My family of three (at the time) and sister-in-law stayed at the Mini Hotel in Asti as lodging for the 2006 Winter Olypics in Torino. These accomodations were booked by a friend via a travel agent.

Strictly speaking, the Mini Hotel does qualify as a ***, however, we felt the accomdations left much to be desired. It really felt like a ** hotel upgraded to a *** just in time for the Olympics. The room we stayed in was a double (two twin beds). No extra cots were available upon check-in and we had to twist the staff's arm in order to get us a crib, even though all requests were firmed up well in advance via email. In order to best rest at night, we had to push the two twin beds together have the three adults lay across them. Breakfast is included in the cost of the room. There is plenty of parking at Mini Hotel. Mini Hotel is located well outside the city center of Asti in an industrial zone(?) just off the A21. You would have to take public transportation or drive in order to visit the city center or take the train.

Fortunately, my wife went into active labor and we had to leave two days early. =) The rub, of course, is that we were out for the cost of the room for the remainder of the stay and for the tickets for events we had yet to see. =(

Mini Hotel is not a dump. The staff, rooms, and restaurant are nice enough. The hotel does feel like ** lodging with *** accomodations slapped on to make the cut. Its probably best suited for truckers or travellers just looking for a room overnight. It certainly doesn't have any ambience or charm and I wouldn't stay there again nor recommend it to somebody looking to visit the area. You can visit their website [--] and judge for yourself.