We booked late and were happy to get the last room available at the property, the "small room"…read morecalled the Elena. This room is very small but super nice for the price! I have no complaints about the room. It was clean, comfortable and well furnished. While it was indeed very small, we were able to move around with no problems. The bed was cozy but comfortable and hard, like most beds in Italy; (some extra pillows would've been appreciated, we had to roll up our clothes underneath to create a makeshift pillow). Everything was in perfect working order and the room's decor was homey and comfy. The common areas are adorable with a communal kitchen, workspace with computer, and tea / dining room. There are even two friendly fish by the entryway (I really wish they had a bigger bowl, though -- I am worried about their health and happiness)! The owner has really thought of everything -- there were tourist books in various languages, a nice coffee machine, fresh flowers in the room, an in-room refrigerator, nice toiletries and even umbrellas to borrow by the door. Upon check-in, the staff was eager to offer suggestions for places to see and things to do. On our departure day, they called us a taxi. It was great service. The room had a very modern bathroom with a lovely rainfall overhead showerhead with terrific water pressure. The bathroom space was cramped but not unworkable. There was no bidet, only a kitchen-style sprayer that came out of the wall. We laughed at that but we don't use bidets anyway. The property is difficult to find. Look for the Hard Rock Cafe (it's across the street) and the new Nespresso store (it's right next door). You can walk there from the train station but I wouldn't recommend it if you are carrying heavy bags. The location is phenomenal; you can walk just about anywhere you'd want to see in the city. I was thrilled with the location. I almost hate to write this review because I don't want to secret to get out! The #1 best thing about this hotel was the in-room A/C! It is INDIVIDUALLY CONTROLLED and cooled our room down like an icebox! This is so very important in Italy and Europe in general and as an American from a desert city, I know heat and I like to be cool. We were chilly as penguins at this property. The Elena small room had zero view, but it didn't matter to us (see my photos of the view from our room). We only slept there so I didn't care if we had a city view or not. The entire city is steps outside your door! We enjoyed the complimentary breakfast. It was served at a cafe around the corner / a short walk away. You can take a table inside or outside without paying any extra. We had breakfast there twice; the first time the employees seemed SUPER annoyed at all the B&B guests and were less than friendly and welcoming. The second day it was smiles all around. And yes, we speak Italian and communicated with them in their native language (though others did not; they were really annoyed at them)! Good, fresh and sweet pastries and tasty espresso. Note that this B&B is in a very old building that is shared with full-time resident tenants. You will see locals coming and going with their dogs, groceries, etc. There is only one very old-style cage elevator that, if it is ever out of service, you'd have a very hefty climb up several flights of steep stone stairs. Just be aware of this if you have mobility issues. I'm not sure a wheelchair would fit in the elevator either, just FYI. This is a beautiful, romantic B&B. And don't you dare call it a "hotel," the owner really, REALLY hates that! He will correct you (again and again) if you do.

Stayed here for two days location was GREAT! Staff was friendly really liked the decor... You are…read morereally centrally located. My only complaint is when I booked the room online it clearly stated it had AC... The first night was horrible we had the AC on and it only pumped in hot air also the room we where in was sooo hot. After having a horrible nights sleep and being attacked by misquito's I called over to the main desk a woman answered when i asked about the AC her only response was " We recently switched the AC to heatas it was cold a few days ago" I asked if anything could be done as the room is miserably hot. The only thing she said was "i'll notify the owner" so we went out around Florence seeing all it had to offer only to come back to a VERY HOT room.

An amazing place right in the heart of Florence! The Residenza Giotto is located in very Central…read moreVia Roma, at the corner with the Duomo square. It's a small B&B made of 8 rooms with balcony, and a kitchen with a beautiful terrace. In the Summer you can enjoy breakfast looking at the magnificent Duomo and Giotto's belltower! Staff is extremely friendly, and helping every need during breakfast time. Wi-Fi in the rooms is free. And if you're lucky as I was, you can even fall asleep watching the belltower!

We stayed here for 4 nights and it was perfect! Giorgio and Silvia, who run the quaint and tidy…read moreB&B, were very friendly and welcoming. The B&B is centrally located next to the Duomo, in Florence's city center. We enjoyed an excellent view from our balcony of the church and bell tower. Also, each morning we were served a delicious breakfast with coffee. Next to the dining area, we could step outside onto the porch to enjoy the view of the Duomo. Silvia and Giorgio also provided excellent restaurant recommendations with a helpful map. Also they called to make reservations at both the Uffizi and Accademia museums for us. Reservations can be confusing and hard to set up for non-fluent Italian speakers. Giorgio and Silvia both speak fluent and clear English, by the way. The rates for our stay were very reasonable and well worth it, for the high quality of service and comfort we enjoyed. There is free Wi-Fi internet that had a strong signal for our entire stay too. Summary: Great vacation B&B, friendly and efficient service with at a reasonable rate! "Molto bene!"

