Grand Hotel Bastiani - Grosseto, Italy 

Flying from Chicago to Rome (with a change of planes in London) on my way to Siena, I figured I'd crash for one night in Rome. After checking out train schedules, I figured I could press on to the small town of Grosseto for my first night as I'd need to change trains there anyway. The Hotel Bastiani was the only Hotel I could find information about in English online that was within walking distance from the station. (A more modern Hotel is located right next to the train station itself) Happily, it turned out to be a wonderful choice - a 4-star experience that was available for 1/2 to 1/4 what a similar room would cost on Rome. My single room was upgraded to a double (Tho' I'm not sure a traditional twin-bed single is even available) and the room was large & cozy, with a gigantic bathroom. A Shuttered window looked out on a side street up to the main piazza, but - even tho' it was All Saint's Day and the town was abuzz - once the windows were close, noise was simply not an issue. The breakfast was plentiful, with the full supply of the usual European breakfast fare (cereals, rolls, fruit, cheese, ham, etc) but with a few extra touches (Proscuitto di Parma, Pain au Chocolat) that made it even more special. The town of Grosseto itself is small, but has it's treasures - the church and piazza, as mentioned, and the brick walls that surround the old section of town itself, and provide a nice walk. If I had more time to explore, I might have tried to see the nearby parks (or the sea!) but as I was only there one night, my main goal was to get a great night's sleep & a terrific breakfast in the morning - and the Hotel Bastiani happily satisfied my expectations on both counts. (There web site is available in English & bookings can be made directlyn thru' them)

Sorpresa molto piacevole. Il Bastiani è un albergo vecchio stile con scaloni in marmo ecc. È ben ubicato nel centro entro il perimetro delle mura accanto all'area pedonale. Le camere hanno soffitti molto alti. Bagni superlativi. Nonostante la posizione centrale era silenzioso e rilassante. La città in sé, a quel che ho visto, non è niente di che. Però entro le mura gli edifici sono tutti antichi, di pietra, molto affascinante e piacevole per una passeggiata. Ero là per lavoro (purtroppo solo per una notte), ma ci tornerei per vedere meglio il centro storico. C'è parcheggio a disposizione in un parcheggio pubblico vicino ed economico. Una colazione fredda a buffet era compresa nella tariffa molto ragionevole di €70, ed era una specie di banchetto.