Le Stanze del Cardinale

Wonderful
Traveller Type: Business Traveler

Wonderful
Traveller Type: Traveling as Couple
  : Beautiful room in a very atmospheric tower. The hotel is very centrally located across from the cathedral.
  : As is common in an older hotel the soundproofing was not great. As well, the bar that served the included breakfast did not open on time and we had to leave without it.

Wonderful
Traveller Type: Traveling as Couple
  : Historic property located in one of Pavias towers (in this case maybe truncated, but certainly a tower), overlooking the Duomo and its Piazza. The owners live in a separate property close by, so ask guests to let them know when they will arrive (in our case we told them late morning, and then phoned when we set off walking from the train station). None of this was a problem: we were met by a friendly and helpful lady who spoke good English, showed us the facilities, gave us a set of keys and assured us she was on hand if needed. She also gave us some tips on what to see, and we were particular grateful to be told about the University library, dating back to the time of Maria Theresa, barely mentioned in my otherwise excellent guide book, and very well worth seeing ! The room was lovely: furnished with antiques, spotlessly clean, and with a comfortable bed, spacious bathroom and a lovely view. Breakfast was in a bar just a few yards away for which vouchers were provided: it was good if more meagre than we are used to, but certainly adequate. The lady we met on arrival gave us a list of places to eat in the evening: these were good if on the pricey side, but we found a very nice and inexpensive trattoria for lunch also.Pavia is beautiful, and easily accessible by suburban train S13 from Milan. We went primarily to see the Certosa (bus 175 from the bus station, in front of and to the left of the train station). This did not disappoint, but there is also a lot to see in Pavia itself, including Romanesque churches, a Castello with the citys art collection and the University. The latter comprises a series of 18th century courts, not unlike an Oxbridge college, and the library where we were welcomed free of charge.
  : No criticisms at all. It would have been nice to have breakfast on the premises, but clearly that was not possible. The location was superb , we were very comfortable and had a very enjoyable stay.