One of the best places I've ever stayed. The manager and staff were so incredibly welcoming and…read morenice. Also, this location is so great and convenient for anyone who is new to visiting Florence. Everything central is within walking distance and super close by! The building itself is old school but that is its charm. I wish I would've stayed here and in Florence for more than a day. Beautiful city! I hope to be back soon.

Loved the location and staff the most. Very quiet area... I have lived in Florence before and knew…read morethis location was perfect and away from all the carts and noise that can overwhelm some neighborhoods at night and in the early morning. The rooms were perfect for our needs. I wasn't looking for a 5-star hotel, so I would adjust my expectations, but for what it is, it was great. Comments: 1) A number of stairs before you actually get to an elevator that just helps one with extra floor (for someone with bad knees, this helps). 2) Breakfast available for ~10 or 12 Euro / day depending on whether you pay in advance. 3) Staff (incredibly friendly and helpful) provides you with a physical key that you drop off before you leave (you never take your key with you when you leave the hotel). 4) There is a stink from the bathroom, and I heard from another tourist at another hotel, they had the same stank. It's as if they're not using P-traps, so it allows a sewer like smell to enter the bathrooms. Was a little gross... I won't lie, but separate from the bathroom door, there's another door that separates your room, so you can easily block the smell from entering your room (I can only speak to the "Quadruple room"). 5) "Quadruple" room had 3 beds: 1 double / queen (2 singles stuck together), and 2 single beds. All in one room. 1 tv where I did find 1 channel in English, but most were in Italian... but there was Netflix, etc. the you could access on the tv. 6) WiFi - Super helpful and needed in Florence. Note: The city has free WiFi... never knew that until the end of my trip. 7) Elevators are SUPER tiny... could barely fit two people with small carry-on luggage (that needed to be stacked for 2 people to fit). Any large suitcase would only allow 1 person to use it at a time. 8) Secure area - Once you enter into the hotel doors, it feels safe on your way to the elevator. Entry into the hotel is achieved by pushing on the "doorbell" button for the hotel from the street which unlocks the doors and gives you access to the building. (Super easy)

For 1 night in Florence, this was awesome location that you step into the sea of people. It's…read moreactually hidden location since it is inside a building with other local businesses. Located across from the gelato place and next to a bakery restaurant. It's located about 20 minute from the Termini which we took arrive in Florence from Rome. This place is all within walking distance to the cathedral and a local museum. Florence is known for it's designer brand shopping, so shoppers can unite out here. The amenities are minimal, but more for the "greener" side in terms of being environmental. Since we were in the area where it's all pedestrian area where no cars were allowed, there was minimal road noise, but perhaps some noise from the street cleaning and night life.

This appartment building is located in the centre of town. It had very spacious rooms and wasn't…read moretoo expensive. There's no breakfast, but that's okay since you're very close to all kinds of shops and restaurants.

What a gorgeous old villa turned into a beautiful hotel. Art Hotel Agape sits on a hilltop…read moreoverlooking Florence -- and it just might be the most beautiful view of the city. The Garden is stunning, with sculptured boxwoods, roses blooming, water features and those ubiquitous ceder trees. The room was gorgeous, comfortable, quiet. I loved the Eicher 3-dimensional tile in the entry way. The La Duchessa Restaurant was memorable with several Tuscan menu options. All freshly prepared, beautiful to look at and very tasty. Service exceptional. Very good Tuscan wine selections by the glass and bottle. Impressive breakfast buffet included in the room price. Fresh fruits, pastries, meats, cheeses, breads, hot coffee, tea, juices all on a buffet for you to enjoy. Everyone working here spoke very good English and did everything they could to be helpful, kind and answer questions. An on-call Shuttle service runs to a couple of plazas where you have access to the historic center of Florence. A most enjoyable stay.

Fantastic stay here! The customer service was warm and welcoming. The grounds were so beautiful and…read morewell kept, with wonderful views of the city below. The food was delicious - don't miss dinner here (be sure to make a reservation) and the breakfast provides an incredible spread - cornetto and other pastries, smoked salmon, espresso drinks, juices, fresh fruit! We would love to return again!

We had a wonderful stay at Villa Olmi Firenze. We were graciously upgraded to a beautiful room…read moreadorned with classic wood beams--pure Renaissance charm. Dinner at the restaurant was spectacular, with each dish somehow better than the last. The hospitality throughout our stay was exceptional, and the thoughtful touch of leaving us biscotti made it even more special.

