Florence Hotel Recommendations

Check out www.hotellascaletta.it. We've stayed there and it's very handy to walk to the sights. It's across the river from the Duomo on the Ponte Vecchio and has views of the Palazzo Pitti and the Boboli Gardens. Read "Inferno" by Dan Brown before you go. The staff was so marvelous, telling us where they go for lunch and gelato, places tourist will never find. Ask for Sarah or Sylvia but all of them are great. I bought them a copy of "Inferno" in Italian at the bookstore nearby and gave it to Sarah. We walked to and from the train station and all of the sights we wanted to see.

If you're looking for something with character and staying under $200/nt ( ~155 euro, at present exchange rate ), it's hard to beat Loggiato dei Serviti. https://www.loggiatodeiservitihotel.it

Excellent location, about two blocks from the Duomo, fronting Piazza della Santissima Annunziata. We were just there in late-December and it was the perfect 'hub' for walking to all the major venues. The people working there were friendly and most helpful, if you call them directly and mention Rick Steves there's a special rate of 135/nt for a double.

A second for Hotel La Scaletta, we were there this past October. It was maybe 15-20 minutes to walk to the Duomo, very close to Palazzo Vecchio (where we took a tour), also closer to get to San Miniato Church for the views of the city. Our room was around $200 (was 179 Euros, they have less expensive), and you get one free breakfast if you stay at least 3 nights. I found it because a good friend stayed there and loved it, and it was also recommended by several on the forum. Would stay there again, loved that the location was a little away from the crowds near the Duomo, and they also have a wonderful rooftop terrace. Ate our one breakfast there (otherwise went to local cafes), and also a couple afternoons we spent some time with a glass of wine admiring the view.

Rick's guidebook calls the floorplan 'tortured' and it has the world's tiniest elevator. We thought it was charming - it's a very old building that was converted into a hotel, so we kept imagining what it looked like before, how it was used, etc. We also prefer character and with that, you give up some things, but we loved it.

Thank you all for the help. These were both beautiful hotels and the deciding factor came down to Loggiato dei Serviti, was $75.00 less per night.

Thank you all again for taking the time to reply!

Check out the Hotel Balesteri on the Arno, great place and not expensive.

Have you checked the Hotel Dei Macchiaoli? I seem to recall that is one of Rick's suggestions (though I don't have the book on me at the moment). Was it all booked up or too expensive? I really enjoyed their location! Right around the corner from the David and also a quick walk to the Duomo.

Sounds like you've decided on Loggiato dei Serviti. I don't know anything about the other hotels recommended, but we stayed at Loggiato dei Serviti on our VFR tour last May and were perfectly happy. Our room seemed lavish after five nights at Pensione Guerrato in Venice, complete with canopy bed and a gorgeous view of the top of the Duomo. We spent some time just standing at that window soaking it in. Staff seemed friendly and helpful and the breakfast quite adequate. One evening, there was an event going on in the square, and we sat on the steps with a drink from a nearby bar, just being part of the lively scene. We totally fell in love with Florence, and the hotel did nothing to detract from that. Just wait until you start walking down the street from the square, turn the corner and are hit with your first view of the Duomo. It's a wow!

We were in Florence last September. We like small, family run places. We found Casa Pucci on line. It was absouletly wonderful. There only a few rooms in what was once a convent (built in the mid 1400's). It has so much character and the price is very reasonable. The B&B is run by a mother and her daughter. They were super hosts and good source for local places to eat and visit. It is in the old town across the Arno, but very easy walk to all major sites (Duomo, Uffizi Gallery, Accademia, Galileo Science Museum, Santa Croce, etc.). It is within walking distance to the Pucci Palace and Boboli Gardens on the other side of the river also. We would stay there again in a heartbeat.
Linda

we're booked at the Hotel Globus in July, it looks centrally located and has wonderful reviews.