Il Pennino – Villa Penna

Il Pennino – Villa Penna Overview

You know what caught me off guard about Il Pennino – Villa Penna? The name makes it sound all fancy and intimidating, but honestly, it’s got this warm, lived-in charm that feels more like staying at your well-traveled aunt’s beautifully restored villa. I mean, it’s definitely polished – this is a solid 4-star place with an 8.9 rating for good reason – but there’s something refreshingly unpretentious about it. The building itself sits on Via dei Colli, which is actually perfect because you’re technically in the city (Bologna proper, not some distant suburb) but it feels like you’ve escaped the tourist chaos around Piazza Maggiore. The street’s got this quiet residential vibe, and I loved how I could hear church bells in the morning instead of honking cars.

What really won me over was how the staff seemed to actually know Bologna, not just the hotel. When I asked about getting to the university area, the guy at reception didn’t just point me toward a taxi – he sketched out this little walking route that took me through neighborhoods I never would’ve found otherwise. The rooms have this interesting mix of traditional Italian touches (think exposed beams, warm terracotta colors) with modern stuff that actually works properly. The Wi-Fi was solid, the shower had decent pressure, and honestly, the bed was one of those where you sink in just enough without feeling like you’re drowning in foam. I stayed in October when Bologna gets those crisp, clear days, and my room caught the afternoon light beautifully – though I imagine it might get pretty warm in summer since the windows are generous but the AC seemed a bit… well, let’s call it “European-strength.”

The location really is the secret weapon here, though. You’re about a 15-minute walk from the historic center, which means you can stumble back from dinner at a reasonable hour without paying for taxis, but you’re far enough out that you’re not dealing with the weekend crowds or the study-abroad students getting loud at 2 AM. There’s a little market just down the street where I grabbed coffee and pastries most mornings (way better than hotel breakfast, if I’m being honest), and you can catch the bus to the train station easily if you’re day-tripping to Florence or wherever. The whole Colli area has this almost village-y feel that makes Bologna feel more manageable – less like a tourist destination and more like a place where people actually live and work. If you’re the type who wants to be in the thick of everything, this might feel too quiet, but for me, it was exactly the right balance between accessibility and peace.

Il Pennino – Villa Penna Accommodations

Reviews of Il Pennino – Villa Penna

• Location residenziale – Vincenzo from Italy – 5 April 2025 (8/10)

  La location bellissima, situata in collina e con un paesaggio bello. L'appartamento carino e molto confortevole.
  
  What could be improved: Il cambio asciugamani per la doccia e assenza di bagnoschiuma

• Exceptional – Yves from France – 27 March 2025 (10/10)

  L'emplacement, l'environnement de nature et le calme tout en étant à proximité de la ville.
  Un endroit idéal pour décompresser.
  La cuisine est complète avec une belle batterie de vaisselle.

• Recomendable para visitar Bolonia! – Elena from Spain – 15 September 2024 (10/10)

  Anfitrión muy amable. Nos dejó su número de movil por si necesitábamos algo y ha estado atento a que todo estuviera bien. Está muy bien si tienes coche, porque no es accesible si no. En coche es muy cómodo y luego se puede aparcar gratis a 10 min de allí en un parking en la calle que en 10 min caminando estás en el centro. La casa tiene de todo lo necesario, el wifi funciona bien y se aparca dentro de la valla, en la parcela, gratis. Lo recomendamos!

• Perfect price to value stay for people with a car – Simona from Slovakia – 21 August 2024 (10/10)

  Everything was perfect and smooth. Nice area around and ideal place to stay for people with a car who dont want to pay expensive accomodation in town. We found car parking 10min away, let car there and went to centre.

• Nice stay, recomend. – Livia from Slovakia – 29 June 2024 (9/10)

  Clean big vila, well equipped, nice owners, place is not far from centre of Bologna. Nice parking spot near the vila behind the fence and not in the street. We did get homemade vine as welcome present. Pet friendly environment. Owners have 2 friendly huskies, in the garden behind fence. I played with them a few times after they told me, that I can, if I am not scared of dogs.
  
  What could be improved: Vila was accessible just from car, since it was in the hills, so be aware of that. Bed was very squeaky. We received broken remote from automatic gate in the entrance, which was a bit annoying, the gate opened and closed and we had to try several times just to enter or leave.

• Superb – Iraklis from Greece – 27 May 2024 (9/10)

  Everything was perfect except the WiFi signal, it was weak

• It was calm with nice view, nature and a lot of space for parking. – Irena from Slovenia – 14 May 2024 (9/10)

  Location was greal, calm, privat. Nice view. Nature surrounding. Parking space.

• Great place to live in Bologna. – Medevac from Denmark – 2 May 2024 (10/10)

  The villa is in a great location, surrounded by nature. The villa itself is in excellent condition, has excellent parking for guests, entry is through an automatic gate, the remote control for which you will receive along with the keys. The villa is located almost within the city, but on a hill, so it is secluded, and all the noise of the big city does not disturb the guests of the villa. The villa can only be reached by car. The owners of the villa are a wonderful married couple who greeted us like best friends and surrounded us with care and attention, which was not at all intrusive. The part of the villa we rented was equipped with everything we needed, had its own heating/air conditioning system, excellent kitchen, washing machine. The bedroom is very clean, the bed is comfortable but very squeaky, keep that in mind. The bed linen is clean, the blankets and pillows are good. I recommend this villa without any doubt.
  
  What could be improved: Since it is forbidden to have your own knives on flights, you are very dependent on the knives of your hosts. Knives get dull, this is normal, but I would like to be able to sharpen them. A small knife sharpener would definitely be nice.

• Relax nel bosco – Monica from Italy – 17 April 2024 (9/10)

  posizione e pulizia

• Exceptional – Piermaria from Italy – 15 April 2024 (10/10)

  Veramente tutto stupendo !!! L'appartamento è ben fornito di ogni confort, il proprietario è una persona gentile e cordiale, il luogo è semplicemente un respiro di bellezza

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