Very nice hotel for a great price. If you want to stay close to the station, be in the heart of…read moreFlorence, have a hotel balcony in a clean, modern, yet old building, then this is the hotel for you. It is less than one block from the train station (so no cab necessary) and the balcony faces a beautiful old church. The windows were designed to be sound-proof, which is good because everyone comes out at night in Italy. We booked the triple room (I had no idea, I was just booking a balcony), which means it is larger and also had a daybed. They had set up a little table with fresh fruit and sparkling water to welcome us and also let us check in at noon without any hesitation. They told us we could keep our luggage with them until 6 if we wanted to check out the next day so that it was stored while we were seeing sites. However, we decided to stay another night in Firenze (could have stayed all week) so we booked another night at same place to avoid lugging luggage but our room was already booked so we reserved another next door and it too was very nice, quiet, modern and clean. They have free wifi, a nice modern bathroom with bidet, blow dryer, even spare toothbrushes and also offer free breakfast at a restaurant nearby. Only wish I had booked two nights because they are booked for a second night and check out is rather early, between 8 and 10:30 am but this is because early check in is preferred. One side note, you cannot check in after 7 pm on Sunday.

Absolutely amazing experience. When we checked in, Maria noticed it was my boyfriends birthday and…read moreimmediately upgraded our room. It was so thoughtful and kind of her. She even insisted on helping us carry our luggage upstairs which we of course helped her do. The hotel is so clean and the room was beautiful. The beds are very comfy and the mini fridge was stocked with drinks and snacks! Our room was facing the street and we loved being able to open the shutters and enjoy the sound of people down below. We were central to everything and walked everywhere. Thank you again. We will most definitely be back when visiting Florence.

We loved this place! The rooms are simple but perfect for what we needed. The owner was so kind and…read morewent out of her way to help us and even carried my wife's bag out. On top of that, it's a great price especially considering that we were walking distance from Il Duomo, Ponte Vecchio, the train station, and several little markets.

Out of the many hotels we stayed on our trip, we enjoyed this B&B the best. The room was cozy, the…read morebed and pillows were comfortable. The few things to note, (1) they have no elevator and the hotel begins after four flight of stairs which they consider Floor 1, (2) through no fault of their own, the nightlife echoes through the alleys and you can hear dining and partying until 3 am. Otherwise, it's an awesome location to stay at - in front of the Boar statue.

Fantastic location, 2-5 minutes away from any major place of interest. Great service. Wonderful…read morebreakfast. Large rooms. Free limoncello and Chianti, coffee and tea. Artistic decor, feels like you are in a medieval gallery.

Clueless American here: what a charming place! What else can I say that hasn't been said already…read more Staff is friendly, building is old. Close to the sights, but far enough away that street hustlers aren't harassing you right as you step out the door. Boutique-like accommodations with our Jr Suite - must have been the romance room since it came with Chianti. All for the price of what we would pay for a smaller, cheaper hotel in San Diego. I think we booked early before the dollar was flushed down the exchange toilet at around $100 a night, plus a tidy discount for multiple days. The name sounded vaguely like Britain when we booked, and sure enough I just checked the translation and they speak English, serve eggs and do all the things you're not supposed to do when in Italy, so maybe not the real down home Florence experience that some are looking for. It's pretty quiet. The busiest hours during the Christmas holidays, which are taken pretty seriously around here, are in the afternoon with lots of buzzing Vespas zipping around. Plus the main thoroughfares travel along the banks of the river so many ambulances rip up and down the streets at odd hours. But nothing woke us from our slumbers, which as a light sleeper is important. Except for the a really drunk opera singer on Christmas Eve at 2 am. I did not think about mosquitos until my wife read the little sign aloud recommending that the windows remain closed. Being winter it didn't seem to be a big problem, but we did see a few blood suckers. I imagine that in warmer months it can be a black cloud of vampiric bloodlust.

Hotel Bretagna is a breath of fresh air, with affordable pricing for a hotel literally in the…read morecenter of Florence. A gorgeous view of several of the bridges, including the historic Ponte Vecchio are literally hop skip and jump away from the hotel's front door. There are several restaurants in all directions which means you'll never have to catch a taxi to eat, unless you simply want to. We stayed from May 25, 2012 to May 30, 2012. Staff are really nice, speak English are always with a smile and will definitely help you both find places you want to go, and recommend places you should go. Wifi is provided but I will say it was very hit or miss in the actual hotel room. Standing outside your hotel room sometimes is necessary, but if you don't have a wifi device, head down to their lobby to use their computer. Breakfast was included in our plan, which is a continental, complete with several meats, cheeses, pastries, eggs (boiled and scrambled) all hot and fresh. There is a cappuccino machine but ask the staff near the machine if they'll make you a fresh cappuccino (they will, and it's MUCH better than what the machine spits out). The hotel rooms are spacious enough but no restrooms in the rooms. I'd spring for the extra cash to buy your own private restroom, which comes locked with your key. There is a safe inside but no key card access to the hotel rooms...a simple lock/key works just as well though. Definitely advise you to take a seat on the balcony several times before you leave because the view is pretty stunning. Also, I would advise you to keep your windows shut! We found out the hard way that mosquitoes have a way of floating in if you leave for the day with your window open, but the staff already knows and has plug in mosquito trappers in each room. All in all, we couldn't have picked a better place more centrally located with such a fantastic view and i'd highly recommend you visit!