BACKGROUND Owned and managed by Italian company Planhotel, this boutique brand was launched five years ago in Milan with the opening of Town House 31. The group has since opened two more hotels in Milan, including the “seven-star” Town House Galleria, as well as debuting in Turin in 2006 with this elegant four-star offering.
WHAT’S IT LIKE? Opened for the Turin Winter Olympics, the Town House 70 is spread over five floors of a pretty 19th-century palazzo. The entrance is discreet to the point of being invisible (the building previously housed offices), but inside it’s immediately welcoming, with an open-plan lobby and bar area. Staff are friendly and keen to help – I needed to change a dinner reservation, and the receptionist rang the restaurant for me.
WHERE IS IT? In the historic centre of Turin, three minutes’ walk from Piazza Castello, the central square. It is around 30 minutes from Turin Caselle International airport by taxi, and within walking distance of Porta Nuova train station.
ROOM FACILITIES Décor is minimalist, with crisp white linen, deep red curtains and dark wood furniture. All rooms have balconies (giving views onto either the busy street below or a quiet courtyard at the back), minibar, tea and coffee-making facilities, work station, flatscreen TVs and safe. An iron and ironing board can be provided on request. There is also a choice of three types of pillows (lattice, goose-down or anti-allergy), and laundry services are available. Bathrooms are a good size, with combined bath and shower, bidet, and Bulgari toiletries. Wired broadband internet access is charged at e4 for four hours, e11 for 24 hours or e20 for 72 hours.
RESTAURANTS AND BARS The hotel has no dining facilities, but there are plenty of options nearby – around Piazza Filiberto, about five minutes’ walk away, is a good bet. The hotel does provide a continental buffet breakfast (7-10.30am), which guests eat around a large square communal breakfast table in a small room at the front of the building on the ground floor, to the left as you enter the hotel. The Lobby Bar is self-service and works on an honesty basis, so guests can help themselves to a full range of alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks and put the money in a box. There is also a pleasant outdoor area in the courtyard with tables and chairs for sunny summer evenings.
MEETING AND BUSINESS FACILITIES There is one meeting room in the basement with capacity for 50 theatre-style. It has no natural light but is equipped with a video projector and screen. There is a fax and a computer in the lobby where you can browse the internet, print and check emails for free, as well as free wifi access in all the public areas.
LEISURE FACILITIES None. The hotel recommends Il Pardo (31 Via dell’Accademia Albertina; half a mile from the hotel) as one of the best gyms in town (admission e20 daily). Alternatively, runners might prefer to negotiate Turin’s cobbled and relatively traffic-free streets.
Fact file
HOW MANY ROOMS? There are 47, including 20 Superior rooms, 26 Junior Suites and one suite.
ROOM HIGHLIGHTS The balconies are big enough to spread out on and, on request, can be kitted out with deckchairs, perfect for soaking up some Italian sunshine or sipping an early-evening Martini Rosso.
PRICE Internet rates for a midweek stay in December started from €158.
CONTACT Town House 70, Via XX Settembre, Turin; tel +39 1119 700 003; townhouse.it/th70.
Sara Turner
