Hotel “La fontana” — Hotel in San Dorligo della Valle / Dolina

My husband and I recently spent two nights near Trieste, Italy. I like to book small, family run hotels when I can. I also wanted to find a place that had parking. Hotel La Fontana fit the bill, so we booked two nights there. The first thing I want to say about this hotel is that it really helps to have GPS to find it. We ended up missing it when we first got to Trieste and took a nervewracking drive through some very narrow streets before we finally got turned around and found it. Next, I'd say that if you are arriving by car and aren't used to driving in Italy, you may find accessing the parking lot a challenge.||||The hotel is on a steep hill and there's a surprising amount of traffic in the neighborhood. I even saw full sized buses driving through there. But turns are tight and you can't always see what's behind the corner. So be careful coming in! ||||Hotel La Fontana is very affordable and adorable. We had most everything we needed in our room, though I would recommend that visitors bring their own toiletries. I don't think there was much more than liquid soap in our room. Our room was very clean and feminine. ||||On our first night, my husband was too tired to venture out for dinner, so we stayed in and drank wine. We bought a bottle from the front desk. The lady at the front desk very kindly brought us some chips. I wish we had known we could have reserved dinner there if we requested before lunchtime. I would have liked to have tried it. Breakfast is simple, but ample. Lots of cakes, pastries, breads, cheese and cold cuts. ||||If you have a car and want to stay outside of Trieste, I think Hotel La Fontana is a good bet. Just be prepared for the neighborhood and keep your eyes peeled for the hotel before you end up somewhere you didn't...

Ok, this is NOT a hotel like most of us envision. This is clearly someones house that was turned into a hotel or B&B. First finding this place was a nightmare. The roads to get to this place are 3 feet wide and with blind curves. The driveway was almost impossible to enter without multiple attempts and extreme automotive skills. Checking in was fun. A Woman holding a baby who clearly spoke limited English and was also clearly annoyed at our presence asked for and seized our passports then essentially walked us to our room which was decorated in a style I call "Crazy Aunt". Lots of pastels, odd patterned quilts, and lots and lots of creepy items like dolls. No joke the hallway was literally littered with dolls and doll accoutrements. Wi-Fi was horrible and the TV stations available were a joke. The room was quiet except for the barking dog and and the yowling cats outside. ||||For the price we paid we are willing to overlook a lot which is why we rate this hotel a 3 rather than a 2. It was clean, and and quaint if you like B&B's or liked staying at Grandmas's house when you were a kid. Next time we will...

Ada and Francesca run a lovely, small family hotel within comfortable reach of central Trieste. I have stayed here many times and always had a wonderful welcome. They make every effort to ensure their guests have an enjoyable stay. Each room is tastefully decorated in a different theme and they really are kept spotless. The breakfast buffet is fantastic. Ada is an award-winning cook and the optional evening dinners are exceptionally good value and certainly worth staying in for after a long day seeing the sights of magical Trieste. Very highly...