If you are used to modern international hotels be prepared to step back in time. I suppose some of it could be seen as charming but I found it a little depressing. The location is great the ground are fine bit the interior is in need of some modernising. Having said that the room was clean and had everything that you need for a nights sleep.
Breakfast was adequate but nothing more. I'm glad that this was business and nothing else as I doubt the wife would have been impressed.

The Canalgrande is right in the centro storico of Modena - the historic centre. It is a relatively old hotel, and quite old fashioned. I chose it because of its location and because of prior favourable reviews on this site. We really liked it. The welcome we received was very friendly and all the staff we encountered were too. Our room - a Junior Suite - had no view but since we were only there for one night, and the weather was very hot so we kept the shutters closed all day, that didn't matter. In fact it was most likely better that we didn't have a view so we were not tempted to open the shutters! The Air Conditioning in the room was reasonably adequate. I would have preferred a cooler temperature but since it was about 36C outside when we arrived, the room felt comfortable. The bathroom was more than adequate and actually very pretty and spacious. As I said, the hotel is old, and consists of several buildings knocked into one so I suppose all the rooms are different.

We came by car and our car was rapidly taken care of, and parked in a locked garage so we did not have to worry about it. We walked around Modena, which is a very lovely city, though it being Thursday afternoon most of the shops were closed. (Too bad! though my husband rather liked this...)

We booked a table for dinner in the restaurant in the basement of the hotel - la Secchia Rapita. It is very very cool - in design terms. We loved it! And we absolutely loved the food which was superb, from the amuse bouche to the dessert. We did not expect this quality of food, and also great service, in Modena. And the "iceing on the cake" if you like is that the prices of the various dishes are very reasonable. For an excellent, beautifully presented, three course meal for two, including a glass of Prosecco (complimentary) and amuse bouche plus a bottle of nice cold rosé and a bottle of water we paid about 90€. Far less than we would pay in a similar restaurant here in Switzerland, or in most other places for that matter. Everything was so beautifully presented and so tastey!

The breakfast, included in the room rate, was fine. Diversity of things offered and (for Italy) quite good bread.

All in all it was a wonderful place to spend a night on a long road journey, and we would both be glad to return there. My only complaint would be the bed - a "letto matrimoniale" or large double bed but with a mattress that did asg a bit. This makes sleep difficult!

First things first: Modena is pronounced with the stress on the first syllable. In the local dialect, it's Mod'na.

Hotel Canalgrande is just on the edge of the historic city center, within walking distance of all attractions (but 15-20 minutes on foot from the train station.) We stayed for 5 nights, using Modena as a base camp for day trips to Parma (fairly interesting) and Mantua (extremely interesting and beautiful.)

The hotel is in a historic building, and some of the walls retain lovely paintings. The garden is amazing! We spent two hours sipping drinks and watching birds flit from the flowers to the trees. Don't look for a canal, though--it is now buried. You can see a little of it running from the fountain to the restaurant.

Our room was of moderate size, reasonably quiet and quite comfortable, with a pleasant view. Internet service was excellent--fast and free. The staff was exceptionally courteous. All in all, we felt as though we were in a gracious lovely hotel from a bygone era, but with all the modern amenities.

Many of the other guests were testing-driving Ferrarris in nearby Maranello. Maranello is only about 15 km away, so we expected to see lots of information about it in the tourist office, but there was nothing. On the other hand, if you want Balsamic vinegar, this is the place where it originated...and it's different here... thicker and much less acidic. We loved it.

My husband and I stayed at Canalgrande for - fortunately- just one Night. The pictures on their HomePage are in our opinion very misleading. The hotel / our room and the halls were VERY worn down, and even smelled weird. Further more they forbid the use of the fridge for guest items.