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Accommodation in Italy
Pretty much anyone visiting Italy needs somewhere to stay. This quick guide will help those visiting Italy decide which type of accommodation is right for them and point them to the part of the Travel-Italy.com site to find the particular property and make their booking.
The first thing to decide when looking for a place to stay in Italy is what type of place you are looking for. Travel-Italy.com breaks accommodation categories down into 6 categories: Hotels, B&B's, Villas, Apartments, Agriturismo and Hostels. Below, I'll explain a little about the categories so you know which is the correct one for you and your family.
Hotels
Hotels in Italy are, for the most part, family run establishments that are relatively small (30-100 rooms). There are of course large properties run by chains, but these are often located outside of the main cities and not what the independent travel is looking for. If you are looking for luxury there are still plenty of options in town in smaller establishments.
Quality of hotels in Italy varies. The star rating system is from one star to five stars. One star and two star properties are very basic and are not for the average tourist. You might here of these hotels being labeled pensiones but that term is slowly disappearing. If you have not been to Italy before I'd suggest avoiding this level of accommodation. Most three star properties start to introduce the amenities most of use are used to. There are some very nice three star hotels and there are some very basic ones. You can usually get an idea of the quality by looking at pictures online and reading the customer comments. Four star hotels are what we would call first class properties. They have a wider range of amentities that are found in larger hotels such as (but not limited to) full service dining rooms. Finally five star hotels are definitely luxury hotels and the prices will reflect that. The most important thing to remember when booking hotels in Italy is that star ratings are not based on quality. There are criteria at each level and the tax they pay to the government is different at each level. I've found that my favorite category is the high level, three star hotel.
Most hotels are booked by the night and don't require minimum night stays. There are normally service staff 24 hours per day, but not always. It's important to ask about this, especially at smaller places. Normally breakfast is included in the price as well as taxes. Breakfast is usually a continental style which means breads, cereals, fruits, etc. At bigger hotels you might find cooked items like eggs, meats and so on.
For most people visiting Italy, the hotel is the right choice, but I encourage anyone who is adventurous or who prefers to save a little to look into some of these other options.
Bed and Breakfasts
Bed and Breakfast properties are certainly smaller and have become more popular because quality has come up and locations are often very good.
This type of accommdation affords a different set of rules to operate than hotels so they can be more efficient and pass that savings along to the customer. Unfortunately though, the customer has to be more careful in the booking process to not be bitten by the lack of oversight. But with the tools we have available to us this is not a hard process.
B and B's are generally more self catering than hotels so the services are not there. As the name suggests there will be breakfast and it might be more plentiful than at a hotel.
If you considering a longer stay in an Italian city in the future and are thinking about an apartment, a bed and breakfast might be a good intermediate step to see if you like the 'on your own' feel of being in a foreign city. At least with the B and B there is someone to fall back on in the face of trouble.
Villas
Villas or as they are more generally known, vacation rentals, are self catering and normally rented on a weekly basis, not by the night. They are perfect for families or groups of people who know one another well. When factoring the length of stay and number of people a villa can accommodation the price is normally much less than a hotel or B and B.
For the purpose of this web site, I've separated villas from apartments because I see villas in the countryside as stand alone houses where apartments are normally within a building in a city. You will find some 'villas' shown are a unit within a complex but the spirit of the place will revolve around a country feeling as opposed to a city feeling.
Villas are usually brought to the public directly by the owner. The owner will either do the work herself or use a representative booking firm. You will find both options on Travel-Italy.com. Remember booking firms usually add a little to the cost, but their service are immeasurable when it comes to insuring quality and carrying out the transaction for you. If you are inexperienced with the process, I suggest using a booking firm but if you are comfortable with going directly then you can save money. With the tools on our partners' web sites it should be a fairly painless exercise.
Apartments
Most of what applies to villas also applies to apartments. As explained above, the largest diffence between villas and apartments is the location. Because apartments are in the city they are not in stand alone buildings but within a larger building.
Sometimes called flats, apartments are often found in great locations and can give you prime access to cities' major sites.
Like a villa, you might find that your only contact with a representative of the property is at check in and check out. So make sure you are comfortable being on your own in a foreign city if you choose this form of accommodation.
Villas and apartments don't offer breakfast, daily changing of linens or anything like that but they do give you a sense of independence just as if you were living in Italy.
Agriturismo
Officially decided upon by the Italian government as a category of tourism in 1985, Agriturismo is commonly known as a farm stay. The properties are working farms and sometimes will even allow the families staying there to particpate in the work themselves. As a result, the cost of agriturismo properties can be slightly less.
The food served at agriturismo properties is normally locally grown if not grown right on the property.
Surprisingly, you can find agriturismo properties in a categories from rustic to luxury. It's particularly important to qualify yourself before arriving but this, again, is an easy process given all the tools available to us online.
Hostels
Another category of accommodation available to us in Italy is the hostel. Like all the other categories quality varies but in most all cases the prices are cheap.
Hostels are frequented by young travelers, backpackers and budget travelers. In my research I've found that quality is relatively good. Private rooms, semi-private rooms and open accommodation is all available but for the price it's easy to see why some people like this form of accommodation.
You can normally find hostels in good locations in the main center of cities. They will normally have a good selection of services such as a hotel. The difference lies in the overall basic nature of the accommodation. There are few frills but if you are not looking for them then you can save money with this form of place to stay.
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