As my long time friend and fellow Yelp'er Timmy S. says in his review, it's hard to give Villa Olmi…read moreanything other than Five Stars. The grounds are magnificent. The rooms are well appointed and updated. The Staff is knowledgeable and polite, while being friendly enough to be approachable to get suggestions for an outing. The food here is a Wow. A big one. The twelve of us were part of a Viking Cruise Extended Destination and we had four days and three nights to tour greater Florence and Siena. Each morning we were greeted by a friendly staffer who offered us a delicious Breakfast and a freshly made Cappuccino. While at night, their Chef outdid themselves, with an exquisite meal and out-of-this-world Tuscany and Piedmont wines. See the separate review of their "Il Cavaliere Ristoranti" When I die, this would be my version of heaven. As Timmy says: "Five stars doesn't seem to do this place justice. I'd gladly give them a 6th star." I would heartily agree.

We loved our stay at Borgo Rapale. Luca, son of Fortunato, and one of many in a long line of…read morefamily owners of the Borgo is kind and helpful. His family tree dates back to the 1500s, so that's a lot of history! Cottage Laura was ideal for our purposes... we loved the seclusion of the Borgo and especially the Cottage, which is a few hundred yards from the Borgo itself, nestled in a grove of olive trees and close by to neighboring vineyards. We loved the quiet and peace of the cottage, the chaise lounges, our own patio and table under a trellis, our own kitchen and laundry (washer). The cottage had everything we needed to prepare meals and enjoy a restful stay. Rapale is secluded but close to everything you may wish to do in Tuscany. Plenty of local restaurants close by if cooking on holiday isn't your thing. The Borgo had a nice pool and foosball table. A water purifier offering still water / water with gas is free for guests. Free bikes are available but we didn't use them. Free firewood for BBQing at your residence but bring matches or a lighter as none was provided. You're staying in the country so insects outside will bother or bite (bug spray helpful) at times and an active population of wild boars reside the area which we heard outside at night. Would return, great value and a restful and enjoyable stay. Luca is a great host.

This bed and breakfast is absolutely heaven on earth. We went there for a few days in early May…read morethis year, and we wish we had come here for our whole honeymoon. It is a tiny village on the top of a hill in the heart of Tuscany, about 25 minutes from Siena and in the middle of everything fun you'd want to do in Tuscany. The actual B&B has amazing views, private residences, old charm but modern conveniences like full kitchens, washing machines, swimming pool, outdoor grills, wifi and sattelite. They have bicycles you can just borrow and ride around the hills with, they have their own olive oil production and vinyards, and the actual villas have been in the family for 500 years. The B&B owners Gisela and Fortunato are charming, warm, so kind, and will tell you their history and even give you a tour of the original villa and wine cellar if you have time while you're there. And it's affordable. Very affordable! Book early b/c i'ts almost always full (no surprise here) and book for 3 days or more because there is just SO much to do. You will fall in love with Tuscany just like we did. I can't recommend Borgo Rapale enough.

The best place we stayed in Italy! The views are breathtaking and the service was amazing.read more

First class hotel 5-stars * * * * *…read more Celebrating our 25th wedding anniversary hotel Il Salviatino was the superb place for our celebration. Hotel Il Salviatino is the epitome of an indulgent Tuscan getaway. It is an elegantly restored villa tucked away in the hills on 12 acres in Florence with breathtaking views of the city. The hotel is lavishly decorated with fine furniture, marble fireplaces, portraits and artwork. The service was exceptional. At our arrival we were greeted with a glass of champagne and also welcomed with a bottle of champagne in our suite. It was a classy touch! The staff and management were warm and accommodating. The property has an expansive garden and a terrace that over looks the city. There is also a spa, fitness center, outdoor swimming pool, free WiFi, free parking and shuttle that takes you to downtown Florence. The on-site restaurant serves traditional Tuscan cuisine such as ricotta and spinach gnudi and swordfish fillet with lemon and rosemary. I hope to stay again at this unparalleled Italian villa.

I've stayed here twice. Once was 20 years ago and once again last month. This time it was a…read morefamily trip. We stayed in one of the family rooms and it worked out nicely for the four of us, including two teenagers. Breakfast was great - there was lots of variety. The staff keeps the breakfast room tidy and interacted with us in very friendly ways. This place drips with charm. The staff is friendly and helpful (and spoke English). They have a great big lazy dog who loves attention. The furnishings are old but charming. I like the public spaces such as the terrace and the sitting rooms. The location is picturesque but outside of the city of Florence. If you come and are planning on tourism in the city, please understand that Bencista is a charming retreat outside the city. I recommend this place highly.

