This was a back-up solution, for the Savoia Excelsior was fully booked. I was confident, as signs all over Trieste advertised The Grand Duchi as the only other 4-star property in town.

I was put off when stepping in the lobby, as the style could not have been more different. This was looking ... old style. But OK.

Nice welcome from front desk, and very fast check-in.
I was surprised by the terrible decoration in the corridors, with window displays filled with what looked like "things" my great grand mother would have discarded 80 years ago. But anyway, I do not usually sleep in the corridors.


I am not sure what my reservation was for, but I was probably upgraded to a room with a full front view of the main square. The only recent device, besides the TV, was the double-glazed window. I realized how good it was at soundproofing, when I opened the window after failing to get some cool air out of the aircon unit (working?), and it was the last week of october. Old if not fine furniture, but that was reasonably ok. The whole room, including the ceiling had been painted dark yellow sponge style, think 1980s. The bathroom was green, with a spa shower stall, and a hanging greenery with its very own lighting. OK amenities included bathrobe and slippers.
The lighting equipment was weird. Unoperating switches on the night stand, probably remote operating back to the 1960s, the size of a decent phone, including an emergency switch that did blink powerfully to no avail ... A set of loudspeakers on the floor : what were they for, I still have no clue.

Cleanliness was not an issue. It is overall clean. It should be noted that the mouldings on the walls carried a cake of dust, that only I thorough finger could peal. NOT:GOOD. ANd I would not be overly confident in the headboard, which must have been sitting there for ... some time.
House keeping was good. Not great. They never put a new bulb in the bedside lamp. They never replaced the room service order form for breakfast. Which I realized only after removing all my clothes, and as I failed to reach the front desk via the phone, I had to dress again and do down. A pleasant lady took my order, and assured it would be replaced, which never happened. Worth noting that in the folder, I could choose among 5 forms for non-functioning items.

Wake-up calls are big for me. I rely on wake-up calls, to be on time, and save timme sleeping. Well it always came 5 to 10 minutes after the requested time. One day, room service knocking on my door actually woke me up. Wake up call came 15 minutes after schedule.

If they want to sell this as a boutique hotelm and really take advantage of their great situation, all theu have to do is keep the outer walls, knock down all the inside, hire a decent architect and a designer, and put some money in the refurbishing. Since the last major one must have occured at least in the 1950s, I am sure the owning family has savings somewhere to do just this.

In the meantime, i will gladly go back to Savoia Excelsior, and not stay here again.

This is a charming gem of a hotel in a superb location. The rooms (at least those, like ours, facing the quiet, gorgeous, large pedestrian square the hotel occupies)and the public spaces have an understated elegance and aura which we think of as quintessential northern Italy. Harry's Bar, the hotel restaurant, provides nice space (inside or out in good weather) for breakfast. Dinner on their patio in the square also makes a for an elegant meal, although a bit pricey compared to those of an array of fine and fun eating places in Trieste, including Suban, Antica Ghiaccerta, and others. The latter was recommended to us by a staff member at the hotel when we found that Ai Fiori was closed. It was just wonderful, and another instance of the reception staff being helpful, accommodating, pleasant and fun.

The room offered what was expected.
I appreciated the vintage furniture.
Plenty of amenities, including bathrobe and slippers (don't expect a toothbrush though). Abundance of towels and house keeping twice a day. A small chocolate left in the room by the housekeeper at the evening, including the one free bottle of water every day, added to the comfort of the room. Not mentioning the massage shower.
Don't forget to ask for your username and password for free WiFi access. The access was easy and the connection was of acceptable speed. Alternatively, you can use the PC located and the seating room located at the ground floor.
Relatively quite and ideally located at the center of the town.
Very polite and helpful personnel.
Breakfast with variety and high quality. Many choices to enjoy the fresh pastry!
Ask for an espresso, with no additional charge, if the coffee Americano is not of your taste.
For the room service, expect a €5 addition to the check.

I will return.

You get what you pay for at the Grand Hotel Duchi d'Aosta in Trieste - that's to say, it's expensive but it's stylish, welcoming, comfortable, historical and perfectly positioned on the great piazza, one minute from the sea front. The breakfasts were terrific and truly relaxed. We didn't eat in the hotel's Harry's Bar at night. Far too expensive (and therefore mostly empty). That's a pity. They should revise their policy and open a cheaper but smart brasserie. There are many cheaper, top-end fish restaurants nearby.