During our recent one week stay in Florence, we stayed at the Hotel Torre Guelfa, Borgo SS Apostoli 8, about a 15 minute walk from the train station. The location is fantastic, on a relatively quiet street about a block and a half from the Ponte Vecchio, and a couple of blocks from the Uffizi. There are many places to eat within minutes, and a tiny convenience store right across the street from the hotel.
We had stayed here way back on our first Rick Steves tour in 2009, and Stan has always wanted to return. One of the attractions, in fact, the thing that Stan remembered most vividly, was the tower, or Torre, in the hotel. It rises above the hotel, 72 steps from the 3rd floor up to the tower bar, then another creaky, winding staircase up to the top. The view from there is magnificent, especially at sunrise and sunset. (Well, I’m assuming it’s great at sunrise; I know it’s wonderful at sunset.)
Ever since we enjoyed a magical evening under a full harvest moon in October of 2009, Stan has wanted to stay there again. And so we booked it.
This was a splurge for us, but since we had decided to spend a full week, and since we knew Florence with its outrageous crowds and multiple attractions would be exhausting, we asked for a nicer room, with either a balcony or a terrace if available.
Have you seen Rick’s Italy guidebook, where he mentions in the hotel list for Florence the Torre Guelfa? He says something like “If you book early enough, you may get room 315.” And we did! I didn’t ask for it, not knowing what it was, but when the person with whom I was communicating sent my request on to someone else at the hotel, the answer came back ”315 is available for her dates.”
Our section of the hotel has an elevator – evidently there are some parts that don’t. Up to the 3rd floor, then follow the winding hall, past a lovely lounge, past the door to the breakfast room, and we finally found the door to 315. We unlock the door and… stairs! A narrow flight a stairs that seem to go straight up, then a sharp turn to the left – more stairs, then we pop out into the room. There were only 22 stairs, but it seemed like more, especially that first time.
So let me describe the room. (I wish I could include photos here.) The room was big, 25 square meters, according to the website, and somewhat worn. It could have used some sprucing up, but was clean and pleasant. To the left is a 4-poster bed, with small lamps and tables on either side. (Lots of pillows. What do people do with all those pillows?) There’s a window by the bed, that overlooks the red tile roof of other parts of the hotel.
On the west wall is a small luggage stand, a lovely old wardrobe, and a more modern cabinet with coffee and tea makings on top, and a small fridge inside. The south wall has a small table under a window; there’s a straight backed chair at the table. The bathroom is in the southeast corner of the room, and it’s … ummmm… colorful? You have to go up a fairly tall step to enter. The floor is turquoise tile; the walls are covered with alternating lavender and cream colored tile. After my initial shock, I decided I liked it. There was a decent sized shower, a lavender sink, and a toilet. There were plenty of towels, which were replaced daily, if I recall correctly.
Now, the south wall faced the terrace. The window over the small desk (table) looked out onto the terrace, and next to the table was a door leading out to it. The terrace was huge, perhaps a little narrower than the room, but much longer. There was a full set of porch furniture, with chairs and couches, as well as a low table. The sides of the terrace were filled with large flowerpots, full of blooming plants and small olive trees. It was magnificent. We spent a lot of time out there, especially in the early morning or late evening.