My father has always told me that education is more than just books, which I always found so ironic coming from a man so pro-books, who would sit patiently and teach me about the planets in our solar system when I was five years old. (I loved this topic so much that whenever he tried to bring in something new, all I ever wanted to do was go back over the planets.)
Another one of my father’s pearls of wisdom has always been his belief that money does not buy class and character, a value that resonated loudly when we arrived at our stylish accommodation in Pisa because I certainly did not pay much money for the sheer charm that drips like animal fat from every corner of this place.
Let me tell you more.
Our first stop on our Italy trip this summer was Pisa, as this is one of the closest international airports to fly into to reach Cinque Terre and unsurprisingly, most tourists in Pisa make a stop to one glaringly obvious, leaning landmark.
It is rarely sensible to book accommodation in European cities at short notice but that was exactly what we did. The issue was finding stylish but good value accommodation near the Leaning Tower of Pisa that still retained that special Italian allure but wasn’t panned in reviews.
It was Pumpkin’s maiden visit to Italy and I had warned him about European shoebox sized hotel rooms and costly fares but as he so often does, he went and proved me wrong by booking us into this cute establishment, only a twenty-minute walk away from the Leaning Tower.
The Guerrazzi Guest House
We rang the buzzer to be greeted by a high-pitched, enthused “Hello” from upstairs. As we ascended with luggage in tow, Mariaelena welcomed us to her home, The Guerrazzi Bed and Breakfast Guest House.
She showed us which half of the apartment was ours, separated from her own living area by beautiful, painted shutters.
The whitewashed rooms were flushed with florals, from the bouquets that nipped the waist of the distal curtains to the pink posies playfully splashed on the cushions.
A guest book stuffed with the scribbles of many a happy customer was proudly displayed on the coffee table and we would soon be adding our seals of approval to the collection.
As she took our passports for check in and collected our keys, she offered us a seat on the outdoor terrace that we were free to use and was more than happy for us to pay at any stage of our stay.
This is a small, family run bed and breakfast with no card machine so bring enough cash for your visit.
The morning’s breakfast was already laid out for us in our private breakfast room, with Mariaelena’s homemade pastries sheltered cosily under a glass dome, a coffee machine (this is Italy after all) and a selection of fine teas for the non-coffee drinking outcasts like myself.
I let the orange and cinnamon tea infuse long enough to allow the aroma to circumvent the table.
Breakfast was continental with an impressive choice of cereals, croissants, yoghurt and fresh fruit, the kind of nutrition that leaves you feeling wholesome at the start of the day whilst still having enough treats to make it feel like a holiday.
The lounge area led us into our bedroom, laced with crimson undertones. It was a stark contrast to the cooped up spaces I had recalled from my student trips to Europe.
The spotless bathroom was right outside of our room and was completely private and spacious with hair dryer, toiletries, shower cap and towels a plenty.
All these features are good and well but will I perspire into a soggy stink and can I Instagram my heart out? Yes and yes because the air conditioning worked a treat and the Wi-Fi was high-speed and seamless so we were off to a good start.
Rather sadly, our stay ended almost as soon as it started, since we were only booked in for one night but we really could not believe how much we lucked out on this place.
It was a fraction of the price of most decent hotels you find in European city centres yet had all the room amenities we usually want as well as the kind of pride and humble warmth you can only find in low-key family run businesses.
I’ve always said that I love variety when it comes to travel and I am not someone who subscribes to being boxed into categories. Just a few weeks ago, I wrote about a luxury paradise Seychelles resort and here I am showcasing a cosy Pisa B&B. Show me style and character anywhere across the spectrum and I will happily snoop around with an open mind and a nosey curiosity and the Guerrazzi Guesthouse won me over, game set and match.
And the price? We paid in the region of 60 GBP per night. You can spend more than this in some car parks in London! If, like me, you love discovering hidden gems to stay in, I cannot recommend this place highly enough for a stay in Pisa.
Have you ever stayed in a charming bed and breakfast?
Why Waste Annual Leave? 
Well, I think they’ll be getting a lot of business off the back of this blog post! Sounds like a lovely little place. B&Bs can be quite hit and miss so it’s lovely to find a place like this. I’m hoping to visit Pisa at some point and I’ll definitely be giving them a shout when I do.
