Bologna Travel Forum

Can anyone recommend any hotels close to the Bologna airport?

We don't know what kind of hotel you're looking for (or why), so some answers may be off the mark.

We stayed at the Jolly Hotel De La Gare - see http://www.jollyhotels.it/eng/ALBERGHI_scheda_master.asp?Obj=500 - a few years ago. It is actually on the northern edge of the city center (so it is easy to walk in town), but since the airport is out the north side of town, it isn't all that far away.

The hotel has a shuttle (see the webpage) to/from the airport, and if that doesn't work, you can take the frequent bus from the airport to the main train station, which is only a block or two away from the hotel (hence, the name "de la gare").

This is a business class hotel, so it's not cheap.

Bill

Ah, now that I've seen several postings from you, I have a better idea of what you want.

As cgf noted, you can stay out at the airport, and that may work for you. But possibly for the same money, you might stay at the Jolly Hotel De La Gare (do check), which is on the edge of the cuty center. What this means is that the afternoon before, you can leave Florence and come up to Bologna by train, walk the block or two to the Jolly Hotel, park your stuff and spend the evening walking the streets of Bologna in their unique "arcades", have dinner, go to bed, then get up early and take the hotel shuttle to the airport (I think it runs that early - you'll arrange it the night before anyway). Or take the bus from the train station (if it runs that early), or just take a taxi (the hotel will cheerfully set that up if they can't do the shuttle) - the ride is only 15 minutes or so (?) at that hour.

This way, you will get to spend the evening walking around town rather than staying out at an airport hotel...

Bill

I agree with mccalpin. Bologna is a very nice town and it's better to stay in downtown than in airport district.
And Jolly Hotels is a 4 stars hotel.
From Florence you can call the call free no. 800 017703

The shuttle service is available from monday to friday on request from Bologna intl airpot to Jolly Villanova, from Bologna intl airport to Jolly de la Gare ( downtown) and retorun.
The service is available complimentary from 7.00 to 10.00 am departing from the hotels and from 5.30 to 21.30 pm departing from the airport.
From 10.00 am to 5.30 pm the shuttle service is available for payment on request calling directly the driver (Yuri) at the mobile tlefone number 3356742879.
The rates are:
from Jolly Hotel Villanova to downton/railway station/fair disctrict € 8.00 per person
from Jolly Hotel Villanova to the airport € 10.00 per person

from Jolly Hotel de la Gare to fair discrict / Jolly Hotel Villanova € 8.00 per person
from Jolly Hotel de la Gare to the airport 10.00 € per person

I needed to find a cheap hotel in Bologna and finally I did. If you want to read about the outcome of my research, click to the link below, you'll find a list of nice lodging I've found.
http://members.virtualtourist.com/m/c0eee/25f78/3/

A belated thanks to you all for the advice! Ended up taking a 9 pm train into Bologna and staying at the Sheraton (the 5 am buffet breakfast and shuttle service won me over). I'll have to see Bologna on my next trip to Italy...