I Portici Hotel Bologna
Art Nouveau palazzo meets contemporary Italian minimalism. Polished without being stuffy. The building does a lot of the heavy lifting — frescoed ceilings, Palladian marble floors — while the rooms and public spaces stay deliberately spare. Food is taken very seriously here.
Book the Osteria Pizzeria Portici for a more casual dinner — it has the same Art Nouveau frescoed setting as the fine dining restaurant but at a fraction of the price, and it's open to the public
Why It Matters
The on-site I Portici Restaurant has held a single Michelin star continuously since 2012 — that's a rare anchor for a 4-star city hotel. The building itself (once home to the Eden-Kursaal Theater, a belle époque café-chantant) gives guests a genuine slice of Bologna's cultural history. Few hotels in the city can match the combination of heritage architecture, Michelin-starred dining, and practical location this close to the train station.
I Portici Hotel lives inside Palazzo Maccaferri, a late-19th-century Art Nouveau building designed by architect Attilio Muggia on Bologna's main pedestrian artery, Via Indipendenza. Over 1,500 square meters of restored Liberty-style frescoes cover the halls and ceilings across all five floors — it's genuinely striking. The hotel conversion is clean and modern, with contemporary Italian furnishings playing off the original architecture rather than fighting it.
Where You'll Stay
19 room types available
Comfort Suite
Spacious and bright with urban design sensibility. Queen-size bed, parquet floors, and a welcoming layout. Same footprint as the Urban Junior Suite but with a slightly different design emphasis.
Queen · 28 sqm
Compact Room
Practical and private with a French double bed. Modern understated style. Works well for couples who want comfort without paying for space they won't use.
French double · 16 sqmDeluxe Plus Room
Larger take on the Deluxe category, with more floor space and queen-size bed. Original frescoes, Palladian or parquet flooring. These rooms pay proper tribute to the Maccaferri heritage.
Queen · 27 sqmDeluxe Room
Original frescoes from Palazzo Maccaferri's Art Nouveau heritage adorn the walls. Each room is a little different. French or double bed. A genuine piece of the building's 19th-century story.
French or double · 20 sqmDeluxe Room with Balcony
Small private balcony adds outdoor space to the Art Nouveau room experience. Palladian or parquet floors, frescoed walls, French bed. Cozy but characterful.
French double · 16 sqmExecutive Room with Balcony
Modern design, queen-size bed, parquet floors, and a private balcony overlooking park greenery. At 33 sqm one of the larger standard room configurations. Good pick for guests who want outdoor space without going to suite level.
Queen · 33 sqmExecutive Twin Room
Spacious twin room with large 130cm single beds. Modern and refined with parquet floors. The generous footprint (32 sqm) makes this one of the more comfortable twin configurations in the hotel.
Two singles (130cm) · 32 sqmFamily Room
The hotel's family option. Spacious parquet-floored rooms that can accommodate up to 5 guests, configured either as one open space or as connecting rooms depending on availability. Modern or Art Nouveau style depending on which rooms are assigned.
40 sqmImperial Suite with Panoramic Terrace
The flagship. A two-level, 160 sqm suite on the top floor. Lower level has bedrooms, a living area, a study corner, a dining area with minibar, and two bathrooms including an extra-large shower. Upper level is a panoramic private terrace overlooking Bologna with a solarium area and a private wellness zone with steam room, sauna, emotional shower, and Technogym fitness equipment (exercise bike, Kinesis Vision). Very few hotels in Bologna can match this.
160 sqmJunior Suite with Terrace
Romantic and refined with Art Nouveau frescoes, Palladian flooring, and a large private terrace with city views. This is one of the hotel's most appealing mid-range options — heritage interiors plus real outdoor space.
Queen · 30 sqmLiberty Junior Suite
Spacious and bright with a Queen bed, Palladian flooring, and original Art Nouveau frescoes. A proper junior suite that leans into the building's 19th-century personality.
Queen · 24 sqmLiberty Room
One of the more characterful entry-level options. Art Nouveau frescoed ceilings, parquet or Palladian Bolognese tile floors, and French-style beds. You get real palazzo atmosphere without paying suite prices.
