This hotel is located in a nice palazzo del '600, it has rooms with antique furniture but we stayed in one of three new rooms in the ground floor, with a nice view at the back, they are doubles but they will work perfectly as singles, with very nice new bathrooms. I am looking in my guide book,(Gambero Rosso-2001) they charge for singles 140/160 mila, buffet breakfast is included. Have you been in Gubbio? It is a very unique place, kind of built on terraces against the mountain, so there are stairs and sometimes public elevators to get from one level to the other.

This year we were also in Cortona, again in the St Michele, this time we took a huge lovely room they call a suite, in comparison both hotels are similar, however the St Michele is more expensive simple because there are much more foreign tourists in Cortona than in Gubbio.

Regarding Urbino, it is also a lovely town...aren't they all in Italy? we couldn' t find a place inside the old town because there was a conference in Urbino and ended up in a fine four stars modern hotel, located 5' minutes from the old part of town.This was a business hotel so I am sure they have a lot of singles. Good buffet breakfast. The name was Mamiani Urbino, for singles they charge 110/150 mila. The hotel is attached to a local restaurant- pizzeria that we found excellent and not expensive at all. I mean the restaurant is connected to the hotel but at the same time it is the place where all the locals go through another entrance facing a street.

Phone 0722 322309 In this place you can have pensione or half-pensione. It has all the frills like massaggi shatsu...etc

Of course it has free parking, rooms have lovely view over the hilly green countryside, we got in and out of the old town in a mini bus that comes and goes every 15 minutes and takes 5' to the heart of town. THen at night relaxed in the hotel and had dinner there.

It is refreshing to know that you are planning ahead to go to Italy, GOOD FOR YOU! so are we, I wouldn t miss it for anything.

Graziella.