Relais Ducale

Frommer's Review

You simply can't get more central than Gubbio's (and the Mencarelli family's) newest hotel. In 1998, the former medieval and Renaissance guest quarters of Duke Montefeltro's palace returned to their original purpose -- with all the modern amenities added, of course. The largish rooms are outfitted with antiques, and the bathrooms with heated towel racks and Jacuzzis (in some). The mansard rooms, with their sloping ceilings, are a bit cheaper, but I'd spring for a room on the upper floors of the Foresteria with a panorama over the jumble of rooftops and Piazza Grande to the stitched-together fields of the green valley beyond. But even Foresteria rooms on the first and second floors are memorable -- a pair inhabits long barrel-vaulted rooms of rough ancient stone. The Caffè Ducale attached to the hotel opens directly onto the center of Piazza Grande, and on summer mornings guests can breakfast on the square. You can even take summer dinners by candlelight on a small hanging garden -- or opt for a half-pension deal at the Taverna del Lupo .

Facilities:Restaurants (family owns 3 nearby, including Taverna del Lupo, recommended below, for which pension plans are available); access to nearby gym; bike rental; concierge; tour desk; car-rental desk; courtesy car; secretarial services; limited room service; in-room massage; babysitting; laundry service; dry cleaning; nonsmoking rooms.

Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.

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