I needed a place to stay in Florence (Firenze) on January 24, 2024, when I was arriving on a train…read morefrom Marseille. Along the way, my train had to stop for two hours, while an accident on the tracks ahead was investigated. I stayed in touch with the people at La Contessina, as I learned more about how much of a delay this was going to cause. The people I texted with at La Contessina were polite, and as flexible as they could be. When I was able to arrive, at around midnight, I was overjoyed that there was somebody there who was able to help me get into my room. Also delighted that the room was beautiful! The bed was comfortable, and the ambiance of the room was extraordinary. My only regret was that I had to leave early in the morning, so I didn't have the opportunity to fully experience this venue. I highly recommend Residence La Contessina. I am grateful to those who worked with me to make my experience work.

We arrived in Florence after a ferry ride from Venice that took us to a long train ride to…read moreFlorence. So we were ready to settle in and call it an evening. Unfortunately the place we previously booked was AWFUL, we walked in and it smelled musty, then moldy and sure enough black mold in our room! We ran and THANK THE HEAVENS there was an available apartment at La Contessina! The gentleman at the front desk at the Residence La Contessina was charming and helpful. He showed us the apartment and I was beyond happy. A BEAUTIFUL patio, the apartment is spacious, clean, full kitchen, bathroom, dining, and upstairs loft! I LOVE IT HERE!! Annnddd there is an amazing restaurant connected to the Residence. La Sosta delle Contesse is DELICIOUS! Florence is looking very good now

My daughter had a very disappointing semester stay in the Buontalenti Exclusive apartment. While…read morethe apartment was nice and as pictured in the online photos, there was a MAJOR mechanical disruption in the apartment for over 6 weeks of her stay! A very loud, high pitched drilling noise that CONSTANTLY came from the HVAC unit. My daughter and I contacted the agency over and over, and the noise was NEVER repaired. It truly was torturous. My daughter was given the run around for weeks and weeks and kept being told parts were ordered and mechanics were going to repair the noise. I called and emailed from the US dozens of times and never communicated with the same person. I asked to speak with the owner and this was never allowed. Their attitude was "this is beyond our control" and all we can do is"strongly urge" the owner to repair the noise. At exam time when it became obvious the agency had no intention of helping my daughter, I asked for her to use another nearby empty apartment to study and sleep. At first this request was completely denied despite all she had suffered for weeks. After a few days, they said she would have to completely move out of her present apartment into the new apartment during finals. Mind you, this was with only a week left of the lease. After all of the inconvenience and complete failure to help in any way or offer any solution for my daughter,, I asked for a fair credit on the rent (which was over $3500 a month). All they offered was a $150 credit on the already sky high utility bills. I stated this was not acceptable for the months long unlivable condition, and they seriously did not care and offered nothing else. Please take my advice and do NOT rent from this poorly managed agency. Don't let the nice photos online fool you- if anything major goes wrong in the apartment, they will not follow through with repairs. Several of my daughter's friends also rented from Apartments Florence and also had serious maintenance issues. One friend went without hot water for over 2 weeks. My security deposit also wasn't returned within the 30 days specified in the lease, and I had to contact the agency several times inquiring about the refund. I'm sad to say that this agency seems to take advantage of American students.

