Phi Hotel Bologna is a romantic four-star hotel in the centre of Bologna. With origins dating back to 1375, it can boast over 600 years of hospitality.
Built as a tavern in the fourteenth century, today it is a boutique hotel in which history, technology, and design all come together to pair a sophisticated atmosphere and attention to detail with all the modern services that will make your stay pleasant and comfortable. One feature our guests love is our location, just steps from Piazza Maggiore. From the hotel you can explore the entire historic centre on foot, seeing the city's main landmarks, such as the Basilica of San Petronio, the Archiginnasio Library and the city's ultramodern multimedia Salaborsa Library, Palazzo d’Accursio and the Two Towers. Phi Hotel Bologna is the ideal starting point not just to tour the monuments, churches, and museums, but also to discover historic markets, elegant shops, little streets, and enchanting hidden corners. Having been located in the central yet secluded Via de’ Fusari from its beginnings, it is Bologna's oldest operating hospitality venue. The hotel began as the Capel Rosso tavern, built by the Bishop of Bologna Nicolò Albergati to provide Jews with a safe haven as they traveled through Bologna. It later served as lodgings for artists and architects involved in constructing the Basilica of San Petronio and was marked by an unusual cardinal's hat, as it was commissioned by Cardinal Albornoz. In 1464 the structure containing the hotel was purchased by the famous professor Andrea Barbazza of the University of Bologna, who rented it to an innkeeper called Bertuccini in 1467.
Seventeenth-century records mention the inn as the best place to stay in Bologna. When it was managed by Alfonso Cappelli at the turn of the last century, it was considered a historic hotel and restaurant renowned for its comfort. A careful restoration project carried out in 2001 led to the creation of specially themed rooms designed and decorated by internationally renowned artists and set designers, making it one of Bologna's most prestigious hotels, perfect for those who appreciate beauty, art, history, and the good life. The hotel is situated in a restricted traffic zone, but its guests enjoy authorized entry and the use of a private garage.