Hotels in Padua - Al Santo or Al Fagiano?

Well my friend and I stayed at al fagiano on the same tour. He found the art work and decor a little funky. We also had a minor incident. We came back to the room one afternoon and the room was quite warm as it faced the afternoon sunshine. My friend went downstairs to ask for the AC to be turned on. The clerk asked for our room number. After being told what room we were in, he replied "No. Not hot." I found it a bit odd. Why ask us what room? What difference would that make.? It did cool off later so he ended up being right but it was more the attitude than anything else the soured us a bit on the hotel. And in fairness to the hotel, they did help another tour member with a rental car return.

Have stayed at Al Fagiano 2 nights a few years ago. Coincidentally, the Rick Steves group was also staying there, and the RS guide appeared to be coaching the check-in clerk. "Now say 'Thank you for choosing the Al Fagiano'." Nothing to complain about. Easy 1-block walk from the tram stop. As the RS guide book says, "..each room uniquely decorated".

We have reserved several nights at Al Santo in advance of our 2017 Village Italy tour in May. The reasons we chose Al Santo over Al Fagiano were that it is somewhat less expensive and that among its many good reviews are Rick's comments that is is "run with charm" and that it is a "fine value."

Steve

My mom & I enjoyed our stay at Hotel Al Santo in October of 2014.

The owners & staff were nice & helpful.
The breakfast was good & it included a variety of yogurts, some fresh fruit, bread, pastries, cold meats, cheese, cereals, juice, water, milk, & coffee.
We enjoyed a couple of meals at their restaurant & the food was good too.

Please note: The hotel has a very small elevator, but you may need to climb a few stairs to reach your rooms. Our room was on the third floor & it faced the narrow street, but it was quiet.

One evening I noticed some mosquitos in our room, so I went to the front desk & they lent me a mosquito repellent device that you plug in, & we didn't have any issues with mosquitos after that.

Have a wonderful trip!

I am fairly lazy, lol, and I don't like the hassle of changing hotels so I usually opt for the tour hotel. I stayed in the Al Fagiano for Village Italy as well. The decorator/artist is one of the owners, I think.

Thanks, all. I think we're going to go with Al Santo, mostly for the same reasons SteveM mentioned. And I visited both websites, and I think Al Santo fits us better. Funky, I'm not :-)

Well now, Jane, after this you too may want to paint the fabric on your upholstered pieces at home. Hahaha!!!

Pam, speaking of funky, remember the tour hotel in Bacharach on the 21 Day BOE? Our guide had everyone on our tour visit everyone else's room, just so we could see how different and quirky they were. I did not come back home and start swirling scarves around the house! :-)

Laughing! Yes! We raced around like mad checking each other's rooms! I think she did animal shapes or something with the towels, too??

Al Fagiano is very different. Much more artsy-fartsy over crafted by loving hands at home.

Jane,
Keep in mind that Hotel Al Santo is a family owned budget hotel. The rooms are very simple & clean.
Our twin (double) room was tiny, much smaller than any of the photos on their website.
Having said this, the hotel was fine for us because we travel on a budget.

If you're in Padua on a Saturday, make sure you check the market at Prato della Valle.

Also try the gelato at Pretto gelateria... My favorite gelato in Padua & Verona!

Enjoy!

Thanks, Priscilla: We've been very busy this week, so I haven't had time to check out my posts and responses. Yes, we are planning to be there on a Saturday, so we will check out the market. I don't eat gelato, but my GH fancies himself a connoisseur, so I'll pass your recommendation on to him. Thank you!