Hotel San Marco

This hotel was chosen because it is easily accessible from the highway. Since I was planning to do some out-of-city day trips in the area, access to the highway was important. However, it is also close enough to the city centre that it was also quite convenient for visiting the city. Parking is free. Parking was usually close to being full, but I always found a parking space. Rooms were an adequate size and were very clean. There was one chair in the corner, and a good workdesk area. Despite the fact that the room looked out on a road that was, at times, quite busy, the room was quiet. The bathroom was large, but has a shower only. Breakfast (extra cost) was very good, and the breakfast room was bright and quite spacious. Unusually for Italy, you could help yourself to a second cup of coffee (or even a third cup of coffee, if you really wanted coffee). Special note should be made of the people at reception, who were consistently friendly, very helpful, and fluent in English. There is not much choice for eating places around the hotel, and the restaurants that do exist generally open at the Italian hour of 7:30 PM - too late for my tastes. I did find a pizza place/bar about a block away which was open during the day, and an excellent ice cream place. The only nearby grocery/convenience store was closed temporarily, but it may be open now. One day I drove to the stadium parking area, which was quite easy. Another day I walked to the Santa Catarina parking area, which was about a 20 minute walk (1.3 km). The receptionist had not recommended this, as she felt it would be dangerous. It really wasn't, once I was outside the traffic circle that surrounds the hotel, although I probably would not recommend walking during rush hour. During off-peak hours, when there was not much traffic, it was safe. However, taxi is likely more convenient. Overall, this was a very good stay.

A small hotel but everything well taken care of. Friendly staff and the breakfast was super good. Delicious bites, really delicious.

We had a very good stay at the Best Western Hotel San Marco in Siena. We deliberately chose this hotel because of its excellent reviews, and it lived up to our expectations. The hotel is outside the city centre, but very convenient by taxi, which cost us around €15–20 including a tip. It is also an excellent choice if you are travelling by car, with plenty of parking and easy access from the motorway. We stayed during the Palio weekend in August and were very happy that we had booked months in advance. The hotel was fully booked shortly afterwards, so I would definitely recommend booking well ahead if you are visiting Siena during this very busy period. The hotel feels modern and well maintained, and the staff at reception and breakfast were exceptionally friendly and helpful. Breakfast was also better than expected, with a good selection and a modern coffee machine. Our room was comfortable, with a very good shower and a mini fridge. The only real downside was the air conditioning, which worked well but was loud at night. I eventually had to switch it off because of the noise. Overall, a very good stay and a particularly practical choice for a road trip to Siena, especially during busy events such as the Palio.