Recommendations for Hotels in Florence and Siena

Laural, it's very easy to get from the center of Florence to the airport, about 20 minutes on the tram. When we were in Florence last summer, our hotel clerk recommended we take the tram to the airport, rather than a taxi. Cheaper and faster. The tram terminus is very near the train station, which is, of course, very near the center.

We stayed at Hotel Torre Guelfa, which has a wide range of prices. We had one of the nicer rooms, and it came to just about $300 a night. I think for just one night, I'd choose another hotel, or at least a less expensive room. The breakfast is amazing, by the way.

https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/italy-reviews/hotel-torre-guelfa-in-florence-a-quirky-but-fun-splurge

Thank you, Jane. I read your review and others regarding the Hotel Torre Guelfa. That is the hotel we will be using during our stop on our RS Tour. Unfortunately, for that date, their quote was even more than $300/night. And for an overnighter, it was more than what we wanted to spend. We will look into taking the tram to get to the airport. Does it run at 4:00 am?

Laural, I'm not sure it runs that early.

I just found this website, which says it runs from 5:30. https://www.introducingflorence.com/tram

What time is your flight?

Oh how fabulous that you'll have 3 nights in Siena! One of my favorite hill towns.

In Siena, I enjoyed my two-night stay at Hotel Chiusarelli https://www.chiusarelli.com/en/home/
My caveat is that I have not been there since 1998, so no recent experience; but judging from their website, it still looks lovely. It is likely still listed in the RS guidebook. The most recent Tuscany guidebook I have (2013) indicates that you can ask for a "Rick Steves Discount when you book," but who knows if that's still the case. Can't hurt to ask.

Ask for a quiet room. Near San Domenico Church (you'll hear bells in the AM), so a longer and hilly walk to Il Campo (which I felt was a plus, being further away from crowds). It's not too far from the Duomo. No matter where you stay, be prepared for lots of hills, which is part of Siena's charm. It is walking distance from the train station as I recall, which is why I chose it.

Don't rush the Duomo in Siena. If you're into it, there is so much detail to appreciate, including the mosaic tiles on the floor and many busts of the popes. Great description and self-guided tour of the Duomo in the RS guidebook.

For Siena check Antica Residenza Cicogna. It's in the RS book. Stayed there 2019, and again this past fall. Inexpensive (around 330€ for 3 nights) , lovely owner and breakfast, in the heart of the town.

Jane,
Our flight leaves at 6:30 AM. We should get to the airport at least 2 hrs. before flight departure according to the Forum.

Thank you for your responses. In 2016, we stayed at the Hotel Chiusarelli. We don't recall whether we enjoyed our stay there or not. I will have to look it up again.

We will also check out the Antica Residenza Cicogna.

Oh, we stayed at Antica Residenza Cicogna in Siena a few years ago, and loved it! I didn't mention it because OP asked for a hotel.

Here's my review: https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/italy-reviews/charming-b-b-in-siena-antica-residenza-cigogna

Thanks, Jane, for referring to your review of the Antica Residenza Cicogna. You were pretty thorough and will definitely look into it.

We loved the Hotel Davanzati in Florence about a year or two ago. Delightfully family run, a lovely aperitivo hour every night, centrally located. I’d go back in a heartbeat. I can’t recall the price but it was definitely below $300 a night. Oh, and eat dinner at Sostanza!

Thanks everyone for your suggestions. We are booked at the Antica Residenza Cicogna in Siena. The B&B looks charming. We had to make sure we were getting two rooms with double beds because for one of the rooms, it said it was either a double with one bed or two twin beds. She confirmed that we were getting two "matrimoniale" rooms.

We stayed at the Hotel Chiusarelli in Florence during a 2016 RS Tour and enjoyed our stay there, but decided to try something different this time.

As for Florence, we are probably getting back from Siena in the afternoon and will be exhausted. Since we have an early morning flight, we have decided to stay closer to the airport for the convenience.