Orange Everywhere: Our Bologna Airbnb with Personality
The Airbnb That Wasn’t Afraid of Color
The Short Version
A historic Bologna loft with soaring ceilings, beautiful views of Santo Stefano, and two very orange bathrooms that somehow worked beautifully. I'd happily stay here again.
Location: Bologna, Italy
Sleeps: Up to 4
Layout: Open-plan loft with king bed and sofa-bed options and 1.5 bathrooms
Perfect for: Couples, solo travelers, and friends
Highlights: Incredible views of the neighboring church, fully stocked kitchen, and designer bathrooms.
My mom and I had barely arrived in Italy when we found ourselves running through Florence’s train station, dragging our suitcases behind us and convinced we were about to miss our train to Bologna. We’d already been traveling for about twelve hours, and by the time we finally made it onto the train, we were sweaty, exhausted, and very relieved.
Naturally, the train sat at the platform for another ten minutes before departing. Apparently, our Amazing Race performance had been completely unnecessary.
Once we arrived in Bologna, we decided we’d done enough running around with our luggage for one day and took a car to our Airbnb, located just off Piazza Santo Stefano. I’d booked a loft in a historic building overlooking the beautiful Basilica of Santo Stefano, and while the photographs had been interesting, seeing the apartment in person was even better.
The All-Orange Bathroom
The most shocking—and coolest—part of the Airbnb was the bathroom. Or, technically, the bathrooms.
Immediately to the right of the entrance were two separate bathroom spaces, both completely orange. One had a shower, sink, and toilet, while the other was a smaller half bathroom. Everything was sleek, modern, and orange from floor to ceiling. I loved it.
The kitchen was immediately across the hallway, with streamlined cabinetry running along one wall. It was so modern and minimalist that I had trouble figuring out which panels were drawers, which were cabinets, and how to open any of them.
But my favorite part of the apartment was the juxtaposition of all those contemporary finishes with the historic architecture and antique furnishings in the main room.
Past the kitchen, the apartment opened into an enormous space with soaring ceilings, a beautiful fireplace, antique furniture, and artwork throughout. There were huge windows that opened directly toward the church across the street, giving us a gorgeous view of Santo Stefano.
I loved that the renovation hadn’t tried to make everything match. The original architecture and antique pieces were beautiful on their own, and the modern kitchen, mirrored room divider, and bright-orange bathrooms made the apartment even more memorable.
Inside Our Bologna Airbnb
The apartment had one large main room that served as both the living and sleeping space. There was a dining table immediately to the right as you entered, with the fireplace and a sitting area beyond it.
A mirrored partition ran through the middle of the room, dividing the sleeping area from the rest of the space without creating a separate enclosed bedroom. Behind it was the king-size bed, positioned closer to those enormous windows, along with a sofa and television. There was also another sofa bed near the entrance to the main room.
It was an unusual layout, but there were several sleeping options depending on how many people were staying. If you’re planning to use one of the sofa beds, make sure to request additional linens from the host in advance, as they weren’t automatically provided.
The kitchen was equipped for cooking, with coffee and espresso available, and the apartment had air conditioning and blackout shades. It was also incredibly quiet at night, despite its central location, so we had no trouble sleeping.
There were two short sets of stairs to reach the apartment, but otherwise, getting in and out was straightforward.
Staying Near Piazza Santo Stefano
The location was another reason I loved this Airbnb. We were just off Piazza Santo Stefano, with the beautiful church right outside our windows, and could easily explore Bologna on foot.
After dropping off our bags and freshening up, our first order of business was gelato at Cremeria La Vecchia Stalla, conveniently located just down the street.
We also discovered Sfoglia Rina nearby, where we had some of the best pasta of our entire trip. Having both within such easy walking distance was a pretty good arrangement.
Bologna was also our base for a day trip to Venice, and after a long, hot day of sightseeing there, we were especially happy to return to Bologna for another evening of exploring and eating.
Would I Stay Here Again?
Without a doubt. Between the enormous windows overlooking Santo Stefano, the historic architectural details, antique furnishings, and incredibly modern finishes, this was one of the most unique Airbnbs I’ve stayed in.
I’d recommend it to couples, friends, or solo travelers who appreciate beautiful architecture and unusual design but don’t mind sleeping on a sofa bed. The flexible sleeping arrangements are useful for groups, although I’d make sure everyone was comfortable with the open layout since there isn’t a traditional separate bedroom.
I loved the contrast between the old and new throughout the apartment, and the location couldn’t have been much better for exploring Bologna.
And I have to give the host credit for committing so thoroughly to orange. I never would’ve thought to design an entire bathroom that color, but somehow it worked beautifully.
Book this Bologna Airbnb and plan your orange getaway here.
