I'm really impressed with this place. I'm so glad we found it. It would have been a 5-Star rating if it weren't for a few bumps we've had. But otherwise, this place has been PERFECT.
Pros:
Affordability: We got an upgraded room ($200+ per night) and it is sizeable for a man of 6 feet tall that needs a king sized bed to sleep in. But I've seen pricing for this hotel for about $170 a night (We went in May).
Service: The staff is really friendly and knowledgeable of the area, they are quick to recommend and genuinely want to make your stay an enjoyable one.
Cleanliness and Aesthetics: The hotel is decorated beautifully, it's a very white hotel (sometimes I felt it was a little TOO fancy for me). The hotel is really clean, and there was never anything that I saw that had me question it.
Breakfast: I didn't know that this was included when we booked our room. But a killer breakfast is included as part of your stay and if you are going to hit a tour the first thing in the morning, then you want to do it on a well fed stomach! This isn't a continental breakfast, There are scrambled eggs, various meats and cheeses, some of the best tomatoes I've had in my life as well as some of the best coffee to get me going first thing in the morning.
Killer Muzak: They typically play off the beaten path covers of popular songs in the hotel lobby. Its a nice touch if you ask me!
Cons:
Location: The hotel is a bit far from all of the things one can do in Florence in comparison to other hotels. It's further but most things are walkable in the city. I mean you could probably walk to most things within an hour. A cab from Firenze SMN Station is about 15 Euros at the most.
One other issue I had with the location is when we walked back to the hotel along the side streets. In the evening when there are little people around, it can bring out some of the more intimidating people in the city looking to mug someone. So if you plan on walking back to the hotel at night, take a major street back to it (Lugarano Generale Diaz, parallel to the Arno river)
AC: Our room had an AC issue from the beginning and wasn't fixed during our stay because of the weekend, so we ended up sweltering for most of the time we slept and there wan't much of an airflow. It was the only sore spot we had during our stay.
Summary:
It's a great hotel at a great price. If it wasn't for the AC issue, this would be a 5-star review, hands down. Would I stay here again? Absolutely! I definitely recommend it! read more