This review is on the restaurant only…read more Recommended by the Michelin Guide, we were eagerly anticipating our 11th Anniversary dinner at Pensione Bencista's restaurant. Arriving by bus (€1.20/person each way) from our apartment in Florence, it was a short walk down the road from Bus #7's stop "Regresso" following the signs. The pensione is a beautiful 14th Century villa, overlooking the valley and Florence below. The Duomo and other landmarks are clearly evident from the terrace where we were taken and our reserved table awaited us. The tables were a bit too close to one another and the back of a chair from the table next to us made it awkward to sit comfortably. One of the owners finally moved the table when the guests arrived and it became clear that it was not going to work very well for either party. A nice young lady took our order from the fixed-price (€25 per person) menu with just four primi (pasta) selections and three choices of secondi (meat), including the tagliata (sliced steak - €40/kilo with one kilo minimum). The wine list was reasonable and we ordered a Syrah (€32) from northern Tuscany which was very good. Wine is extra, but water, dessert, service, and coperto are all included in the fixed-price. The Syrah was good, a robust, deep red with hints of berry, complimenting the meal very nicely. For our primi (first course), my wife had the penne con zucchini and I had the penne al ragu (meat sauce). They boast about serving only De Cecco pasta on their website which I found a bit odd because De Cecco is good pasta, but it is mass produced, not locally produced or handmade. My wife's pasta with zucchini was swimming in olive oil, a bit off-putting, but otherwise the dish was fair, nothing special, with small chunks of zucchini, onion, and little else. She had to add grated cheese to the dish to give it flavor, something she almost never does at her mother's house in Napoli or in restaurants. My ragu was very good, but like my wife's dish, there was very little pasta and it took little time to consume. Not overly impressive, after all De Cecco is not expensive pasta. While eating our pasta, the family next to us received their secondi (main courses), porchetta, which is one of my favorites and not offered as an option by our server. They were also served their contorni individually by the waiter whereas ours arrived on our plates from the kitchen. Maybe they were French celebrities, the King of France perhaps? I am joking obviously, but I thought it a bit odd in any case. When our secondi arrived, there were the potatoes, peperoni (sauteed red bell peppers), and a small portion of melanzane alla parmigiana (eggplant parmigiana) even though I had specified in my reservation that my wife was allergic to tomatoes. We pointed out the faux pas, they apologized, and her plate was removed. My tacchino rollatini arrived shortly thereafter, but we waited and waited, seemingly forever, until her veal sans tomato finally arrived. The owner also asked if we were having the porchetta, but I told him that the server had not given us that option, so he promised to bring a few slices as a courtesy. The tacchino (turkey breast) was rolled with ham and cheese inside, then lightly pan-fried. It was delicious, but extremely small once again with just one little rolled breast. The potatoes, melanzane, and peppers were all very good as you would expect at any decent restaurant in Italy. The scaloppine was also quite delicious, a reasonable portion, not small, not huge, white and tender as real veal should be. It is just a shame that we could not enjoy our anniversary main courses together. For dessert we were offered a choice of plum cake, torta di mele (apple pie), or biscotti (hard cookies with almonds) and a small glass of Vin Santo. We shared the torta di mele and biscotti con Vin Santo. The apple pie was simple and tasty, an Italian version slightly similar to American apple pie but drier. The biscotti were good, looking store-bought, and the glass of Vin Santo, a sweet white wine famous in this region, was very small, but big enough to dip the three cookies in as is the tradition. Again, the French family received dessert and something we were not offered by our server, fruit and cheese. Why our server failed to tell us about the additional options for secondi and dolce (dessert) is still a mystery. For the price, the meal was good and a fair value in Florence where comparable fixed-price meals start in the €30 to €40 range (including wine however). The setting idyllic, a beautiful ancient villa with an incredible view, the experience was better than the meal alone. The food was very average, with very few basic selections and small portions. The service was very friendly and punctual, but the numerous mistakes detracted greatly from our overall experience, particularly being our wedding anniversary. CombatCritic Gives Pensione Bencista 6 Bombs Out Of 10 ... More Bombs Are Better!

I normally never give a place a five star rating but every once in awhile it is very deserved…read more Palazzo Belfiore is a gem in the city of Florence. A 14th century palazzo with several apartments available for rent for vacation stays. Besides the fact that it is extremely representative of the city. Each apartment has a kitchen angle, free wifi and a unique layout. Lots of antique furniture and interesting pieces. Plus the service is what makes them stand out. They go out of their way for guests and even do a little special something for those celebrating a birthday or anniversary. They also can help with artisan tours, and other various local suggestions on where to eat and what to visit. the price range is great and the surrounding neighborhood is one of the best in the city. Highly recommend for those looking for a unique stay in Florence to feel 'like a local'

Traveling with my family this was truly the perfect place to stay in the beautiful city of…read moreFlorence. The apartment style residences were spacious and had an authentic feel that made our stay very enjoyable. The apartment was fully stocked with amenities and very clean. The location of the residence was ideal in that all major attractions in the city were within a 15 minute walk but the nearby surrounding area was quiet with good restaurants and cafés. The best part of our stay however was the staff. Above and beyond help and assistance with any questions or concerns we had. The head of staff Federico truly cared about our stay and made sure out stay was enjoyable. Highly recommend this place if staying in Florence!