A Perfect Night at Il Relais, Verona
“Seek for the unexpected in life, appreciate unplanned things! ”
I am a total friend of unexpected happenings and super spontaneous changes of plans, however, I have never had such a last-minute stay before. We were in touch with Il Relais Verona a few days before our actual arrival and due to our work plans in Munich, we were only able to leave the German city at 8 pm that evening. With the drive to Verona taking about 4,5 hours, it was sure that the arrival time won’t be before 1 am. Since Il Relais only has four rooms, obviously they do not have a 24 hours front desk, which means we basically wouldn’t have been able to check in after 8 or 10 pm. However, the lovely manager Federica informed us that she would leave the keys in the restaurant downstairs called “La Locanda del Castelvecchio” (a real treat, which we experienced a few years ago). She also noted that it is quite unsure if the staff will be here after midnight.
Anyways this trip was certainly very different from the others. Instead of being stressed and urging to rush to Verona, I enjoyed the company of a good friend. We therefore were taking it slowly and made the best of our time together. I usually am not the kind of person who doesn’t make plans and drives somewhere without a place to stay for the night, but I have to admit I admire the relaxed influence of my company and not worry about a thing when on holiday. Thanks to empty roads and perfect weather conditions, we reached Verona just shortly after midnight. While for me it was clear that the restaurant staff will be gone, we couldn’t believe our eyes when we saw a waiter sitting outside brightly lit up La Locanda del Castelvecchio. My colleague rushed out of the car, as quick as I have ever seen him before, and successfully managed to get us the keys to our shelter for the night. Were we nervous and excited? Hell, yes – I believe this was one of the happiest travel moments in our lives when we were welcomed by the friendly waiter who escorted us to our suite for the night.
Our first impression of Il Relais was just breathtaking, with so many lovely details matching wonderfully with the furniture that was sourced individually. Normally my colleague is more into the sleek and minimalistic design, however, he was really into the particular charm of this amazing hotel. I couldn’t think of a better style to match the ancient history of Verona with a touch of perfect modern Italian elegance. We were allocated Suite number two which is located at the end of the hallway boasting more space than suites one and four. The entire property is located in a residential building. While the ground floor is dedicated entirely to the restaurant, the first floor hosts Il Relais and the other floors are privately owned and used. So basically Il Relais is like a luxury Airbnb with breakfast, housekeeping and a luxury concierge, namely manager Federica. For us, it felt like the perfect combination of a boutique hotel with the personal touch of staying at a long-time-no-see friend’s house. Speaking of location, Il Relais is a winner, too. Just outside the ZTL zone, guests arriving by car don’t need to enter prohibited areas and the place even comes with a private parking space outside the hotel.
Just like the other areas of the hotel, our suite had a lovely interior design with elegant and expensive furniture. All the little details, such as a television hidden in a mirror, super comfy beds (the best among this trip to Italy), lovely smelling Etro Palais Jamais toiletries, posh dental kits with Marvis toothpaste and heavenly towels, surely make this Verona’s finest place to stay. We loved the atmosphere of the room with elegant earth tones and matching accessories as well as the huge balcony with a very elegant ashtray overlooking the Castelvecchio, which I find Verona’s most romantic sight to see. Besides the amazing bed, another highlight was the bathroom covered in red marble with a vast walk-in shower and a comfy layout that had everything we could dream of that one night. With us being happy to have gotten a shelter so spontaneously, we couldn’t help ourselves but enjoy the late hours on the balcony of our suite with a bottle of Italian white wine.
A heavenly sleep later, we were already awaited for breakfast by manager Federica. She has prepared a wonderful breakfast table with a huge platter of fresh fruits, a selection of pastries and bread along with muesli and yoghurt. When seated she brought us amazing coffee and orange juice as well. Generally, the breakfast room is another highlight, with beautiful interiors, elegant furniture and wonderful art pieces overlooking the green garden. Right after breakfast, we had the chance to catch a glimpse of room number one which was not less spectacular than our room, just a little tinier. So whatever room you get at Il Relais, you can be sure it’s going to be wonderful and you will have an amazing time in Verona. After we checked out, we walked around the old town and visited the Arena, the Piazza dell Erbe and of course Juliet’s balcony – everything within walking distance from the hotel. Overall, my colleague and I agreed that Il Relais was the best hotel on our trip (which included amazing properties). This decision is not just due to our adventurous check-in story, but because this place delivered the most unexpected experience and exceeded all our expectations. Il Relais is so much more than a lovely boutique hotel in an Italian city.
We were guests of Il Relais, Verona for editorial purposes. However all above written has not been influenced and represents our own opinion.
