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The centro storico, the station side and Bellaria below the hills

Best Dog-Friendly Hotels in Bologna

Italy

18 dog-friendly luxury hotels.

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Where can my dog actually go?

Bologna is one of the easiest cities in Italy to walk a dog. The old town has around 40 kilometres of porticoes, so a walk stays in the shade in July and dry in November, and the main streets, Via dell'Indipendenza, Strada Maggiore, Via Farini and Via Zamboni, are covered end to end. Dogs are welcome in the Palazzo d'Accursio courtyard, in the Salaborsa library on a lead and muzzled, and all the way up the portico to San Luca. Eighteen hotels on our list take dogs, almost all of them central four-stars.

What separates them is where the dog is allowed once you're inside. The Grand Hotel Majestic "già Baglioni" is the only one with a written yes for dining: small dogs can come to breakfast, the restaurant and Café Marinetti, and the hotel will reserve a suitable table if you tell them ahead. Everywhere else, plan on the dog staying in the room. Royal Hotel Carlton and Hotel Internazionale are clear the other way, dogs aren't in the restaurant, breakfast room, bar or spa, and Hotel Brun and Hotel Touring keep dogs out of the breakfast room too. The upside at Carlton, Internazionale and Brun is that the written policy lets you leave the dog alone in the room, which is rare. I Portici is the opposite, the dog can't be left alone at all.

Fees run from EUR 10 a stay at Almarossa and EUR 10 a night at the Mercure, through EUR 20 a stay at Carlton, Internazionale and Porta San Mamolo, to EUR 50 a stay at the Majestic and EUR 35 a night at Albergo Rossini 1936. Watch the weight limits. Hotel Brun takes one dog up to 6 kg, Rossini and I Portici take small dogs only, and the Majestic takes small and medium dogs without publishing the kilos. For a big dog, Royal Hotel Carlton and Hotel Internazionale take one dog up to 25 kg, and NH Bologna de la Gare takes two dogs up to 25 kg each, 100 metres from Parco della Montagnola. No hotel on our list publishes a yes for a dog over 25 kg, so ring ahead.

The top of the market is thin. The Majestic is the only five-star that takes dogs, and Frame Bologna, the other five-star, doesn't. Four of the eighteen, the Mercure, Starhotels Excelsior, UNAHOTELS Bologna Centro and the NH, sit by the station rather than among the porticoes, which is handy for a train arrival and close to Montagnola park but a walk from Piazza Maggiore. Relais Bellaria is further out again, at the foot of the eastern hills.

Daisy's picks

Where Daisy would book

  1. 01
    Grand Hotel Majestic "già Baglioni"

    Small dogs at breakfast, in the restaurant and in Café Marinetti, with a table reserved if you ask ahead, and small and medium dogs welcome in the common areas on a lead. A welcome kit and a Pet Care service with bags, wipes and pads. EUR 50 a stay, small and medium dogs, no kilo figure published.

    EUR 50 · max Small and medium dogs kg

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  2. 02
    Royal Hotel Carlton

    One dog up to 25 kg, and the written policy lets you leave the dog alone in the room, which almost nobody publishes. Dogs aren't in the restaurant, breakfast room, bar or spa. EUR 20 a stay, about 500 metres from Parco della Montagnola.

    EUR 20 · max 25 kg

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  3. 03
    Hotel Corona d'Oro

    Dedicated pet rooms and a welcome kit with a water bowl, a mat and a sheet of local tips naming vets, pet shops, dog-friendly restaurants and parks. The portico walk down Strada Maggiore starts a few steps away. EUR 20 a night, no weight limit published.