Can I ask what you thought of Pisa itself? I want to go and see the tower, of course, but my other half, who’s half Italian goes on about how unfriendly and dirty the town itself is. Did you find that was the case?
To be honest Keri, I can understand what he means in that parts of the city were indeed a bit dirty. I don’t think I was there long enough to say about friendliness but the locals we met in a couple of restaurants and of course the b&b were really friendly! If you do go, I wouldn’t imagine that you would need to spend top long though but I was still glad to have gone even if just for one night to see the tower!
What a find! Love the decoration – especially that screen. I will definitely remember this for next time I am in that part of Italy!
Thanks so much Natasha! I think my Pumpkin did well with finding this place – so full of character and warmth but at such a great price and walking distance to the tower so it was absolutely ideal! I’d highly recommend it if you were ever in Pisa ☺
Sounds like a great place to stay, I remember when we visited Pisa we were right in the centre but it was tiny. We actually really liked the town and there was a brilliant gelato place on the quayside
Suze | LuxuryColumnist
I wonder if that was the same waterside gelato place we went to as well Suze! I don’t normally go for fruity sorbets but I had the most delicious apricot granita there! I sometimes find in Italy that some of the very central places can be tiny and very expensive so this came as such a pleasant surprise – a walk away yes but so much space and such a gorgeous little living area!
What a unique place to stay – a really great find! Love the top photo, very romantic!
Thanks so much Becky! It’s really made me wonder why I don’t choose cosy B&Bs more often!
Such a pretty place! Some places just surprise us in the most unexpected way. 60 pounds is a great price no doubt!
That’s exactly how I felt Allane – just such a happy feeling to see what a friendly, comfortable and beautifully decorated place we had ended up in for such a great price! That’s why I started taking lots of photos immediately because I just knew I wouldn’t be able to resist blogging about it!
hhahah you did it right, taking pictures from the beginning 😀
Lovely place to consider staying when in Pisa, I will keep it in mind!
We haven’t been to this B&B, but to another very nice one right in the centre of Pisa. It seems accommodation in this town is generally of very high standard compared to other cities in Tuscany.
Yes it certainly sounds like that Mette! I’m so glad to hear you also found a great B&B in Pisa too!
Wow, I am so jealous of your stay in Pisa, girl! I remember my first time there. It was 4 years ago and I was a very poor student at that time so me and Cez stayed at a very cheap hostel there hehehe 🙂 it was actually a camping site :P!!
Hehehe, really?! But I’m sure you saved lots of pennies doing that Agness so you could use the money on other things during travel! If you ever return, this place is great! Considering it is just a one room B&B, the room was huge and such a pretty living room with lovely homemade cakes ☺
Looks like a charming place 🙂
Thanks so much Ishita! It was such a cute and comfortable place to stay and the owner Mariaelena was so friendly ☺
it seems it’s utterly compulsory to have that photo with the tower taken now! 🙂 love it!
I know Andy! I’m not usually one to take these kind of pics but my hubby insisted and now that I’ve come to see it’s almost a rite of passage, I’m kind of glad I have a photo like that, however cheesy it might be!
Pisa is a strange city, but it looks like you found a great place to stay. I was camping there 7 years ago now! I love reading through old guestbooks too- alwasy good to leave your mark! 🙂
What was it like camping there Katie? I know it’s a city that gets a mixed reputation and we were only there for a night to see the tower and get to Cinque Terre but I absolutely loved this gorgeous B&B – hugely spacious with such lovely furnishings given what a bargain it was!
This looks so cute! A bit like our stay in a bed and breakfast in Pisa but that huge shower looks fab! Perfectly positioned pic of you and the Leaning Tower – well done Pumpkin!
Hahaha, yes he did a lot better than a few years ago when I tried to do the same with Empire State photos and I was rubbish at the positioning! It was such a cute little place to stay – probably my favourite of all the accommodation places we stayed given how friendly and huge and homely it was ☺
I adore quirky, charming B&Bs like this – they’re unbeatable!
Honestly Emma, it made me wonder why I don’t stay in them so often! A hotel room like this would have cost a fortune and yet it had all the amenities and services I needed and wanted and had that really endearing charm from a lady who takes so much pride in making it a special place to stay! We were both so disappointed that we only had one night to stay here! ☺