Prompt repsonse to intial online enquiry. Happy to see us when we arrived at 9.45 pm. Room clean and bright, excellent breakfast. Well,placed for University, town centre and bus station - little longer to walk to trains but overall a great place to stay if you want a base to stay in Padova.

Definitely a bad experience. We have been booking hotels all over Padova for the past three years and have never been treated with less sympathy or respect than in Hotel Igea. We got there on a hot humid night on september 23rd and thought we were getting some air conditioning. Little did we know that they had shut down the whole system to clean it before the winter (we understand that it is also a heating system). We left the window open and went out for dinner but returned to a hot stuffy room without the benefit of a fan or anything to cool off. It wasn't a pleasant night. That night we obtained no help whatsoever from the staff. It would have been only normal to have emergency fans for the time being. The next morning we told them we were not staying for the second night, and explained our reasons. No excuses, no sympathy, only spite and the accusation of being 'the only ones complaining about it', as if the hotel's great expenses regarding air conditioning concerned us in the least. We were basically treated like troublemakers, accused of being abusive by a stubborn and incompetent woman, and left the hotel without a goodbye. If that is three-star treatment I am Santa Claus. Before you give up and go to the Igea think twice. There are plenty of cheap cute hotels all around downtown Padova. You don't want to remember a stay in this pretty city as a bad experience.

I stayed at the Hotel Igea for 5 nights in June of 2004. I had to make a last minute reservation just before departing from the U.S. Most affordable hotels were already full except for Igea. Although the staff were both professional and helpful online, I wondered why they still had beds available when other hotels were fully booked. Once in Padova there were signs advertising Hotel Igea all over the city so it wasn't hard to find. If arriving by train and carrying luggage, plan to catch a bus from the train station. Upon entering the hotel my low expectations were promptly dismissed. My two traveling companions and I stayed in a three bed room which had comfortable beds and delicious AC. The bath was a tad larger than those found in most European 3 star hotels. The cleaning staff might just be the best I've ever seen. Our room was made spotless each day and extra linens and toiletries were more than amply provided. The staff at the desk were always busy, but so professional and polite that I never felt like I was kept waiting. We did not take breakfast at the hotel. I always went three doors down (left) to a bar for my morning cappuccino and brioche. We found excellent restaurants (both inexpensive and fine dining) within 2 minutes of the hotel.

Initially I felt that Igea was too distant from the center of things, but again I was wrong. The reservation staff will give you a small fold up map of the city. There are vegetable markets, pasticcerie, pink geranium filled window baskets and molto antique stores along the 8-10 minute walk from the hotel to the city center. As you leave the Hotel Igea walk to your right along via Ospedale, then turn right (north) on either via Cesare Battisti or the broader via San Francesco and you will come to Piazza delle Erbe, across which you will see the Palazzao della Ragione. Sometimes there are flea markets in the piazza. I bought some inexpensive, very cool vintage garments at one. On the other side of the enormous Palazzo is the Piazza della Frutta which has a tourist information office. Going along the west side of the square on via Cavour you arrive at the Piazza Cavour with the famous Caffe Pedrocchi, and then the Piazza Garibaldi. Check out the baroque post office. Just a bit further up via Cavour is the Piazza Eremitani, aross which you will see the Cappella degli Scrovegni. As an art teacher, I have studied reproductions of Giotto's Scrovengi frescos for many years. Even so, I was totally awed by the chapel's restored interior. It is aesthetically and spiritually stunning. Buy your ticket in advance – or better– yet purchase a PadovaCard, if you plan to visit the Eremitani Civic Museo. Caffe Pedrocchi's upstairs, or the Palazzo della Ragione. After a 20 minute decontamination wait, visitors are only permitted a 20 minute viewing of the Scrovengi Chapel ... no matter how much you beg for just one more minute puhleeeeze! While you're in the neighborhood, be sure to visit the Eremitani church. In a chapel to the right of the altar are what remains of Mantegna's powerful St. Peter frescos. If you are tired at this point you are near the bus queue.

Hotel Igea is also near the multi-apsed Basilica di Sant Antonio (look for Donatello's equestrian statue in front of the basilica). Follow via Ospedale, again to the right (west) of the hotel. After the via changes names to via Cesarotti you will come upon the Basilica. Nearby are signs pointing the way to the botanical gardens. Allow yourself time to walk along the Prato della Valle, which I believe is considered the largest open square in Europe, but it's actually an immense, very open, formal garden with statues lining curved canals which surround huge expanses of lawn. Just north of the prato is a charming residential neighborhood with streets crossing small canals.

Although I stayed in Padova as a base from which to visit Venice and Verona, I actually found Padua more interesting than eitherof those cities. I plan to return and when I do I'll be staying at the Hotel Igea.