Arnaboldi Palace

This beautiful palazzo and its lovely, small city, were absolutely delightful! Charming, historic deluxe double room, with a beautiful large marble ensuite bathroom, and all of the modern amenities travelers come to expect: well working A/C, hot water, comfortable bed & linens, robes, a convenient small refrigerator and tea pot, breakfast included, and plenty of electrical plugs to charge your devices. Loved the chandeliers. The Arnaboldi host and his staff were also warm and gracious, offering historical information about the property and the historic relevance of Pavia, along with sightseeing suggestions (parks, churches, the river). Great central location. A lift or stairs. Enchanting first night in Italy, not far south of Milan by train! (I hate to spoil it for others.) -- Go!

I made a mistake and they capitalised on it. I thought I had cancelled this Monday night’s booking, having made a booking in September instead. When I received a reminder this morning, helpfully for them outside the cancellation period, I immediately contacted them and explained the error. They said they were small and had to be strict. The thing is that they have a few rooms available on Monday so it is not as if they have lost out. They preferred to pocket the €280 and lose my other booking in September instead. This could have been resolved differently. Not very nice.

This is our second stay at this small hotel. Some things have changed since 2018. They have grown from three rooms to six, and the staffing level also seems to have grown. Staff were still efficient and helpful. Breakfast is still served in the beautiful salon with the antique furniture and paintings, beautiful chandeliers, and other interesting decorative items. Breakfast still consists of breads and pastries, and a selection of meats and cheese. They serve great coffee and accommodate American taste by bringing refills. The hotel occupies most of one floor of an architecturally important building, a restored late 19th century Pallazzo. The octagonal center space is bright and airy thanks to the iron and glass dome. The property is on the main pedestrian street in Pavia. Access is from a side street, and with the keys provided, you have twenty-four hour admission. The elevator is small, especially if you have a lot of luggage. Fortunately, we did not. The room was quiet, and comfortable with a mix of antique and contemporary furniture and art. The Wi-Fi was strong. The bath was spacious, with large towels. The property is in a limited access zone, so you need to follow a map to arrive at the rear. We chose to let them valet park our car, but public parking is available in the area.