Al Porto di Lucca B&B

It is very difficult to write a less than stellar review of a family-run establishment with a lovely host. But the opinions stated below are purely mine and may not reflect the opinions of other guests. First the pros: 1. convenient location right outside the walls of Lucca next to the train station. There is a parking space available if you need one. 2. Large and fluffy towels - usually, my pet peeve with 3-star hotels 3. a lovely hostess 4. nice and plentiful breakfast served in a lovely garden room. Cons (for me) 1. the house is old and historic, and it feels it. Not in a good way for me. It had an old-house smell and looked like an antiques shop 2. the owners live in the house and you encounter family members in the common areas. Also, you know you are in someone's house because the family room has family photos displayed everywhere. Some people might find that charming, I felt a bit uncomfortable. 3. speaking of common areas, the lovely breakfast room and the living room are closed to the guests after breakfast. So there is no place to hang out other than your room. 4. the bathroom is very clean but could be upgraded. So the bottomline is that this kind f establishments aren't for me. I am giving it 4 stars though, trying to be fair.

A comfortable stay of 4 nights. Lucca is a lovely, small city with a friendly atmosphere. This is a family (delightful hosts) run b&b in a great location near the station and 300 metres from the city walls.