The Met's Apartments

Hotel Metropolitan stands as a bastion of ultra-modern Italian minimalism in downtown Bologna — a refreshingly sleek, African-tinged design hotel in a city that tends to lay the classical richness on pretty thick. A quick walk from the hotel proper and you’ll find a quiet annex, Met’s Apartments, which transfers the hotel’s attention to detail and impeccably crafted urbanity to fully equipped spaces for guests who value the kind of privacy that only apartment-style living affords.

The ten suites are designed according to the modernist principles that seem to be a particular strength of Italian hotels, taking the expected black-and-white palette and wringing an almost retro-futurist environment out of marble, glass, and tile. There’s something cozy about its simplicity, with a black curtain to cordon off the second bedroom and plenty of little nooks for working, reading, or kicking back to watch the sizable flat-screen TV. Don’t expect a cavernous drawing room lined with Renaissance statues, but the living space is fairly expansive for this sort of thing — there’s certainly enough room to host a small dinner party.

For those who’d like to take advantage of the Apartments’ conveniences without all the cooking and cleaning, the Metropolitan Hotel’s facilities are easily accessible, from concierge service to dining to a steady rotation of clean linens and towels. Outside, the apartment’s central Bologna location makes for an easy trip to a wealth of cultural and culinary landmarks. And when you get tired of exploring, you’re not just going back to a hotel — pick up a bottle of wine and remind yourself that, at least for a little while, you’ve got an apartment in Bologna.