Bologna, ItalyHistoric Center
Hotel I Portici
Frescoed Art Nouveau palazzo
Historic Center Bologna, Italy
Renovated
2019
Price
$$
Rated for
Design Heritage LocalOutside the door
Frescoed Art Nouveau palazzo
A turn-of-the-century grand cafe and variety theater reimagined as a sleek contemporary refuge in central Bologna.
What it’s good at
Notable
Restored Liberty-era frescoes and stucco ceilings balance minimalist contemporary Italian furnishings throughout.
Notable
An Art Nouveau palazzo with a Belle Époque theater and fourteenth-century ice cellar.
Listed
Set along Bologna's historic porticoes, with house sfogline rolling traditional fresh pasta.
What they say
Michelin Selected
Michelin
I Portici is a contemporary-style hotel set behind the façade of a 19th-century palazzo overlooking Via Indipendenza.
Right in the middle
Well-located: walkable to some things, a short ride to more.
Sheltered porticoes lead straight from the front entrance down to Piazza Maggiore, with Montagnola park right across the street.
The rooms
Historic rooms have restored Liberty frescoes overhead, and windows look out across the greenery of Parco della Montagnola.
Restaurant
Ristorante I Portici
The Michelin-starred restaurant occupies the former variety theater, set beneath mezzanine galleries and a glowing neon Eden sign.
At the table
Candlelit tables fill the fourteenth-century brick ice cellar, and evening cocktails are shaken on the park-facing terrace.
How it began
The palazzo opened in 1899 as Teatro Eden-Kursaal, a Belle Époque café-chantant that drew the city's night owls.
Bologna
More like this
Phi Hotel Bologna
“Medieval artist inn”
Casa Bertagni
“Mid-century salon guesthouse”
Hotel Brun
“Tailored artisan townhouse”
Hotel Corona D'oro
“Frescoed medieval palazzo”
Hotel Metropolitan
“Olive courtyard townhouse”
The app
Like this one? There are so many more.
Swipe any city’s hotels and heart the ones you love. The app gets your taste.
Our shorthand
How we rate hotels.
The medals
Gold
Extremely rare. Sets the global standard.
Silver
Brilliant execution. And we’re picky.
Bronze
They did this well. You’ll notice.
Listed
A defining trait. Makes the hotel what it is.
The eight vibes
Design
Built around a vision. Even the door handles have a designer.
Luxe
Cared for at every turn. The bath is drawn before you ask.
Local
It could only be here. You wake up knowing where you are.
Social
Where the city goes out. The bar is full and the night is young.
Heritage
A building with a story. Once a palace, a monastery, a station.
Wellness
You leave feeling new. Rest, sweat, soak and sleep like a stone.
Classic
The city grew up with it. Same rituals, same regulars, same bar.
Resort
A world of its own. Something to do from breakfast to nightcap.
The scene
Lively
Where things happen: restaurants, shops, people.
Central
Well-located: walkable to some things, a short ride to more.
Quiet
Away from the crowds. Getting around takes intention.
Secluded
A place apart: the property is the destination.