Hotel Recommendations in Florence.

jeff,

You might have a look at Katty House as it's in a nice area and also easy walking distance from the station and to some of the major attractions. They also operate a restaurant on the ground floor, and I thought the food there was great. I'd suggest booking early though.

Depends on what your "must have's" are -- we stayed at Hotel Dali, very near the Duomo, in 2012 and have reservations again for May 2016 at E70 per night, but we are fine with the toilet/shower down the hall and no included breakfast. Loved the location (easy walk to the train station, dinner at Leonardo's self service) .

Prices vary depending on location and stars. A 3 star hotel in the city center will be well over 100€/night

On our RS Best of Italy, we stayed at the Hotel California. It was two blocks from the Duomo and two blocks from the Accademia. I would stay there again.

I'll second the Hotel California - I also stayed there a few years ago on an RS tour. The location is perfect for walking all over Florence.
You can also get more info on this hotel on tripadvisor.
Happy Travels.

Everything is very compact in the historical center of Florence. From the train station it's a 5-8 min walk to the Duomo. I always look at Tripadvisor.com to check out hotels. And look at Venere.com because I can check out sections of town, pricing,etc.

We stay in different places each time we go, and always manage to find our way around town with ease!

The cost you quote sounds about right. If you select something on the web, make sure you look at photos...really important to see if there are any from guests, not just from the hotel website...the hotel will always make their place look as good as possible.

You are going to love Florence!

We stayed at La Scaletta Hotel, right across the river from everything and a block from the Ponte Vecchio. Check out their website and book directly with any hotel you select, rather than using a booking service. We had a room with a view of Boboli Garden and were only one block from Pitti Palace. We easily walked the 6-7 blocks to the Duomo and Academia. The La Scaletta staff were beyond helpful as they told us where they take their families to eat, get gelato, and find bargains. Sylvia, Sarah, Monica, and Christina were a real delight and we still correspond with them today. Upon arrival we took a taxi to the hotel since we were first timers too. We walked to Santa Maria Novella on our departure, just to savor Florence one more time before leaving. The roof top restaurant at La Scaletta has excellent foods and marvelous views of the famous sights illuminated right across the river. Worth a visit even if you don't stay there.

We stayed at Hotel Casci and would stay there again. It is not near the train station but convenient for almost everything else. They also have a fantastic breakfast.

Your price quote sounds about right. I like Hotel Paris near the train station or Hotel Bigallo around the corner from the Duomo. I do first-time bookings through booking.com, directly with the hotel on return visits. Read reviews from actual guests.

First time to Florence in 2010 we stayed near the Arno in the shopping area at Hotel Beacci Tornabuoni. Beautiful, spacious place, and at that time with the Euro/Dollar at 1.40, expensive at well over $200/night.

Your price of $400-$500 for three nights sounds reasonable. But for a walk on the (slightly) wild side, investigate VRBO or AirBnB for an apartment rental. We found a place very near the train station on Piazza Santa Maria Novella for 5 nights this last March, and paid right at $100/night. Wonderful, fun, felt like we were living there. If you go that route, might want to eke out a 4th day in Florence--you can't go wrong!

We stayed at The Hotel Il Guelfo Bianco in 2014.. It was walking distance to everything. A great location and it included breakfast. We would stay there again.

I am a fan of hotel Pensione Pendini. It's on Piazza della Repubblica. The location is excellent. Ask for a quiet back room. Rather than list all the amenities here - you can just google it. I really liked this place. I don't know how "fancy" you are.

For a short stay stay of 2 nights we have stayed at Hotel Accademia located at Via Faenza 7. It is an easy walk from the train station and just a few steps from the Medici Chapels, Church of San Lorenzo and mkt. For our longer visits we have rented apartments which we much prefer.

One more thing. In Florence on our October 2010 trip, we found out basically after the fact that--at least for us--breakfast isn't the most important thing. At our hotel, breakfast was included, and to cater to American tourists there would be the requisite well-apportioned spread of eggs, bacon, potatoes, etc. That was fine and well, and it was a good idea to have some fuel for a full day of walking & 'touristing'.

But we found out in short order that there's food all over Florence. Between the lampredotto stands, bakeries, the Mercato Centrale for meats & cheeses and the San Lorenzo market with its wonderful fruit, we were still relatively full from breakfast when encountering these magnificent culinary opportunities.

So...for our last couple days on that trip, we only had a roll, coffee & fruit for breakfast, then 'grazed' our way through Florence the rest of the day. Then, at our apartment this last March, we shopped every morning at the Mercato Centrale, picking up prosciutto, salami, sharp Pecorino cheese, rolls, grapes and millefiori (wildflower) honey. That would be our breakfast on subsequent mornings, along with a pot of much-needed American coffee, gotten at the Conad grocery across from the piazza. I love espresso, but after a week of it a regular cup o' joe is a comfort all its own.

After a day of touring, we'd return to the apartment, doze with the windows open, and discuss a late dinner at any number of trattorias within walking distance. Most places don't start serving dinner until 7:00-8:00 PM. It was a glorious, laid-back time, especially during the week when Florence was relatively empty of tourists, at least in March.

Enjoy your planning!

We stayed at B&B Bonsignori (http://www.bbbonsignori.it/aboutus.htm) and absolutely loved it. It was located just south of the river which just had a more local and calm feel to it. Everyone is right when they say how compact Florence is, and it was easy to walk over the river to see the Duomo etc. We were there for the Festival of St. John the Baptist (late June I think so check it out) so there were fireworks one night and then the entire town gets gelato afterwards. The best place we found for gelato (and most local) was Gelateria della Passera and we also enjoyed eating at all of the restaurants around the Piazza Santo Spirito.

We did a 17 day trip but one of the best things we did was was the Super Chianti wine tour in Florence: http://www.tuscan-wine-tours.com/#!super-chianti/c1gjf We loved that it was a small group (8 people) and it took us into the Italian countryside which we wouldn't have been able to see otherwise since we didn't rent a car. It may seem pricey but was worth every penny.

Happy Travels!

I'll second the Accademia Hotel on Via Faenza. We stayed there in November 2012 and enjoyed it. Great location with lots of restaurants nearby as well as easy walking distance from the SMN train station.

Wherever you stay, consider asking for a room off the street. Noise travels up.

I'd also recommend Katti House, double glazing deals with any street noise

Another vote for Hotel California. Would stay there again in a heartbeat. Very easy walking distance to everything.

Sorry, regarding Hotel California, I couldn't resist....I heard you can check in but you can't check out. Ha.

I used AirBnB for my 3 week trip to Europe this past May/June. I had great places to stay, with more amenities, and paid way less than I would have paid at a hotel. I doubt I will ever stay at another hotel, unless that is all that is available.

I am planning to spend at least 5 days in Florence on my next trip and I've already started looking at apartments through AirBnB for that trip.