I was in Padova for business in March and split a 2 week period between Hotel Donatello and the NH Mantegna (also reviewed). Although there had not been a recent review, I chose this hotel primarily because of the location.

It must be stated that this is a very traditional european hotel and does not have many of the bells/whistles of high end properties in the US. That being said, I really enjoyed my stay there and would recommend it for those willing to forego WIFI, millions of electrical plugs and enjoy a traditional atmosphere. It is exquisitely clean. The staff were not only professional, but quite helpful. The room which was a large double overlooking the Basilica di St. Antonio, had a king sized bed and had large shuttered windows. The bathroom was large with a small, but well-designed shower.

For the price it was a very good value and included a continental breakfast. It is minutes from the historical center of Padova, but quieter than staying directly in the center. The church bells and the opening of the business shutters each morning added to the charm, but may annoy light sleepers.

Would recommend this hotel for relative quiet near tourist attractions, primarily because the staff was so helpful. Caters to both italians and tourists.

I should have sent this review months ago and I apologise to the Donatello for not having posted this review sooner.

After our holiday to a hotel in Rome had been cancelled at very short notice in September 2006, my wife and I had only a few days to rearrange our family holiday. Suitable hotels at short notice in Rome during the month of September is very difficult and our second choice, Venice, appeared to be fully booked and was out of the question.

My wife and I have travelled many times to Italy and as Padova was on our list of cities to visit, by good fortune, the Donatello were able to take our booking at short notice. We travelled via Treviso airport and having pre-arranged a car to Padova, the transfer time was about 45 minutes.

We were given three rooms, each facing the Basilica of San Antonio. All the rooms were very clean, bright and the air conditioning was good. Our room, which was at the corner of the building overlooking the piazza and the street running off the piazza, was very comfortable.I did not see any of the other rooms in the hotel but would recommend the rooms overlooking the piazza.

Breakfast was the standard fare found in a lot of Italian hotels but was more than adequate for us. There was a good choice of restaurants and pizzerias within a five minute walk of the hotel and all were reasonably priced.

Having visited Venice on a number of occasions, my wife and I can appreciate the attraction that Venice has but Padova has a lot to offer. The people of Padova (Padovese??) were very friendly
and through a mixture of badly spoken Italian from myself and a little bit of English from the local people we met, everything went well.

I would thoroughly recommend visitors to Padova to spend some time at the Scrovegni chapel and the Botanical gardens. The Scrovegni chapel was about 25 minutes walk from the hotel and the gardens no more than 5 minutes. The museum linked to the Scrovegni is also worth a visit.

If the pull of Venice is too much, it can be easily reached by train (40 minutes journey) for less than 10 euros return per person (2006 prices).

We would thoroughly recommend the Donatello and we will return in the future.

The desk clerk was totally unhelpful and unable to answer simple queries (she kept advising us to ask at the tourist office next day). There was no laundry service and no bar. Breakfast was poor. The price - 184 euros - was way too high for what they offered and they did not have a weekend deal . We intended to stay four nights but left after one and moved to a much superior hotel (the Plaza) where we paid 150 euro for a superior room and excellent service.

We stayed at the Donatello with a group of friends in October 2003.
Many of the rooms had no view and no light and their decoration was sad and outdated. Breakfast room and lobby were unpleasant. Staff was helpful. If you decide to stay there be sure to ask for a room facing the Piazza.