We’ve not met anyone who’s been to Lucca and been unimpressed. Come to think of it, I’ve not met many people who have been to Lucca at all - and that’s part of its appeal. Perfectly enclosed within massive medieval walls, this delightful north Tuscan town has bags of charm and culture - cobbled lanes, Renaissance churches, manageable museums, stylish shops - and relatively few tourists, especially considering how accessible it is.
The Palazzo Alexander is one of a handful of guesthouses within the city walls. Dating from the 12th century this 4-storey ex-boarding-school has been converted into a pretty little hotel with just 9 rooms, all ornately (some might say over-ornately) decorated with embossed gold fabrics, polished wooden floors and Regency-type armchairs. If you’re lucky you might have an angel smiling down at you from the frescoed ceiling, or a balcony overlooking the Lucchese roofscape. It's clean, cared-for and efficiently run by English-speaking owner-manager Mario Maraviglia.
Highs
- Mario provides excellent, thoughtful service worthy of 4 or 5*
- You get Jacuzzis, balconies and sofas in some of the suites
- The medieval town centre is right on your doorstep, plus grand villas and formal gardens just outside town
- The Puccini museum and summer music festival help make Lucca that bit more special
Lows
- You may find the faux-Renaissance décor rather dated or overblown
- Some bedrooms are a little cramped
- It’s a small town hotel so don’t expect a pool, restaurant or garden
Best time to go
Spring and autumn are best for general sightseeing, summer for musical and cultural events (though it can be very hot and humid). High season prices run from April to October. Winter is actually a good time for Lucca - it is quiet but most of the main sites are open.
Our top tips
Pisa, with its world-famous leaning tower and adjacent cathedral and museum, is only half an hour away.
- Boutique Hotel
- 9 rooms
- Breakfast only (walk to restaurants)
- Not suitable for babies or very young children
- Open all year
- Pool
- Spa Treatments
- Beach Nearby
- Pet Friendly
- Disabled Access
- Car not necessary
- Parking
- Restaurants Nearby
- WiFi
- Air Conditioning
- Guest Lounge
- Terrace
- Garden
- Gym
- Concierge Service
- Bicycles Available
Rooms
The 9 rooms are named after operas by Verdi and Puccini (who was born along the road from here). All are ornately decorated with chintzy fabrics and antique-style furniture: carved mirror-frames, wardrobes with faded-effect paint, dressing tables with coloured inlay, and curvy faux-Regency chairs. Wrought-iron bedside lamps cast a cosy glow over the gold-painted bedsteads.
Superior Rooms are smaller than the Junior Suites but still well-equipped. The latter boast a Jacuzzi-tub in the bathroom. La Bohème has an angelically-frescoed ceiling, a separate sitting area and a crow’s nest position. Tosca is perhaps the grandest and most spacious, with a small terrace to boot. Madama Butterfly has sofa, armchairs, a marble vanity table and a tiny balcony.
There’s a Single Room, too, and a Family Room can be created by connecting 2 Superior Rooms.
Features include:
- Air conditioning
- Minibar/fridge
- WiFi
Eating
Breakfast is a leisurely affair, served until 11 am in the little jewel box of a dining room. Tuscan hams, fresh fruit, juices and yoghurts flesh out the standard Italian prima colazione of coffee/tea and patisseries. Or you can be extra decadent and have a tray brought to your room.
There are some excellent restaurants in central Lucca. Our favourite is the Bucca di San Antonio, a few minutes’ walk from the hotel. If you can be bothered to drive, there’s a Michelin-starred place just outside town.
Features include:
- Minibar/fridge
- Restaurants nearby
Activities
- Borrow a hotel bicycle and cycle around the 4km of well-kept medieval walls for great views over its roofscape - brilliant
- For even better views, climb the Torre Guinigi, a 44-metre-high tower with a holm oak growing at the top
- Puccini fans should visit the house where the composer was born and brought up, now converted into a small museum with scores, photos and an original Steinway. Or head to Torre del Lago in late July / early August for the Puccini Festival.
- Explore some of Lucca’s wonderful churches, including the cathedral of St Martin and the tiered-marble San Frediano
- There are dozens of superb palace-villas around Lucca, with landscaped gardens and lavish interiors; those of Oliva, Grabau and Reale, outside San Pancrazio, make a lovely day trip
- Tuscany is an incredibly diverse and fascinating area of Italy. For a more comprehensive guide, see our destination guide
Activities on site or nearby include:
- Cycling
- Hiking
- Shopping / markets
Kids
Children may not find Palazzo Alexander the ideal destination - this is a small town hotel without pool or gardens. However, children are welcome - under 3's are free in their parents' room (cots are available); 3-15 year olds pay a discount rate and can either sleep in extra beds (a pull-out couch - not suitable for larger children) or you can book the interconnecting family room (1 double and 1 double/twin).
Family friendly accommodation:
Cots Available, Extra Beds Available
Babysitting:
Babysitting available by arrangement
For more family-friendly places, see our Kids Collection
Location
The hotel is In the heart of Lucca's medieval city centre, in northwest Tuscany.
By Air:
The nearest airport is Pisa (33km), which has a wide range of flights from around Europe. Alternatively you could fly to Florence (67km). Click on the links below for a list of airlines serving this airport.
From the airport:
There are regular trains and buses from Pisa airport to central Lucca. Both the bus station (Piazzale Verdi) and the train station in Lucca are about 1km from the apartment - a short cab ride, or 15 mins' walk if you're fit!
By Car:
We really don't recommend using a car during your stay in Lucca, as the streets are very narrow and full of one-way systems. However if you could you can, at a pinch, drive to the hotel door and let staff park your car. Or, better, book one when you leave Lucca: see our car rental recommendations.
Detailed directions will be sent when you book through i-escape.
More on getting to Italy and getting around
Airports:
- Pisa Galileo 33.0 km PSA
- Florence - Peretola 67.0 km FLR
Other:
- Beach 35.0 km
- Shops 0.1 km
- Restaurant 0.1 km