French double · 16 sqm
Portici Junior Suite
Located on the top floor — an attic suite with modern and minimal design. Natural light floods in and the layout is genuinely generous at 55 sqm, making it one of the most spacious options in the hotel outside the Imperial Suite.
55 sqmPremium Room with Terrace
Original Art Nouveau frescoes telling the Palazzo Maccaferri story, plus a private outdoor terrace. Palladian or parquet floors, queen-size bed. One of the better value options for guests who want heritage plus outdoor space.
Queen · 25 sqmSmart Room
The entry-level option. Compact, functional, minimalist. Parquet floors and clean-lined furnishings. Fine for solo travelers who plan to spend most of their time out exploring.
15 sqmSuperior Room
Versatile modern rooms that may overlook the park, the city, or the hotel's inner courtyard. Parquet floors and contemporary furnishings. A step up in size from the base categories.
French double · 19 sqmSuperior Twin Room
Same footprint as the Superior, but configured with two large single beds (120cm). Good for friends traveling together. Available in modern or Art Nouveau finishes.
Two singles (120cm) · 19 sqmUrban Junior Suite
Larger modern suite with minimalist design, parquet floors, and a Queen bed. Can sleep up to 4 guests, making it a practical family or group option at suite-level comfort.
Queen · 28 sqmUrban Room
Located in the hotel's more recently added section. Designer furnishings, urban minimalism, parquet floors, Queen bed. These rooms lean fully into the contemporary side of the hotel's aesthetic.
Queen · 23 sqmThe Property
Eat & Drink
4 venues on property
Restaurant
Spa & Wellness
Treatment Menu
On Property
How you'll actually spend your days.
The medieval underground ice house beneath Palazzo Maccaferri — with tunnels running toward Parco della Montagnola — is available for private dinners and special occasions. A genuinely atmospheric venue used for the Michelin restaurant's Friday and Saturday lunches as well as private events.
Bookable via the hotel's web app, this curated program offers exclusive guided tours of Bologna, beauty services, cooking activities, shopping assistance, and behind-the-scenes access to the city's hidden spots. Designed for hotel guests looking to go deeper than standard tourist circuits.
The hotel's Portici Academy, located at Palazzo Bega near the Two Towers, offers meeting rooms with a view of the Two Towers, plus cooking and team building experiences.
The hotel regularly hosts temporary art exhibitions in its historic halls. Works from local and Italian artists are displayed throughout the public spaces, rotating through the year.
The hotel's Liberty-frescoed Salone delle Feste, rooftop terrace, and Ex-Ice House are available for weddings and private celebrations. The Salone has direct terrace access and overlooks the park.
Amenities & Practical Info
The details that matter for planning.
Disabled parking, lift, wheelchair-accessible rooms, bathrooms with grab bars, raised toilet seat, lower sink, and emergency bell.
Eight technologically equipped meeting rooms. Named rooms include Salone delle Feste, Sala Garden 1, Sala Garden 2, Sala Loggione, Sala Indipendenza, and Academy meeting rooms at Palazzo Bega. Some have direct street access and Art Nouveau frescoes.
Available throughout all areas of the hotel.
Hotel web app for browsing services, booking tours and experiences, ordering room service, and accessing useful stay information.
Continental buffet breakfast with sweet and savory options, hot and cold drinks, and gluten-free products. Available at Caffè Eden or on the panoramic terrace. €18 per person per day.
Babysitter service available on request.
In-room SKY satellite TV available.
Evening turndown service available across room categories.
Choice of pillow types available on request.
All rooms equipped with a minibar.
Safe deposit box in all rooms.
Room service available, bookable via the hotel's web app.
Hotel garden area, with some rooms overlooking the green space backing onto Parco della Montagnola.
Panoramic terrace equipped with seating, overlooking Parco della Montagnola. Used for drinks, breakfast, and events.
24h reception with multilingual staff (Arabic, German, English, Spanish, French). Concierge assistance for museum bookings, theater tickets, car rental, and transfers.
Dry cleaning and laundry services available.
Left-luggage service for early arrivals and late departures.
On-site private parking at €25 per day. Subject to availability. Limited spaces.
Seven EV charging stations in the parking area. Type 2 plugs, 7 kW and 11 kW available.
In-room fitness kit available for guests.
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