Hotel Ilaria e Residenza dell Alba

Our second time visiting after three years. Rooms have been refurbished to a good standard. Staff as previously, exceptional. Great service from arrival to departure. A mixed bag of other guests, which always results in some interesting conversations during the afternoons, when the daily complementary drinks & nibbles are available. This hotel is very well placed to explore the beautiful city of Lucca.

The staff on reception were very friendly and helpful throughout our week’s stay. They all speak excellent English but were very patient with my attempts to speak Italian. We bought tickets for a Puccini concert (a real treat) through reception which was cheaper than buying online. The staff at breakfast were also very friendly and made coffee to order. The selection at breakfast was very good. We stayed in room 103, which given that it was close to the breakfast room and faced the street, was surprisingly quiet. The room was compact but had everything we needed for a week, for example, there were plenty of charging points. The mattress was a bit firm for us but the pillows were comfortable. The bathroom was spacious and well laid out although the shower could have been more powerful. Having stayed in Lucca before, but at the other side, we preferred this location. It is quieter and lovely to walk around at night. There is a fountain very close to the hotel that has potable water and it tasted very nice. There is a Conad supermarket in Piazza Carmine about a 10 minute walk away, which is well stocked. There are lots of restaurants nearby. We ate lots of delicious gelati in Lucca but our favourite was in Momo Gelati in Via dalla Fratta not far from the hotel. Without doubt the highlight of this hotel is the Prosecco time which was free from 5pm to 7pm every day. It was really sociable, and a lovely end to a day sightseeing to relax and chat to other guests. Coffee and tea are available all day long and in the afternoon there are snacks, beer and soft drinks. We would happily stay in this hotel again.

Pros Really nice hotel. Clean comfortable and nice terrace area with hot tub. Staff pleasant. Breakfast was pleasant and enough choice, some variations each day. The snack bar was great! Well stocked with food and drink. The staff were happy for us to sit on the terrace with snacks and drink and we often got some take out from the surrounding delis and had a lovely evening Would definitely stay again Small cons. Some rooms a bit small. Coffee has to be ordered via the ladies in the breakfast room and they were quite busy so it was hard to get it, or a refill. Be much easier to let guests use the coffee machine themselves

We had a lovely stay at this Hotel. The staff were all really friendly and helpful. The rooms were nicely decorated and spotless. My partner and I loved the breakfast. Plenty of variety. The locations is just within the walls of Lucca and perfect. They have their own bikes they hire to residents for free. We definitely would go back, hopefully next year!

I’ve travelled extensively across Italy over the past two years, and this was by far the best hotel I’ve stayed in. From check-in to check-out, everything was absolutely perfect. The staff were incredibly helpful and went above and beyond to make our stay as enjoyable as possible. Nothing ever felt like too much trouble, which really made a difference. The facilities were outstanding, and the breakfast selection was excellent. There was a wide variety to choose from, including continental options as well as hot dishes like scrambled eggs and bacon. Everything was fresh and high quality — from the bread and fruit to the yogurt, Danish pastries, croissants, and freshly ground coffee. A lovely surprise upon arrival was being invited to help ourselves to drinks and hors d’oeuvres, all included in the price. Even better, this was available every day from 12 noon to 7pm, which added an extra touch of luxury to the experience. The location was perfect — right in the centre — and the hotel offered free bike hire, which we made great use of by cycling around the perimeter wall. This was a fantastic way to explore the area and added something really special to our stay.