A great and, as advertised, grand location right across from the train station. The massive property is furnished with a regal, Old World feel – including original floors, creaking with history. As for the rooms, the beds are firm, the toiletries are generous, and the bathrooms, with hairdryer, are smallish but immaculate, all done in white tile and ceramic. The...
After passing the unsettling plaque inside the entrance marking the 1966 Arno River flood line, a tiny elevator zips you up to this highly pleasing, 28 room hotel just a few steps from the Ponte Vecchio and only a minute from the Uffizi. The views here are outstanding. You can see the Ponte Vecchio and Arno River from the common...
Great location, in a palace dating from 1507, great staff and very reasonable prices (which can drift from budget into the mid-range area during some weeks in high season) are what sets this two-star option apart from the others. The rooms, while not dazzling, are well-kept and well-outfitted with air conditioning, free wi-fi, safe, hair dryer and attractive wood furniture....
Housed in the 12th century Palazzo Donati, birthplace of famed poet Dante Alighieri’s wife Gemma Donati, the rooms here are simple and decorated with a classic grandmother’s touch. (If you have an allergy to pink, steer clear.) Some of the rooms overlook a garden. Rooms have sinks, otherwise it’s a shared bathroom arrangement. No credit cards accepted.
Run by an Australian/Italian couple, this great value place enjoys wild word-of-mouth buzz (which is how I found it). The common room is adorned with jaw-slackening wall frescoes (circa 1770!) and classic furniture. Breakfast (five euros) is served in the rooms or just step out to a café on the piazza. Though the space has served as a pension for...
This 31-room hotel, only about a minute from the Ponte Vecchio, is housed in a genuine palazzo. As advertised, the defining feature of the hotel is its 720 year old torre (tower) – said to be the tallest privately owned tower in Florence – topped with a double terraced bar. Rooms are surprisingly large for the moderate price, filled with...
Reopen in December 2010 after a meticulous, four year renovation, this is the hotel of the moment. Tourism people all over Florence were chattering about it during my last visit and for good reason. Built in 1860, the opulent, Neo-Renaissance mansion comes with common areas done in eclectic, rotating themes like the Moorish Room and the eye-widening Hall of Mirrors...
Period furniture in a remarkable, 500-year old, five-star property. Each of the 12 stylish suites has CD, DVD, air conditioning and wi-fi. With each suite differing wildly in size and amenities, prices vary, but everyone has the same unfettered access to the panorama views on the roof, gym, billiard room, and the classic ballroom where breakfast is served under a...