Italy's wonderful one-star hotels

The best inexpensive hotels in Italy

The hall at Pensione Maria Luisa de' Medici, FlorenceHotel Maria Luisa de' Medici, Florence - [CLOSED] This one-star hotel located in the precise geographic center of of Florence has dim halls crowded with genuine baroque art—a marble child in a chair, a chipped sculpture from the della Robbia studio, tattered oil paintings by Van Dyck and Sustermans—and cavernous rooms stuffed with a mix of antiques and 1950s designer furnishings... » more
A room in The Hotel Marcus in Rome, Italy939 Hotel, Rome - The 939 (formerly the Hotel Marcus) is handily one of Rome's best upper-end budget hotels—a smartly updated pensione in an 18th-century palazzo with high ceilings and the odd marble fireplace (in larger, slightly pricier rooms) to give it character. It's that perfect inexpensive hotel that focuses on the important things... » more » book
Hotel Pensione Al Guerrato, VeneziaHotel Pensione Al Guerrato, Venice - Rarely will you find such an excellent marriage of price, atmosphere, and genuine warmth at any Venice hotel. Roberto Zammattio is constantly expanding and upgrading his 20-room pensione in a 13th-century palazzo near the Rialto Bridge. "One thing I will never change," declares Roberto. "Is our one-star status. I prefer to take in a few Euro less, but still give a bit more to guests; that way everyone is happy."... » more » book
A room at the Hotel Villa Eva, CapriHotel Villa Eva, Capri - Villa Eva is quite possibly the best one-star hotel in all of Italy. This house buried in lush gardens halfway along the country road from Anacapri to the Blue Grotto isn't just Eva Balestrieri's hotel. It's her childhood home. Eva was born in room no. 5, with its huge terrace, cupola ceiling, and wall covered in framed watercolors and chalk drawings. The artwork—not to mention the furniture—throughout the property was created by her husband, Vincenzo Parlato, who has also spent decades transforming the grounds into a carefully tended jungle of exotic plants... » more » book
A room at the Hotel Galleria, VeneziaHotel Galleria, Venice - The Hotel Galleria has one huge plus going for it: You can fling open your window and look right out onto the Grand Canal and still pay only around $200 for the privilege. (I know: seems like a lot—but not in Venice—and in winter that price for a Grand Canal view can be as low as €70, or $91). That's what you get—along with antique Venetian styling and breakfast served in your room—at Luciano Benedetti and Stefano Franceschini's 19th-century palazzo at the foot of the Accademia bridge, across a square from the Galleria Accademia... » more » book
The view from a terrace of a A room at the Hotel Ai Do Mori, VeneziaHotel Ai Do Mori, Venice - Want to stay half a block off Piazza San Marco, perhaps even with a close-up view of the domes of St. Mark's? What's more, want to do it for under $150? The beamed-ceiling rooms tend to be a bit cramped at Antonella's little gem of a hotel, but top floor room that get the killer peek at San Marco's cupolas and the Torre dell'Orologio, whose two bronze moors ring the bells every hour... » more

Tips & links

Lodging links & resources
Useful Italian
Useful Italian phrases and terms for lodging

English (Inglese) Italian (Italiano) Pro-nun-cee-YAY-shun
Good day Buon giorno bwohn JOUR-noh
Good evening Buona sera BWOH-nah SAIR-rah
Good night Buona notte BWOH-nah NOTE-tay
Goodbye Arrivederci ah-ree-vah-DAIR-chee
Excuse me (to get attention) Scusi SKOO-zee
thank you grazie GRAT-tzee-yay
please per favore pair fa-VOHR-ray
yes si see
no no no
Do you speak English? Parla Inglese? PAR-la een-GLAY-zay
I don't understand Non capisco non ka-PEESK-koh
I'm sorry Mi dispiace mee dees-pee-YAT-chay
     
Where is? Dov'é doh-VAY
...a hotel un albergo oon al-BEAR-go
...a B&B un bed-and-breakfast oon bet hand BREK-fust
...a rental room un'affittacamera oon ah-feet-ah-CAH-mair-ra
...an apartment for rent un appartamento oon ah-part-tah-MENT-toh
...a farm stay un agriturismo oon ah-gree-tour-EES-moh
...a hostel un ostello oon oh-STEHL-loh
     
How much is...? Quanto costa? KWAN-toh COST-ah
a single room una singola OO-nah SEEN-go-la
double room for single use [will often be offered if singles are unavailable] doppia uso singola DOPE-pee-ya OO-so SEEN-go-la
a double room with two beds una doppia con due letti OO-nah DOPE-pee-ya cone DOO-way LET-tee
a double room with one big bed una matrimoniale OO-nah mat-tree-moan-nee-YAAL-lay
triple room una tripla OO-nah TREE-plah
with private bathroom con bagno cone BAHN-yoh
without private bathroom senza bagno [they might say con bagno in comune—"with a communal bath"] SEN-zah BAHN-yoh
for one night per una notte pair OO-nah NOH-tay
for two nights per due notti pair DOO-way NOH-tee
for three nights per tre notti pair tray NOH-tee
Is breakfast included? É incluso la prima colazione? ay in-CLOO-soh lah PREE-mah coal-laht-zee-YOAN-nay
Is there WiFi? C'é WiFi? chay WHY-fy?
May I see the room? Posso vedere la camera? POH-soh veh-DAIR-eh lah CAH-mair-rah
That's too much É troppo ay TROH-po
Is there a cheaper one? C'é una più economica? chay OO-nah pew eh-ko-NO-mee-kah

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