Hotel Titano, a 19th-century palazzo inside the old town

Some hotels are in the old town and some are part of it. The Titano belongs to the second group. It opened on 30 September 1894 in a late 19th-century palazzo on Contrada del Collegio, and its Sala del Vescovo sits between the Palazzo Pubblico and the State Museum. To me it’s the hotel with the most history in the Città, and in San Marino that counts for more than a spa or a pool.

A four-star with 132 years behind it

The Titano bills itself as a four-star, and in San Marino that’s the ceiling, since the official statistics only recognise hotels from one to four stars. It belongs to the same group as the Grand Hotel San Marino, which has been putting up visitors on Mount Titano since 1894, the year this hotel opened its doors. The hotel says leading figures of the Republic have met in the Sala del Vescovo ever since.

What I value about that past is the practical side. The lobby keeps its 19th-century architecture, the rooms have classic furniture, and the building sits inside the medieval street plan rather than on a road in the newer part of town. For a side-by-side with the other top-end hotels, see San Marino’s luxury hotels.

Which room would I book at the Titano?

There are 42 rooms, all with Wi-Fi, air conditioning, minibar, phone and hairdryer. The difference is size and window. The single and the Economy are 12 m², which is tight for two, although depending on position the Economy can look over the medieval lanes, the little squares or the government palace. The Classic goes up to 15 m² and comes with either a balcony or a view of the Montefeltro valley. The Superior is 25 m² and sleeps up to four with extra beds.

As a couple I’d go for the Classic with a balcony, or the Superior if there are more of us. I can’t describe the Junior Suite precisely, because the same page quotes two different sizes, and in that situation I’d rather ask before paying.

The odd one out is the Titano Apartment. It’s 95 m² over three levels, with a double bedroom, a single, two sofa beds, two bathrooms, its own kitchen and a small terrace over Piazzetta Titano, reached by a private entrance from Contrada del Collegio. For a family of five who want to sleep inside the walls, I rate it above two separate rooms, and it makes breakfasts and naps far easier to organise.

Parking when the hotel is car-free

Get this straight before you arrive. The Titano is in a pedestrian zone and there’s no parking at the door. The hotel offers two answers, a covered private garage at the Grand Hotel San Marino with valet parking and EV chargers, for a fee, and a deal with the public car parks at the gates of the old town. From the Grand Hotel you walk.

My advice is to ask the garage price when you book and weigh it against what the public car parks charge hotel guests, which I explain in parking in San Marino. With a small case the difference is minimal. With a big one and a slope ahead, the valet is money well spent.

La Terrazza, the Osteria and a room full of history

There are three places to eat. La Terrazza is the group’s flagship, perched between the palazzi and the lanes, with a view to the Apennines and local produce on the menu. It opens 12:00-14:30 and 19:00-22:00, and the group sells it as candlelit dining between the crenellations of a medieval tower. The Osteria del Titano, on Piazza Garibaldi, is the casual option, with traditional cooking from 12:00 to 18:00. The Sala del Vescovo only opens on request, for private meals.

You don’t need to be staying to book La Terrazza, and to my mind that alone justifies calling in even if you sleep elsewhere. The rest of my picks in the Città live in where to eat in San Marino.

Services, pets and what’s missing

Reception is open round the clock, with express check-in and check-out, left luggage, a safe at the desk, a bar with a view and a lift, and the whole building is non-smoking. Room service and laundry cost extra. Small dogs and cats are welcome, according to the website, which isn’t common inside the walls and which I cover in San Marino with a dog.

What you won’t find is a pool, spa or gym at the Titano itself. For that the group points you to its bigger sibling. If that’s your priority, or you want a balcony over the valley in every decent room, read my page on the Grand Hotel San Marino.

Who I’d send there, and who I wouldn’t

It suits anyone coming for a night or two to see the Città without touching the car, to people who prefer a hotel with its own story over a chain, and to those who want Piazza della Libertà a couple of minutes away once the coaches have gone. I wouldn’t choose it with a big car and an early start, or if room size is your first concern. The 12 m² rooms are old-town rooms, and it’s better to know that going in. The comparison with the other central hotels is in where to stay in San Marino.