Nice Small Hotel or B&B in Ravenna and Orvieto?

Lola we were very happy with B&B Ripa Medici. It is on the edge of Orvieto, with windows that overlook the valley below. Very sweet, breakfast included. There are two rooms and two baths that share a common living area. You can have one room and another couple the other, or rent the whole place as an apartment. Wonderful hostess, free parking in the large Orviato garage a few minutes walk away.

Here's a webcam in Ravenna on the Piazza del Popolo, to show you one location: Ravenna Webcam

In March 2010 we stayed at Casa Masoli and we loved it. You can check Casa Masoli's website in addition to tripadvisor. The rooms are exactly as pictured, large and well appointed. Our room looked out on the central courtyard. The owner is very friendly and helpful and her mother baked some of the sweets served at the varied and delicious breakfast. While you may think the streets look bleak you have to remember that the 'old towns' of these towns are just that - old, some dating back to the middle ages. Casa Masoli is about one block from a main street with many newer buildings mixed in with some older ones. Casa Masoli is about a 10 minute walk from the train station and in walking distance to most sights.

Thank you both! Casa Masoli is actually my favorite in terms of the rooms. But I can't find anything on the website about whether breakfast is included in the price. Maybe I should just email them and ask?

Thank you, Laurel. I just spend an hour on the internet looking at places in Orvieto, and that one came out at the top of the list. Each couple could take one room, and they look roughly equivalent. The views look lovely. Are there any terraces or outside spaces? They don't mention it but some photos on Tripadvisor seem to show a small terrace with stone wall. The other one that looks intriguing is Il Cedro di Orvieto, which has a roof terrace.

Lola, Although it's been a few years, I quite enjoyed my stay at Hotel Corso in Orvieto. I found the room to be very comfortable, and the location was great. There was a nice open patio on the same floor as the room, where I enjoyed a few glasses of wine with other guests. As I recall, they did have an Elevator. It's right in the middle of town, somewhat between the Funicular and the Duomo, so very convenient to get around. However, being in town you may not get the great views. I'm typically just in the room to sleep and shower, so was concerned more with the pragmatic aspects of the location, rather than the views. There's a fantastic restaurant close to the Hotel, L'Antica Rupe (not cheap but great food). Happy travels!

Thanks, Ken. I like that stone terrace. We don't need a view of the countryside; a view over a piazza or rooftops is fine too. I'll add it to the list. I am goin gto need some alternatives because I won't be able to book until our friends decide when they are coming, and it looks like things are already filling up.

Lola: Orvieto is just what they say: A hill top town. At the base of the hill (below the city) are a number of modern hotels, accommodations and restaurants. The train station and "interstate" exit are also at the foot of the hill. Most rooms are not up in the city center.
I found a great room on Booking.com at a reasonable price. Some great B&B's are often mentioned on this website.

Hi David---we actually want to stay in the old city center of Orvieto, up on the hill, not at a modern hotel at the base. We actually have some good leads, thanks to suggestions here. And I may have found one I really like in Ravenna too, Ai Giardini di San Vitale, which has a nice garden.

We stayed at Ostello Galletti Abbiosi in Ravenna last summer. Our window opened onto a courtyard, not the street. Central Ravenna is a fairly flat town with narrow streets, so in the center you won't find many places with great views from the hotel windows. We loved Ostello Galletti Abbiosi. The rooms were comfortable, the service was good, and the included breakfast was amazing. I highly recommend it.

HK, that one is new to me but I will check it out. A window looking into a courtyard would be fine. I know there must be nice things like courtyards behind all those blank walls in Ravenna! So should we spend two nights in Orvieto and one in Ravenna? This will be a side trip from Venice. We don't want to be away from Venice too long (we have an apartment there for the month,msomare paying for theplace there even when elsewhere),but we don't want to shortchange places we visit, either.

No outdoor space at Ripa Medici. You are seeing the lane and stone wall the runs alongside the building, below your windows.

Now I am curious. Is Ravenna worth staying overnight? I have been reading the other thread about stopping there for a few hours. We have missed this part of Italy in our travels and I am wondering if we should include it next time? I saw Ravenna mentioned in National Geographic Traveler's list of "20 top places in the world to see" in 2013.

Sasha - Yes it is worth staying overnight in Ravenna. Ravenna has 8 UNESCO world heritage sites and other interesting sights. It would take more than a day to see the most important sights. We spent 3 nights there at Casa Masoli, which gave us 2.5 days. Two full days or even 1.5 might be enough, depending on how much time you would like to spend viewing the mosaics and other monuments and sights. There is also an interesting park called Rocca Brancaleone in what used to be a Venetian fortress. This website gives you some good info as to what to see, then you can decide how much time you need: http://goitaly.about.com/od/ravennaitaly/a/ravenna.htm

Thank you. We are not going to Italy this year but I will put this information in my travel folder for our next trip.

I haven't stayed there yet, but from Rick's book and some message board questions I booked Valentina's B&B in Orvieto for my september trip. She was real helpful via email.

In October we had a great 3-night stay at La Magnolia B & B in Orvieto. It's just around the corner from the Duomo - right in the middle of everything. Our "room" was actually a small apartment with a wonderful kitchen. Breakfast is included and served at the bar downstairs. You can see photos of the rooms on their website to see it they are what you're looking for. We've also stayed at Hotel Corso and it's good too. La Magnolia has more charm.

OK, the more I see of Orvieto the more intrigued I become. But we will be limited to two nights. I will encourage our friends to get their dates nailed down soon so I can make our reservations. All your suggestions look great; it may just come down to which ones are left.

In 2002 we stayed at the Hotel Doumo in Ovierto. Next to cathedral.

In answer to the question above, Ravenna is fabulous and well worth an overnight or longer. We were there for three full days, including a trip to San Marino and the Roman sites in Rimini. Our time was packed and we really want to go back.