The following is my opinion based upon my experiences as described below…read more The costs to get in to the apartment were a deposit of 4,000€, a cleaning fee of 312 €, and the first month's payment (1,360 € rent + 100 € condo fee + 40 € wifi = total of 1,500 €). The agency fee was 1800 €, this did not seem unreasonable as they were to be the property managers through whom rent and other issues were to be managed. Certainly, the owners pay another fee for the management of the property. That being said, I have two cats and requested that they be considered. The agency made it seem that the owners insisted on a higher security deposit in order to allow the cats. Upon meeting the owners, they assured me that they had told the agency that they had no problem allowing the pets and no discussion of any additional fee had taken place. Upon moving in, I found that there was no key to the post box and no key to throw away the trash (Florence has controlled bins for trash and various recycling). I messaged and emailed at least once a week regarding both of these necessities. After four (4) weeks of wandering the streets with my garbage and recycling, searching for an open bin, they finally secured a control key for me. It took nearly 8 weeks for a key to open my post box. This ONLY occurred because after sending an email listing the many problems with the apartment, they finally contacted the property owners and arranged for them to meet me at the apartment. When I mentioned the post box key to them, they knew nothing about it. They were able to resolve the problem within 2 days! The property owners also seemed surprised at several elements within the home that the agency had not appraised them of. Of lesser importance, but to explain the lack of quality provided by Apartments Florence SRL, this is an excerpt from an email sent to them: I hope to address some outstanding issues and to communicate very clearly that things are off to a difficult start in regards to our professional relationship. This will also serve as proof of communication of the state of the apartment for assessment at end of the lease. After four weeks of repeated requests, I received the means to properly dispose of garbage. We are into the fifth week and I still do not have the means to open the postbox. Fortunately, I was home when the registered letter from the Questura arrived, but that does not negate the need to provide all of the necessary elements of a normal rental. I have spent many hours cleaning the apartment. I have date/time stamped video of every inch of the apartment and can say without doubt that it was not properly clean upon moving in. Issues include: * The walls are in a terrible state. They are filthy (sudicio) and damaged in places . I wiped fourteen mosquito corpses from the walls upon arrival. * Under the beds and under the refrigerator were not clean, there were areas of dried liquid and dirt which I have cleaned. * The beautiful tile backsplash in the kitchen is not properly sealed where it meets the plastic strip at the bottom, the area is open to water damage which has already occurred behind the faucet and to the right of the sink. * The pergola in the kitchen and anteroom to the bathroom is separating, creating a place for the growth of bacteria . *The window in the door leading to the terrace is broken. . * The outside area under the windows (where clothes should hang) is filthy, including someone's old underwear that they hung out and let fall, this seems like a matter covered by the condominium fee Within the contract I agreed, and will uphold my part, to pay their stated utility rates which are: Gas 1,50 € x mc / water 4,00 € x mc / electricity 0,60 € x kWh). Having looked at various offers in the free market, comparing three of the most popular companies for gas and electricity, rate ranges were: gas from 0,5311 to 1,05 € x mc and electricity from 0,115 to 0,129 x kWh). As to water, the rates set are best outlined by Publiacqua. I do not take issue necessarily with the prices, as I had no choice but to agree in order to secure the lease. The problem is Apartments Florence SRL's complete lack of transparency. I requested a copy of the statement from the utility companies for my records, showing that what I paid is what the utility actually charge. The agency refused, stating that my payment rates were agreed upon in the contract. I very much like the apartment and the zone. I recently met the owners of the property who were incredibly helpful and kind. That being said, I am most pleased that the contract has a clause requiring only a three-month written notice in order to terminate the contract, which I have given, cutting my one year lease down to 5 months.

We stopped here to take a look a few times at different parts of the day. It beautiful architecture…read morecan be enjoyed at any time. Best times are obviously sunrise and sunset. Not far from the Duomo or the statue of David if you are walking. Just be cautious of anyone walking up to you to try and tell you little trinkets. They speak many languages so saying no parlo Italiano doesn't always work.

The high-end shops are exquisite. Silver, jewelry, leather goods, silver & beautiful ornate…read morecraftsman pieces that are unique & very special. The gold, diamonds & gems glitter in the windows. Fifteen years ago I purchased a Beautiful bracelet that I still enjoy as well as leather and gold gifts here.

This hotel was conveniently located next to major sites, restaurants, and the train station…read more Our room was located very far from the elevator and up a small flight of stairs. The stairs are a few steps away from our door and I forgot they were there and tripped down the stairs. Miraculously landed on my feet. The rooms weren't updated but had a nice Italian charm to them. They refill the complimentary mini bar everyday and it came with snacks and a variety of drinks, which we enjoyed. The rooms were also a very decent size. The beds are extremely firm and not in a good way. We looked it up and that's how Italians like it. The buffet breakfast had a good variety and was very busy. If you are lucky, you get to sit by the window with a view of the duomo. I noticed the staff ask a few people if they wanted a cappuccino or another drink that wasn't being served at the buffet but we were never asked and it was hard to flag them down.

Nice hotel! I am generally partial to a smaller hotel so, the "grand" part of this hotel was not…read morelost on me. My husband and I stayed here after a wonderful trip to Rome. The front desk people were helpful when asked. The buffet breakfast was pretty standard but, we had a hard time getting a cappuccino. By the time we had found someone to ask each morning, we were pretty much done with breakfast. The room was nice but, clearly had not been maintained in a bit. Due to the time of year, the AC was not on but, opening the window got rid of the stuffiness. The bed was a bit hard compared to my liking and other places we have stayed in Italy. I did enjoy the complimentary bottle of Chianti Classico that we were able to enjoy on the roof! This hotel had great views for sure.

We booked Portrait Firenze for our stay in Florence after having a great experience at Portrait…read moreMilano last summer. The hotel is centrally located and right on the Ponte Vecchio with outstanding views from the rooms. The service was A+ and our room was spacious, luxurious and comfortable. The breakfast spread in the morning was also absolutely incredible. The only thing that would have made this hotel even better for me would be a gym, but as someone that likes to pack in one million activities into their vacation schedule this location was perfect. We didn't take a cab our entire stay and were able to easily walk everywhere we needed to go. Now I will need to go to Rome to stay at the original location!

