Residence Sant’Orsola

Residence Sant’Orsola Overview

I’ve stayed at a lot of places in Bologna, but Residence Sant’Orsola honestly surprised me – and not just because it’s tucked away on this quiet side street that most tourists never find. Via Rino Pancaldi is one of those residential roads where you’ll hear more Italian being spoken than English, which I mean, isn’t that what you want? The building itself has this understated elegance that screams “old Bologna” without being stuffy about it. When I first walked in, the lobby had that particular smell of old marble and fresh espresso that somehow every good Italian hotel manages to nail.

What really got me was how they’ve managed to feel like an apartment building that happens to rent rooms, rather than a hotel trying to be homey. The rooms are spacious – actually spacious, not “European spacious” where you bump into the bathroom door. Mine had these gorgeous hardwood floors that creaked just enough to feel authentic, and the windows opened (thank god) to let in that evening breeze that makes Bologna summers bearable. You know what’s brilliant? They’ve got proper kitchenettes, not those sad little mini-fridges with a hot plate. I actually cooked pasta one night using ingredients from Mercato delle Erbe, which is maybe a 15-minute walk if you take the scenic route through the university district.

The location is where this place really shines, though they’re not shouting about it from the rooftops. You’re close enough to the centro storico that you can walk to Piazza Maggiore in about twenty minutes, but far enough out that you’re not dealing with the chaos of Via dell’Indipendenza. There’s this fantastic osteria called Da Cesari just a few streets over – locals queue up there on Saturday nights, which tells you everything you need to know. Parking was surprisingly manageable too; they’ve got a garage deal worked out, which in Bologna is basically worth its weight in gold. The staff actually knows the neighborhood and will point you toward the good gelato place (not the tourist trap one) and tell you which mornings the produce market is worth hitting. It’s that 8.8 rating thing – not perfect, maybe the WiFi could be stronger and the elevator is charmingly vintage (read: slow), but it’s the kind of place where you settle in and think, “Yeah, I could live here for a week.”

Residence Sant’Orsola Accommodations

Reviews of Residence Sant’Orsola

• Nice stay in a bright and spacious flat – Rafik from Switzerland – 9 June 2025 (8/10)

  Spacious and luminous
  
  What could be improved: The cleaning

• Superb – Marco from Italy – 6 June 2025 (9/10)

  Nice beds, a lot of restaurants nearby, 20 minutes from the center of Bologna. Parking (a bit costly )
  
  What could be improved: No windows, only on the ceiling. Some guests could suffer from this.

• Exceptional – Nirmal from India – 5 December 2024 (10/10)

  The Host and property is good and during my stay I have enjoyed.
  
  Everything was ok.

• Superb – Alexandra from Romania – 6 January 2024 (9/10)

  The appartament is pretty close go the center of the city and has alot of restaurants and shops around. It was clean, we had some coffe for the next day but there was no water. The apartment that we reseived was not the one in the pictures but still looked ok. It was a last minute booking so the price was a little to hight for what it offers. The personal was really welcoming and helpfull.

• Exceptional – Jimmy from Ireland – 24 October 2023 (10/10)

  "Very modern and stylish apartment. Very friendly and helpful overseer."

• Helpful staff, clean & comfortable bedroom, but incredibly overpriced for a windowless apartment. – Patricia from United Kingdom – 20 October 2023 (4/10)

  The person who checked me in (Sergio) was amazing — so helpful and did everything he could to help me and make my stay pleasant; he even sorted out the weak Wifi as I had a work emergency when I arrived. The bed and pillows were comfortable and clean. The shower was nice and the bathroom modern and good. The location was good as it was only a 20 minute or so walk to the center of town. There was a supermarket nearby and a nice coffee shop two minutes away. It was clean and tidy, though some of the paint work looked a little tired.
  
  What could be improved: The apartment I was in (Number 2) had no windows. It was hard to know this from the images on the website, as it seems that the images of all the apartments are shown together, and two must have windows, and two not. There was natural light as there were skylights, and an easy way to open them, but very little fresh air reached the apartment. It felt a bit claustrophobic, as the front door only opened onto a long dark corridor. So I was in Italy, but with no way to see out of the apartment. This was very disturbing for me — it might not bother other people. There was no mention of this at all on the website. The people in the front apartment smoked a lot, and the smell of smoke entered the flat. I feel that the apartment was nice enough in itself, but was very overpriced for what it was.

• We wanted to have a place with a kitchen so we could cook a little. This place worked for that. – Douglas from United States – 15 April 2023 (6/10)

  The location is good and it has a kitchen.
  
  What could be improved: I knew going in that it did not have windows, but still it is a little weird. Also there is just a single exit so a fire situation would be pretty scary. The host had a conflict and kept me waiting 15 minutes to get the keys.

• Not worth the money – Davide from Italy – 17 October 2022 (5/10)

  Very convenient access to the Sant’Orsola Hospital.
  Moderne furniture and automatic controls for windows and curtains
  
  What could be improved: There are no windows on the walls, but only roof windows. Was smelling a bit like if it was closed for some time. Some furniture was damaged. Walls not clean and with some humidity. Definitively not what I expect for 200 euro a night. I would not come back unless you really need something very close to Sant’Orsola hospital.

• Superb – Ioana from Romania – 1 October 2022 (9/10)

  the host was very frendly , very clean aparatament and the check in was easy .
  
  What could be improved: the 10:00 check out ( but this is subjective , i am not a morning person ) , small water glasses and the very hard pillows .

• Definitely will stay again if I return to Bologna. – Poh from Singapore – 27 September 2022 (10/10)

  Great host, good location and excellent cleanliness.
  
  What could be improved: Nothing at all.

Surroundings

Facilities