051 Boutique

051 Boutique is at via San Vitale 4, which is the street number you reach a few steps past the entrance to the street, under the arcade, in the heart of Bologna's old centre and right beside the Jewish Ghetto. The Two Towers are a handful of metres away, and piazza Maggiore and piazza Santo Stefano are a five-minute walk. It is a location worth half the stay on its own, but it should be taken for what it is: you sleep inside the Bologna of arcades and bars, with the noise that comes with it, and the house protects itself by putting the rooms on the third floor, away from street level.

How it is laid out

The property is a four-room bed and breakfast, run together with other houses in the H2CB group, created inside a historic building and served by a lift. The rooms are the Stone, a double larger than average, with a walk-in wardrobe and an inward-facing outlook, and therefore the quietest; the Roof and the Mirrors, standard doubles with a window and an iron balustrade over via San Vitale, from which you can see the rooftops and the Garisenda tower; and the Junior Suite Mandarin, the largest, with a sleeping area facing one of the Two Towers, a hallway and a walk-in wardrobe. All have air conditioning, heating, a private bathroom, toiletries, double pillows, a hairdryer, a safe, wifi and digital television. On the first floor there is a large shared living area where breakfast is served every day from 8 to 11 and where in the afternoon you can stop for tea, read or work. Luggage storage is free but not supervised.

The wellness area and the pools

There is none of this here, and the property does not promise it anywhere: 051 Boutique has no spa and no pools, neither indoor nor outdoor. There is no sauna, steam room, whirlpool tub, relaxation room or treatment cabin. It is an urban four-room bed and breakfast, and its argument is the location, not the water.

The access rules

The booking portal states that children are not allowed and gives no minimum age in figures. The official website publishes no numerical threshold: it only says that the rooms are designed for adult couples looking for a moment of relaxation. Neither source therefore says from what age you may sleep here, and anyone travelling with a minor should ask for written confirmation before booking. On everything else it is worth reading the rules first, because several items are charged separately: check-in is from 15.00 to 19.30 and a late arrival costs 25 euros an hour, departure is by 11, an extra guest costs 15 euros a night and the city tax is counted separately. Pets are allowed with a one-off supplement of 15 euros. The car is a problem, as everywhere in central Bologna: the partner car park costs 24 euros a night, is booked in advance, and access to the restricted traffic zone is from Porta San Vitale.

Who it suits

It suits anyone going to Bologna for the city itself who wants to step out of the door and already be there, anyone who prefers a small house to a hotel, and couples who want a room with a view over the rooftops. It suits less anyone looking for a spa or a pool, anyone arriving by car who does not want to pay for a garage, anyone arriving after 19.30, and anyone who sleeps badly with the noise of a historic centre.