Great location. But obviously having the same post Covid issues everyone…read more A few bad apples in the organization that make the experience less than expected. From restaurants to onsite housekeeping. Very nice management want to make things work for sure but it is what it is.

Atrium Bar review- room was gorgeous, Server was great! 5…read morestars. Food - ordered the Parmesan Tempura and the shrimp on top of crispy rice - really disappointing how dismal this tasted. The hotel should have better tasting appetizers! I didn't want to order anything else since the bar menu was so unappetizing- 3 stars.

Loved Florence again ! The staff, the bar & the grounds are all wonderful .. the Michelin star…read morerestaurant was awful... pretentious, boring and the food truly underwhelming. Go elsewhere!!

Wonderful accommodations and beautiful surroundings. Comfortable beds. All modern amenities. East…read moreproximity to everything. Highly recommended for a family of 4-6!

Would you spend the night in what used to be a women's prison in the 12th century?…read more The Pagliazza Tower is the oldest building in Florence. It was built in the 6th century AD by the Byzantines as part of the "newer" city walls to augment the older Roman ones and protect the city during the Gothic War. The circular shape, which was rare in the Middle Ages, reflects ancient Roman building techniques. The tower rests on a circular wall that surrounded a swimming pool or Roman thermal bath. In the basement there is a calidarium, with brick floor channels for heat, which would have been used for steam baths. According to our guide, Roberta, it was used as a women's prison in the 12th century. Pagliazza references the straw mat bedding upon which the inmates slept. Later on, it was converted into the bell tower of a church. Eventually it was acquired as a private residence. Today it is home to a luxury hotel with a small museum and restaurants. The museum showcases artifacts from excavations dating back to the Roman and medieval times. Although we didn't stay here, the history of the Pagliazza Tower is very interesting.

"It's not where you live, it's how you live,"…read more It's nestled in the heart of Florence with rooms with a view of the Duomo - Duomo (English: /dwomo/, Italian: [dwmo]) is an Italian term for a church with the features of, or having been built to serve as a cathedral, whether or not it currently plays this role. Checking in was easy with an accommodating staff. The rooms are nice, but not fabulous, The elevator system confuses everyone! The breakfast (complementary for us) was quite good. While the location is fabulous and the staff quite nice, I expected a slightly nicer room for the price, but as they say, location, location, location.

Location is a bit outside the city center but you can walk to the museums and restaurants without…read moreany trouble. The bartender is great and the cocktails are unusual but I haven't had anything bad yet. The gym is fully stocked except they need better mats for a work. The room we got was an upgrade and it was spacious with a beautiful bathroom and bidet! The nice thing about Marriott hotels is you know what you will get no matter where you are .

Rooms are very nice . Check in was not pleasant avoid…read moreMarcus at front desk big attitude . Would not give asses to wifi to find update rate . Be precise on booking. With platium / or any other creditials . I hope Marcus family never has to endure travelingfor 30 hours to have an unpleasant check in .

We stayed at Hotel Spadai and had a wonderful check-in experience. The staff was friendly and…read moreaccommodating. When we got to our room, we loved the view overlooking the street, just one block from the Florence Cathedral. The room was very comfortable, especially after arriving in the rain. As we explored the city, we spoke with Noemi at check-in and asked about the spa services they offered. She was a good listener and helped decide on a package. We looked through the brochure, and she recommended booking in advance to ensure availability. We decided on the €295 couples package, which included a couples massage 30 min/each. The private spa would be booked for two hours total. We booked it for the following day, and she informed us that cancellations were not allowed within 24 hours. Not only was the hotel stay excellent and the service top-tier, but the spa experience was on another level of luxury. We were escorted to a private spa area that included a jacuzzi, sauna, steam room, bathroom, shower, robe and slippers. The massage therapists each gave us a relaxing 30-minute massage. Snacks, berries, and wine were also included. We chose to have them delivered to our room afterwards but you can have it during your spa allotted time. I must say, for any special occasion, this experience is absolutely worth it! Besides the comfortable room and friendly staff, the spa treatment was hands down the highlight of our stay. I can say with certainty that when I return to Florence, I wouldn't be able to stay anywhere else.

Excellent hotel, 150 yards from the Duomo. One of the nicest hotels we have ever stayed at. Staff…read moreis fantastic, super friendly and everyone had a least a little English, at least enough to communicate. Best bed linens to be found, we had great nights rest every day. The included breakfast was also outstanding. We enjoyed a Spa appointment, wish we could have included a massage, but that was not available. Steam shower and sauna were great to rejuvenate after 8 miles of walking in Florence. We will be back again.