Le Dodici Porte – De Maria 5 By Bologna District

Le Dodici Porte – De Maria 5 By Bologna District Overview

I’ll be honest – when I first walked up to Le Dodici Porte on Via Mario de Maria, I wasn’t sure what to expect. The name sounds grand, but the street is actually pretty quiet, tucked away in what feels like a residential pocket of Bologna. You know what though? That turned out to be exactly what made this place special.

The hotel sits in this sweet spot where you’re close enough to the action but far enough from the tourist chaos around Piazza Maggiore. I mean, you can still hear the occasional Vespa puttering by (it’s Bologna, after all), but it’s not like staying right on Via dell’Indipendenza where the street noise goes until midnight. The building itself has that classic Italian apartment feel – I think it used to be residential – with these beautiful high ceilings and original details they’ve kept intact. Check-in was refreshingly straightforward, no weird key card issues or front desk drama that seems to plague half the hotels I stay at these days.

What really got me was how they’ve managed to feel both boutique-y and unpretentious at the same time. The rooms are actually spacious – rare for European city hotels – and the design hits that perfect balance between modern comfort and Italian character. The bathroom had proper water pressure (seriously, why is this so hard to find?), and the bed was firm enough that I didn’t wake up feeling like I’d been sleeping on a marshmallow. There’s this lovely little courtyard you can see from some of the upper floors, and honestly, having my morning coffee while looking out at actual Bologna life happening below was worth the stay alone. The neighborhood has this authentic vibe where you’ll see locals doing their grocery shopping at the little markets nearby, not just tourists wandering around with guidebooks.

Here’s the thing about the location – it’s maybe a 15-minute walk to the main sights, but along the way you’ll pass through some of Bologna’s most charming residential streets. I discovered this incredible osteria just two blocks over that definitely wasn’t in any guidebook, and the walk to the university area takes you right through where actual Bolognese people live and work. Parking can be tricky in this part of town (like most of Bologna), but they helped sort out a spot in a nearby garage without the usual Italian bureaucratic drama. The staff seemed to actually know the city well – not just the tourist spots, but practical stuff like where to find a pharmacy or which bus to take to the train station. It’s that kind of local knowledge that makes you feel like you’re staying somewhere real, not just another hotel that could be anywhere.

Le Dodici Porte – De Maria 5 By Bologna District Accommodations

Reviews of Le Dodici Porte – De Maria 5 By Bologna District

• Good – Mark from United Kingdom – 28 May 2025 (7/10)

  Lovely apartment, great location for the train station and centre of town.
  
  What could be improved: No working WiFi, air-conditioning was really poor and didn't cool the apartment down, lack of kitchen equipment in particular no cutlery.

• A comfortable apartment – more timely responses from hosts would have been appreciated. – Ann from Australia – 25 April 2025 (7/10)

  Very close to Bologna Centrale – perfect for arrival and departure by train.
  
  What could be improved: No hot water on arrival and problem not resolved until the evening of the following day. Unable to get any feedback from hosts for about 12 hours after reporting the issue. Wifi unreliable.

• Perfect location non existent WiFi – Λουκια from Greece – 23 April 2025 (7/10)

  Spacious apartment. Perfect location 1 min walk from train station. Elevator.
  
  What could be improved: Not enough coffee pods, no sugar. The apartment is poorly maintained see photos. The biggest problem was lack of WiFi. There are other comments mentioning this. No WiFi and they know it and don’t care to fix it. I asked for somebody to come and check nobody ever came.

• Good – Shuhui from China – 7 April 2025 (7/10)

  location
  
  What could be improved: none

• Superb – Chen from Italy – 7 March 2025 (9/10)

  Posizione e ho trovato l'appartamento pulito
  
  What could be improved: Mancanza di posate e strumenti di cucina

• well placed, well heated, well organized 🙂 – Marcin from Germany – 16 February 2025 (10/10)

  very well placed apartment. Really near to central train station. Parking for car on the streat – 15€/day (8-18 per 1,5€/h).
  
  What could be improved: nothing to highlight

• Bine – Aura from Moldova – 27 January 2025 (9/10)

  Apartament spatios,curat,comod aproape de gara de trenuri,foarte călduros.
  
  What could be improved: Din păcate cu wi-fi nu ne am descurcat să ne conectam ,am scris mesaj proprietate dar nu mi s-a răspuns ,așa ca internet nu am avut disponibil.

• Superb – Ivana from Canada – 9 January 2025 (9/10)

  Spacious, comfortable, clean, great location
  
  What could be improved: Bathroom doors didn’t lock, nowhere to hang coats by the door

• Overall amazing unit considering how near it is to the Train Station especially if u need to commute early morning. – Nurfazlina from Malaysia – 3 January 2025 (8/10)

  With only 5 mins easy walk to Bologna Centrale and really just accross the street. Lift provided to attic level, complete with all that we requires, full kitchen, washer, 2 Bedroom with queen and 2 single beds, perfect for 3-4 pax especially if you need to commute via Train on daily basis, in fact the 2 sofabeds in the living area can accommodate at least another 4 pax. safe neighborhood during the day, but suggest for ladies to be careful at night because quite dark. Not able to explore surrounding to see if there are shops or groceries.
  
  What could be improved: Almost perfect except the internet connection was very slow and almost none available and not stable. The connection was great only outside the unit. Another lacking was the prob with both toilets door knob, one cannot lock and another one almost fell off.

• Superb – Emma from United Kingdom – 12 November 2024 (9/10)

  Good value for money. Close to the central station and attractions. Clean apartment as described, peaceful area. Perfect for a short stay to see the sights of Bologna and access the high speed trains.
  
  What could be improved: The WiFi didn’t reach the bedrooms in the attic apartment.

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