Hotel Il Guercino - Bologna

The Hotel Il Guercino is hidden away in a tranquil courtyard, remarkably peaceful and laid back but reassuringly close to the exhibition centre and the historical attractions of the old city. The hotel is a clever blend of historical authenticity underpinned by hi tech, all of the rooms flawlessly equipped and imaginatively decorated in a range of eclectic styles from the baroque through to the nineteenth century. There is a fabulous Turkish bath, part of the new Tecnogym fitness centre unveiled at the Guercino this month.

A measure of the hotel's appeal is that it has been visited on several occasions by a friendly ghost who has stayed in more than one of the well appointed rooms and has had its photograph taken by one of the guests. Though the sybaritic spectre avoided the hotel during the extensive renovation works it is hoped that he will pay a return visit and enjoy the new facilities, even in only in spirit. "Here at Il Guercino we take the needs of all our guests very seriously," says Sauro Nanetti, "even ghosts."

Bologna itself remains one of the most popular destinations in Italy, offering a consistently high standard of living to its residents and a good mix of activities for visitors. There is an agreeable and typically Italian collision of the old and new, ancient Etruscan remains sitting comfortably alongside contemporary exhibitions of photography, sculpture and art. There are some spectacular interiors, notably the anatomical theatre in the Palazzo dell'Archiginnasio and the Enrico Tabellini museum of music. A funloving but remarkably well-behaved student population contributes to the lively nightlife of the city.