FlyOn

I don’t take one star ratings lightly however this place definitely earned it. I’m attending a work exhibition in Bologna and I decided to bring my wife and 4 month old along. Since I’m working during the day my wife and infant are staying in the room. Room is hotter than hades. Talked to the front desk and the hotel shuts off the AC off in the spring to save money. Staff was very argumentative when I told them that the room was too hot. Finally after awhile they moved us to the indirect sun side of the building. Still hot but better than the 1^st room. Next time I’d stay in Florence instead of Bologna. Beware that this place used to be a Sheraton but it was sold in December of last year. We made our booking in November. Crappy place for $ 500 USD a night. I would NEVER stay here again.

I definitely expected more from a Starwood property.
Look, I realize many European hotels are different compared to American standards and I wouldn’t want them any other way. I have enjoyed many stays at a penzione or boutique hotel to enjoy the local flavor. However, if you are staying at a business hotel and forgoing regional charm, there are certain things I’d like to get in the trade.
First off, I found the photos on their website to be very flattering and didn’t necessarily reflect what I experienced as a guest. In particular, the lobby, hotel bar and restaurant are quite worn and dated. The hotel is a long rectangle with elevators in the middle, so the rooms are down very long hallways.
Another essential thing for travelers is to specify you want a non-​smoking room if you don’t smoke. We arrived late in the evening and several of us lasted less than a minute in our originally assigned rooms. It is a bit odd, but the main level of the hotel is the fourth floor, with most of the rooms on levels one through four.
There were a number of us staying at the hotel and even though our rooms were in the same booking category, they varied in layout and décor. My best guess is that they are renovating the rooms in stages. For example, my bathroom was one open room with a ceiling showerhead and no separation from the sink, toilet, bidet, etc. But, it was also modernized, so I think I was in one of the nicer rooms.
The biggest difficulty as a business traveler was the internet. Even though I am a Starwood member (not a high level), I would have to pay roughly € 19/​day for internet access in my room. There was free wi-​fi in the lobby and they had a small business center on the fourth floor. Connection quality was an issue.
There was a small room safe, however it wasn’t large enough to store my laptop computer and the TV was a bit quirky and all stations are in Italian (no BBC, CNN or CNBC). Breakfast was a disappointment for both food and beverage.
Regarding the location, this is an airport property. Considering I had an 11:00p arrival and 6:00a flight out, I appreciated it only took about five minutes to reach the airport. It was roughly 20 minutes into downtown Bologna without traffic (€ 18 taxi).
The staff varied from helpful to distracted during my three-​day stay. The room rate was reasonable and taxes minimal, so I didn’t feel like I overpaid for the stay. I can’t speak to the other options in the area, but while the hotel’s location was great for my business purposes, the overall amenities were sub-​par.