fancy but it was clean, comfortable and the staff were very friendly and helpful. The breakfast was nice, with the usual pastries, fruit and so on. If you are a lover of the colour orange (which I actually am so was happy) then this is the ideal hotel for you - the rooms are fully kitted out in the terracotta tones which the city itself is famous for. We liked the quirky décor and artefacts lining the entrance and corridors too. The location of the hotel was great as it was just by the central street, Via dell'Indipendenza, which has lots of shops and cafes, and is an easy 10 minute or so walk to Piazza Maggiore and the central city. We had seen a couple of reviews that said that the street where the hotel is located, Via Bertiera, is a bit dodgy and dingy (possibly because of the sex boutique next door..?), but we didn't find it so at all. The entrance is in the shadow of the building somewhat but we found the area perfectly safe and welcoming. Perhaps do just be prepared for some interesting window views when walking past the shop each day!

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Liked: Staff & service
Wonderful service!
The hotel is in a great location in Bologna. All the sites and shopping are within walking distance. The hotel staff was absolutely wonderful with recommendations for dinners - we had one of the best dinners of our trip based on their recommendations - and gave us ideas for best places to visit during our short stay. We had asked for twin beds but since those rooms were taken, they upgraded us to a triple room. Very spacious but it faced a street which was very loud as the windows had to be kept open as the air conditioning didn't work. Overall we enjoyed our stay.

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
All you could ask for
Easy 15 minute walk to train station, close to markets and fascinating sights. Quiet at night. Outstanding care and genuine service. All restaurant recommendations were fantastic and we couldn't have found them on our own. Can't wait to go back.

8/10 Good

Paul, Durham, UK

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Comfortable hotel in central Bologna
I couldn't fault the hospitality at Il Canale. I arrived fairly late and Giuseppe got me settled into my room as quickly as possible, deferring the check in until the following morning. He was always polite and helpful, and because I chose to forego breakfast each day so I could get out and take photographs in the morning light reduced my price because he didn't feel good about charging me.

6/10 Okay

Eustacia, Winter Park, FL

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
Disliked: Property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Perfect location
The owners were wonderful, so kind and accommodating. The location is perfect for train station and downtown.

10/10 Excellent

Antonia, NJ, USA

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Perfect location.
Stayed at this hotel for a week with my family. The hotel is centrally located and walking distance to all the sites and train/bus station. Very quiet hotel and the staff is very helpful. The hotel is not luxurious but it is very comfortable and clean. I would stay here again.

4/10 Poor

Verified traveller

Disliked: Staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Good value but limited comfort in central Bologna.
This hotel is in urgent need of an upgrade. It looks as though the management has decided to let things go a bit further before undertaking major renovations - so, for the moment, it is all a bit run down. The room I had was extremely dark (not so uncommon in single rooms, admittedly).The service is haphazard. One big negative (for me at least) is the fact that there is no-one at reception between 11.00 and 7.00 in the morning. The card you are given when you check in tells you that from 11.00 to 7.00, "the staff of Hotel Tre Vecchi will answer you" and gives you the phone number of the Hotel Tre Vecchi. Although I have travelled extensively I have never come across this kind of arrangement before and I don't think that it is satisfactory. Nevertheless, purely in price terms, it is good value.

8/10 Good

Wendy, Wisconsin. USA

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
Small but friendly older hotel
People that worked there were very nice and helpful. Room was very small and a bit dated. But clean and priced right. Good walking location to everything

8/10 Good

sara, boston, ma

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Good little hotel near the canals of Bologna
My daughter and I had one day to explore Bologna and we got to see many of the historic sites within walking distance from this little hotel by the canals of Bologna.

6/10 Okay

Traveling roamer

Liked: Staff & service
Disliked: Cleanliness, room comfort
One night in Bologna
The hotel wasn't terrible, but it's an older hotel and maybe some of the rooms were updated, but not the one we stayed in. It was a last minute booking and cheap, so we got what we paid for. Bathroom was HUGE so that's a plus, but moldy in parts of shower so made me wonder about what we couldn't see and overall cleanliness. I just saw that there's a Zanhotel and Zanhotel II - maybe the first one is nicer? The staff was super nice at check in/out, and was probably the best part of it. Location was sketchy but that's my fault for not looking into the area more before booking. Good for one night but I don't know about staying more than one evening.

8/10 Good

Janet, New Zealand

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Affordable middle of Bologna
The hotel was literally 2 mins from the main road in Bologna so walking around was perfect. The room was compact but comfortable - great shower nice and hot. We were on the ground floor and streetside which was a little noisy but understandable given we were in the middle of the city. Good security after hours. A very quaint stylish hotel.

8/10 Good

Chris, Manchester

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, room comfort
Great location & friendly staff
Hotel had been taken over by new management since we made our booking, and our reservation had been lost. The manager couldn't do enough to make amends. There was no room for our first night, so he got us into a 4 star hotel round the corner, and had a room ready for us the next day for the rest of our stay.