Palazzo di Varignana Resort & SPA: Pre-Cruise Splurge Review

The verdict

Palazzo di Varignana is the resort splurge, and it's the only one here with breakfast and parking both free. Its Expedia listing shows seven outdoor pools, three indoor ones, a full-service spa, a 24-hour health club and five places to eat, Il Grifone among them.

Everything we have comes from that listing and a tourism-board page — we didn't read the resort's own site. Expedia calls it a luxury 4.5-star property, which isn't an official Italian category.

Our routing gives about 45.7 road miles (73.6 km) to the terminal, roughly 63 minutes, and about 19.2 miles from Bologna airport.

It's a car hotel. Book it for two nights, not one.

Book it if

You want pools and a spa before the ship
Breakfast and parking included matter
You're driving anyway

Look elsewhere if

You're relying on trains.
You want the resort's own word, not a listing's.
You want the shortest morning.

What You Get

What Palazzo di Varignana offers, and what it leaves out

What Varignana gives you for the money: green is on offer, gold costs extra or comes with a catch, grey isn't stated.

MICHELINListed, no Key

RestaurantFive, incl. Il Grifone

Bar or drinksLounge and pool bar

Spa or pool10 pools and a spa

BreakfastFree continental

Room price printedNot printed

ParkingFree on site

Shuttle to the portNone

Distance to the port~45.7 mi to the terminal, our routing

Sail Morning

Your night before, from here

A Varignana night before the ship, from its Expedia listing.

Evening

Check in and settle

Five places to eat and drink, Aurevia, Il Grifone, a lounge and pool bar, Trattoria le Marzoline and Tren, with seven outdoor pools, three indoor ones and a full-service spa, per its Expedia listing.

Before bed

Line up your ride

Drive or book a car; the listing names no ride to the port.

Sail morning

Breakfast

A free continental breakfast, 7 to 10:30 am, per its Expedia listing.

Heading out

To the terminal

About 45.7 road miles to the terminal by our routing, 63 minutes with no traffic.

While you sail

Your car

Free parking on site, per its listing.

To the Ship

Getting here, and on to the ship

This hotelRanked hotels, tap one to open itPorto Corsini terminal (approximate)Straight line to the ship, not a routeReal geography: NOAA’s GSHHG shoreline, generalised, so the canal, the quays and the lagoons aren’t drawn. Hotel pins come from the Esri World Geocoder, matched to each listed address. The port pin is a street point on the terminal’s bank at Porto Corsini; no source publishes the terminal’s own coordinates.

Every line here is a drive — Varignana is a car hotel.

Leg 1 · Bologna airport to the hotel

Not stated

Its listing names no airport ride; it puts Bologna airport a 39-minute drive away.

Leg 2 · Hotel to the ship

Shuttle not stated

No cruise transfer on its listing. It's a drive of about an hour by our routing, or a car you book.

About 45.7 mi to the terminal — our routing.

From BLQ without a hotel shuttle

Bologna airport is about 19.2 road miles away by our routing, roughly 34 minutes; its listing says 39. More on the airport page.

Leg 1 · Marco Polo to the hotel

Not stated

Nothing for Marco Polo on its listing.

Leg 2 · Hotel to the ship

Shuttle not stated

No cruise transfer on its listing. It's a drive of about an hour by our routing, or a car you book.

About 45.7 mi to the terminal — our routing.

From VCE without a hotel shuttle

From Marco Polo our routing gives about 2 hours 5 minutes to Palazzo di Varignana with no traffic, and nothing we read for Palazzo di Varignana covers it.

Leg 1 · Drive in and park

Cruise parking unconfirmed

Free self parking on site, per its Expedia listing, for your stay; nothing on a cruise week.

Parking for your stay: Free self parking on site (Expedia listing).

Leg 2 · Hotel to the ship

Shuttle not stated

No cruise transfer on its listing. It's a drive of about an hour by our routing, or a car you book.

About 45.7 mi to the terminal — our routing.

Flying in on sail day? Check your landing time first.

Distance

~45.7 mi, our routing

Its listing gives no distance to the port. Our routing puts the terminal about 45.7 road miles (73.6 km) away, roughly 63 minutes with no traffic.

Source: expedia.com

Cruise shuttle

Shuttle not stated

No cruise transfer on its listing. It's a drive of about an hour by our routing, or a car you book.

Source: expedia.com

Parking

Parking while you sail

At the hotel

Cruise parking unconfirmed

Free self parking on site, per its Expedia listing, for your stay; nothing on a cruise week.

Source: expedia.com

Parking for the cruise

Via Cura, €4 (about US$4) a day, per the city

Driving on to the ship? The port has no long-term parking, per Royal Caribbean, and Ravenna's Via Cura car park is €4 a day from October 1, 2026, per the city. Ravenna cruise parking has the rest.

Source: comune.ravenna.it

Driving from Varignana? Ravenna cruise parking covers the options, and our Ravenna cruise guide covers the terminal.

The Evening

The night you’re paying for

The evening

Pool · Food or drinks on site

Five places to eat and drink, Aurevia, Il Grifone, a lounge and pool bar, Trattoria le Marzoline and Tren, with seven outdoor pools, three indoor ones and a full-service spa, per its Expedia listing.

Source: expedia.com

Breakfast

Free

A free continental breakfast, 7 to 10:30 am, per its Expedia listing.

Address

Varignana, Castel San Pietro Terme

Via Ca' Masino 611/A, 40024 Castel San Pietro Terme (BO)
Expedia listing

Ratings

No Key

MICHELIN lists it without a Key. We found no Forbes Travel Guide rating. The pages we read for Palazzo di Varignana don't print an Italian star category.

Source: guide.michelin.com

Fact Sheet