Great location. Room clean and quiet. Breakfast was wonderful and served by staff who were attentive and pleasant to speak to. Reception staff were keen to help if required. Would recommend staying here

We spent 4 nights (a good deal on Expedia) in Hotel Il Canale, via Bertiera, Bologna. Why stay there? It's very centrally located, only a ten minute walk from Piazza Maggiore, the main square in central Bologna. This was really convenient - especially when we wanted to pop back to the hotel to freshen up/drop off shopping, etc. Yet Il Canale is off the main drag and thus quiet. The room (a twin) was spotless, quite plushly furnished and very comfortable, in a 3 star (though definitely not 4 star) way. We were quite impressed. The only, minor, drawback was that the decor was orange, orange and more orange.

The breakfasts were very good - fresh fruit, crossants, cheese and cold meats, pastries, cereal - and the staff, particularly the maid who served breakfast, were very friendly.

Drawbacks: minor. The staff don't speak very much English. There are no additional facilities - eg lounge, internet access (though there is an internet cafe right next door). The hotel is next to a sex shop. But note, it appears, from the window display, to be a very tame sex shop (!) run by a mature, respectable-looking lady (we used to see her outside chatting on her mobile, because trade was dead!) and neither of us (two sisters travelling together) felt in the least uncomfortable about this. So unless you're really very bothered by such things, it shouldn't impinge upon your stay at all.

The hotel location is very good, being halfway between the train station and the main square, (10 minutes walk from station). Admittedly there is a sex shop next door but it's a chain-store, high street sex shop and it is closed in August (along with everything else!) We asked for a twin room and were given a huge family room. Everywhere was clean and recently decorated, breakfast was the standard continental but with excellent coffee. The only annoyance was the lack of English language news channels.

Very nice hotel, just of the main street of Bologna, via del Indepenza. Large spacious rooms, very warm and well done up. Large and very clean and spacious bathrooms. Good breakfast buffet. For the price it is a great great stay.