Residenze d’Epoca Palazzo Coli Bizzarrini

Look, I’ve stayed in plenty of places in Siena, but Residenze d’Epoca Palazzo Coli Bizzarrini is something else entirely. You walk into this 16th-century palazzo right on Piazza Gramsci and immediately feel like you’ve stumbled into someone’s incredibly elegant family home – which, honestly, is sort of what happened here. The stone floors have that perfect worn smoothness that only comes from centuries of use, and the frescoed ceilings make you crane your neck like a tourist even when you’re just heading to your room.

What really gets me about this place is how they’ve managed to keep all the historical character while actually making it comfortable to stay in. I mean, some of these old palazzos can feel like beautiful museums where you’re afraid to touch anything, but here you can sink into a proper bed with good linens and take a hot shower without feeling guilty about it. The rooms are all different – mine had these massive wooden beams and windows that looked out over the piazza, which was amazing during the day but… well, you should know there’s going to be some street noise if you’re facing that direction. Not terrible, just the usual Italian city sounds – scooters, conversations, that sort of thing.

The location is pretty much perfect if you want to actually experience Siena rather than just visit it. You’re literally steps from where the locals grab their morning coffee (there’s this little bar just around the corner that does the best cornetti), and you can walk to the Duomo in maybe ten minutes through those narrow medieval streets. Parking is the usual Siena nightmare – they’ll direct you to a garage nearby, but honestly, just plan to walk everywhere once you arrive. The staff here actually knows the city, which sounds obvious but you’d be surprised how rare that is. They gave me restaurant recommendations that weren’t just the touristy spots near the Campo, and when I mentioned I was interested in local wine, they pointed me toward this enoteca where I ended up spending half an evening talking to the owner about Brunello.

During palio season this place must be absolutely electric – you’re right in the thick of everything – but I was there in October and it had this lovely, contemplative quality. You could sit in the little courtyard with an aperitivo and watch the light change on the medieval buildings across the square. The whole experience felt authentically Sienese, if that makes sense. Not like staying in a hotel that happens to be in Siena, but like you’re actually part of the city’s daily rhythm for a few days.