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Santa Croce in Fossabanda

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  • Piazza Santa Croce, 5
     Pisa 56125
    +39 050 970911 Website
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rufusni
rufusni
First Reviewer
3 out of 5
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Santa Croce in Fossabanda

  • June 5, 2008
  • Rated 3 of 5 by rufusni from Northern Ireland, United Kingdom
Santa Croce in Fossabanda

We arrived in the early hours of the morning and were keen to get to bed quickly. We caught a taxi from the airport here, about 10 minutes drive, and checked-in very quickly.
The location of the hotel is not the best, it is quite a walk into the city centre and the sights like the famed Leaning Tower. Not that such a walk is impossible, but it is more of a short stroll. It is a quiet residential area, so there are fewer restaurants, but this also means that you are away from the hustle and bustle of the tourist areas, and so it is peaceful and restful.

The hotel is in a converted monastery which gives an incredible atmosphere and shape to the hotel, with a huge central courtyard and two-layered cloisters. The breakfast room on the lower level also has tables outside in the courtyard which is a lovely place to eat breakfast. However, it seems more that the austere nature of monastic life influenced the room designs. The rooms were extremely simple, wardrobe and bed are present but little else, and the tiled floors and plain coloured bed linen adds to the effect. The bathroom was small but clean, with the Italian style of more sheet-like towels rather than big fluffy ones.

We were awoken by the bells of the attached church which is still open, even if this is no longer a monastery. Services happen several times a day and the chanting can be heard in the courtyard. Breakfast was average - coffee and sweet pastries, bread, cheese, ham and bread are all present but still left something to be desired.

There are probably better options to stay in Pisa if its only for a night - hotels that are more central. However, the atmosphere of this hotel makes this place unusual and different. The renovations to the old monastery have been done well and the rooms' simplicity match the atmosphere well. This is not a luxury hotel, but it is clean and comfortable. If you would like somewhere slightly different to stay then this is a good option, but if its convenience that is of importance, the location of this hotel makes it less than ideal. I liked the sense of the place, the courtyard and cloisters made it a pleasant and unusual place to stay.

From journal Flying Visit to Florence

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