    EUR 20 · max Unknown kg

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Before you go

What happens when you get there

The porticoes
Around 40 kilometres of UNESCO-listed covered walkway, and the best dog asset in the city. The Portico di San Luca runs about 3.8 kilometres from Porta Saragozza up to the Santuario di San Luca.
Dogs at breakfast
Rare. The Majestic is the only hotel with a written yes, and only for small dogs. A clear no at Royal Hotel Carlton, Hotel Internazionale, Hotel Brun and Hotel Touring. Everyone else doesn't publish a rule, so ask when you book.
Weight limits
Hotel Brun caps at 6 kg. Albergo Rossini 1936 and I Portici take small dogs only, and the Majestic small and medium. Royal Hotel Carlton, Hotel Internazionale and NH Bologna de la Gare go up to 25 kg. Hotel Touring charges by size but doesn't publish a limit.
Fees
EUR 10 a stay at Almarossa, EUR 10 a night at the Mercure, EUR 15 a stay at Phi Hotel and EUR 15 a night at Relais Bellaria. EUR 20 a stay at Carlton, Internazionale and Porta San Mamolo, EUR 20 a night at Corona d'Oro. EUR 25 a stay at UNAHOTELS, EUR 25 per dog per night at the NH, EUR 30 a stay at Brun and I Portici, EUR 35 a stay at Starhotels Excelsior, EUR 35 a night at Rossini, EUR 50 a stay at the Majestic. Hotel Touring is EUR 15 to 35 a night by size.
Two dogs
Most hotels here take one. NH Bologna de la Gare is the one that publishes two, up to 25 kg each, in a limited number of rooms, so book it directly.
Buses
On TPER buses, small dogs travel free in your arms or in a carrier smaller than 55 x 40 x 20 cm. Bigger dogs board with a paid ticket. Every dog needs a muzzle and a lead, one animal per passenger, and dogs can't block the doors or take a seat.
Sights with a dog
The old town, the Two Towers, the Quadrilatero and Piazza Maggiore are all fine. Salaborsa lets dogs in from Piazza del Nettuno on a lead and muzzled. Few museums admit dogs, but several take part in Dogs & Museums, where a dog-sitter meets you at the entrance. Don't plan on churches or the Archiginnasio. The City Red Bus and the little train up to San Luca take dogs, small ones free.
Getting there
Bologna Guglielmo Marconi airport is about 6 kilometres out, linked to Bologna Centrale by the Marconi Express monorail. Check its dog rule before you fly. By rail, Bologna Centrale is a high-speed hub, Milan is about an hour and Florence under 40 minutes.
Best walks
The porticoes of Via dell'Indipendenza, Strada Maggiore and Via Farini for shade, and the long Portico di San Luca from Porta Saragozza up to the sanctuary. For grass, Giardini Margherita is the biggest park and has a dog area, Parco della Montagnola is central at the station end of Via dell'Indipendenza, and Villa Angeletti runs along the Reno. Parco del Velodromo has a fenced off-lead area. Leads are compulsory in public parks and squares. In the hills, the path up to San Michele in Bosco starts outside Porta San Mamolo, and Parco di San Pellegrino, Villa Spada, Parco della Chiusa at Casalecchio and the Parco dei Gessi Bolognesi e Calanchi dell'Abbadessa give proper hill walking. The Via degli Dei to Florence starts in the city.
When to go
The porticoes make Bologna workable in most months. July and August are hot and humid on the plain, so walk early and late, keep to the porticoes and use the city's public drinking fountains. The hills are cooler. In November the porticoes keep a rainy walk dry. Check the trade fair calendar before you book, because Fiera weeks push hotel prices up sharply.

Dog-friendly hotels in Bologna

Questions we get asked

Dogs in Bologna

Is Bologna dog friendly?+

Yes, and more than most Italian cities. Eighteen hotels on our list take dogs, around 40 kilometres of porticoes keep walks shaded and dry, and dogs are welcome in the Palazzo d'Accursio courtyard, Salaborsa and up the portico to San Luca. Trattorias commonly take dogs, especially at portico tables.

Which Bologna hotels let dogs into the restaurant or breakfast room?+

Only the Grand Hotel Majestic "già Baglioni" publishes a yes, for small dogs at breakfast, in the restaurant and in Café Marinetti. Tell them ahead so they can reserve a suitable table. Royal Hotel Carlton, Hotel Internazionale, Hotel Brun and Hotel Touring keep dogs out of the breakfast room.

How much do Bologna hotels charge for dogs?+

From EUR 10 a stay at Almarossa to EUR 50 a stay at the Majestic. Most central four-stars sit at EUR 20 to EUR 35 a stay. Watch the ones that charge by the night, Corona d'Oro at EUR 20, the NH at EUR 25 per dog and Albergo Rossini 1936 at EUR 35.

Where should I stay in Bologna with a big dog?+

Royal Hotel Carlton and Hotel Internazionale take one dog up to 25 kg, and NH Bologna de la Gare takes two up to 25 kg each, right by Parco della Montagnola. None of the eighteen publishes a yes above 25 kg, so ring ahead for a larger dog. Avoid Hotel Brun, which caps at 6 kg.

Can I leave my dog alone in a Bologna hotel room?+

At Royal Hotel Carlton, Hotel Internazionale and Hotel Brun, yes, the written policy allows it. At I Portici, no. Most other hotels don't publish a rule, so ask before you plan a dinner out.

Can dogs go on buses in Bologna?+

Yes. On TPER buses small dogs ride free in your arms or in a carrier under 55 x 40 x 20 cm, and larger dogs need a paid ticket. Every dog must be muzzled and on a lead, with one animal per passenger.

Can I take my dog up to San Luca?+

Yes. The portico runs about 3.8 kilometres from Porta Saragozza to the Santuario di San Luca and the tourist board recommends it for dogs. If that's too far, the little train up to San Luca takes dogs, small ones free.

Where should I stay in Bologna with a dog?+

Around Piazza Maggiore for Hotel Brun, Art Hotel Commercianti or Art Hotel Orologio if you want to walk everywhere. On Via dell'Indipendenza for the Majestic, Internazionale or I Portici, with porticoes all the way down and Montagnola park at the top. By the Two Towers for Corona d'Oro. By the station if you're arriving by train.

Research updated 2026-09-27. Policies change, always confirm with the hotel.