We enjoyed our stay at the Hotel Iris...after we found it!! This was our first experience with driving in Italy and trying to get to our hotel was quite the adventure!! Our rooms were lovely and the bathrooms were very spacious. The breakfast was great although the seating is tight. As for the staff: we only got to deal with Ana Maria. We LOVE her. Without her our trip to Perugia might not have been so pleasant. She has the patience of Job and will go WAY out of her way to help you. Let's just say...she saved us from a mutiny!! Thank you, thank you and one more thank you!

We booked with EXPEDIA at the SANT'ERCOLANO, a two star in the centro storico. But when we arrived late there, the reception was so sorry they had no room avaible (they said that the bathroom of our room was leaking they just couldn't rent it out like that ... Believe it or not ... we did not ...) but has arranged a room for us at the IRIS, 5 minutes away, just outside of one of the main entrance to the old town of Perugia, near the triple arch.

So we went there.

At first sight it was a huge charming old house and the reception was very kind and was waiting for us.

THE NOISE and THE NON AC ROOM. The room we had was on the street side. The trafic was pretty heavy and the noise it made was incredible. And mid july this year in Umbria, temperature during our stay was between oven thermostat 7 and hell. So if you closed the window to avoid the noise, you died almost instantly. We chose to live, so we had two (very) bad nights there. As if it was not enough, the next day, there was a party in a bar on the other side of the street until late ... Our ensuite room was large and nothing was wrong with it, exept that, you guess, there was no AC...
THE BREAKFAST. Unispiring breakfast was served one floor below but thanks god, we had the choice of all kind of coffees, cappu included.
THE RECEPTION. The girl at the reception we met several times a day was very kind and helpful. She was, with the morning coffees, the only good thing at this place.

So, try to ask for rooms that are not on the street. We won't come back. Unless to have a coffee with the girl from the reception.

The building itself is very charming. The exterior is a bit run down but the old world charm shows through. Our three bedroom room was on the corner at the back and had a fresco decorated ceiling. The bathroom was a tiny partition in the corner - only suitable for skinny people!

The staff were friendly and welcoming. The hotel is just a 5-10min walk up the hill to the main street.

The only complaint I would have about this hotel is the temperature. It took all day for the radiator to warm our room with the shutters closed for insulation and even then it was cold. Our rooms only had enough water for one hot shower.