Modern and elegant, review AC Hotel Bologna by Marriott
A category 3 facility that costs "only" 15 thousand points per night, but sometimes it is better to pay and keep the points in the piggy bank
Marriott
This will not be a very long review because my stay at this hotel was just one night, arriving late in the evening and leaving early the next morning.
In this article:
AC Hotel Bologna - photo TFC2020
The best bonuses
Opportunities to sleep in the capital of Emilia Romagna and earn points, or alternatively stay using points, are not many. Marriott is present with this facility, which, like almost all ACs, is placed in category 3. You will then be able to pay for your stay using bonvoy points (Currently listed, the cost starts at 15 thousand points for the low season to rise to 20 thousand for the high season).
If you don't know how bonvoy points work, which facilities in Italy and around the world belong to Marriott you can read our special.
Thanks to my american express platinum i can take advantage of the Gold Elite level in all facilities and get some advantages such as room upgrades, bonus points, and more flexible check-in and check-out times.
Reservation
We are still in the midst of a pandemic, so the few hotels that are open are charging very aggressive price lists to grab reservations. For this reason, I booked directly through the Bonvoy APP, the cost of the room with breakfast was only 75€.
Thanks to this reservation I gained 3,743 points: 794 basic points, 199 elite bonus and 250 extra. In addition, thanks to the active promo, I received another 2,500 bonus
Location
Convenient to reach exiting the Bologna ring road, it is located outside the center in the Via Stalingrado area. It is ideal if you have business appointments in the Unipol headquarters area or if you have to attend the fair. I would not recommend this facility to those who decide to visit the city center or the station area, since it is about ten minutes away by car.
Check-in
I arrived in the late evening and fortunately found parking right in front of the facility entrance. In the current "new" normal, I have never again encountered confusion at a hotel reception, either on arrival or departure. The paperwork was done quickly and in compliance with regulations. The attendant recognized me as an elite member and graciously gifted me with a small upgrade to a deluxe room.
On the right, in the lobby, is a small pantry, where you can buy sandwiches, snacks, drinks, and little else.
The room
My room #505 was located on the penultimate floor of the building and my window overlooked a park. The room was in perfect AC style: modern and functional. Unlike in Hilton facilities, there was no special signage in this hotel to certify sanitation, while in the room near the remote control were two sachets containing cloths to sanitize surfaces and objects.
Deluxe room AC hotel Bologna - photo TFC-2020
Attention was drawn to the TV, as usual in Marriott hotels the television is always generously sized, in this case with a monitor over 60".
Bathrobe in the AC Bologna hotel room - photo TFC-2020
The equipment in the room otherwise was traditional, bathrobe and cellophane slippers.
Risen the bathroom kit, but this will increasingly become a trend in the name of environmental sustainability.
The room also had a small corner with a coffee maker and thermos for heating water and making tea.
Overall, a deluxe room without infamy or praise, perhaps the mattress too soft for my taste.
Breakfast
Every hotel, even in international chains, chooses independently how to serve breakfast, indeed as in the case of my stay at the DoubleTree of Milan some have decided to suspend service, others like the Garden Inn in Riga have not changed their offer.
AC Bologna hotel breakfast buffet - photo TFC-2020
In this case, the buffet was minimal and perfectly compliant with anti-covid standards. Since the two main stations, sweet and savory, featured only single portions.
The few guests were seated while maintaining social distancing; I personally ordered a cappuccino made the traditional way and not, as is increasingly the case, at an automatic dispenser.
In conclusion
Definitely a structure to keep in mind for accumulating Bonvoy points, as it stands at present it is not worth spending 15k at all points, indeed much better to pay for the stay and accumulate valuable points to use up in other situations.
Have you stayed at this hotel? Leave your opinion in the comments and if you are curious check out the full gallery of my stay at this Bologna property.
