Hotels in Florence

Living in Florence means often having visitors. When we can't put people up at our home, we have a list of favourite hotels and apartments that we recommend. This is it.

Apartments

Apartment rentals/ holiday homes Outside of Florence

Arttrav recommends staying in apartment or villa rentals. A good guide to this experience is Your Own Private Tuscany: A Guide to Italian Vacation Rentals

Villa Calcinaia
Website: www.florencehouserental.com
Via Leonardo Da Vinci, 28
50055 Lastra a Signa - Firenze
Tel. +39 055 8723149
Fax +39 055 8723149
Located in the hills of Lastra a Signa, just one stop on the superstrada outside of Florence, this is the most spectacular rental apartment I have ever stayed at. The restored villa calcinaia and its outbuilding, villa i cipressi, are decorated with truly exquisite taste by your hosts Paola and Fabrizio. The living areas of different sizes are comfortable, but also luxurious in a country style kinda way. A car is necessary to get to the nearby town of Lastra a Signa, which is charming for a walk. The ipercoop shopping centre is just minutes away so you can stock your kitchen with anything you need. We were given a delicious bottle of home grown olive oil upon arrival.

Let's travel to italy
website: www.letstraveltoitaly.com
Description: A selection of Tuscan villas and farmhouses including an apartment in Florence near the Boboli gardens as well as villas near San Gimignano, the Mugello Valley area (an area outside of florence, including Dicomano and Vicchio) and in Umbria near Gubbio.
Not yet tested by arttrav, though the managers seem very nice - an american + italian couple..

Vesta Italian Villas
Website: www.vestaitalianvillas.com
Description: Tuscan villas, farmhouses, frescoed castles and apartments, mostly in Tuscany and Umbria. Small company run by a (another!) combination american - italian couple.
Not yet tested by arttrav

Apartment rentals in florence

Residence I Colli
Official website: www.icolli.it
Address: Via Michele di Lando, 7 - 50125 Firenze
Tel 055/229297 - Fax 055/223513
email info@icolli.it
Location: Just outside porta Romana in a quiet residential area, the hotel is a restored 19th century villa. The area is green and quiet, but you can walk to porta romana and either bus it or walk to all the tourist areas.
Price: About 80 euros for a studio.
Rooms: 14 one or two room apartments decorated with antiques; fully furnished kitchens. This is an excellent apartment option, especially for stays shorter than a week.

Palazzo Gamba
Website: www.palazzogambaflorence.com
Description: Super duper luxury apartments literally right next to the Duomo, some with terraces that actually look onto the cuppola. Friends stayed here and thought it was just the best thing since sliced bread. For their group of 6, sharing a large apartment, they did not find the price to be ridiculous.

Palazzo Belfiore
Official Website: www.residencebelfiore.it
Description: Super luxury apartments
Prices: 750-1600 euros weekly depending on size (7 apartments available)
Not yet tested by arttrav.

3-4 star hotels (luxury)

Una hotel vittoria
Address: Via Pisana, 59 - 50143 Firenze
Tel. (+39) 055 22771
Fax (+39) 055 22772
Email: una.vittoria@unahotels.it
Official website: www.unahotels.it (click on "una vittoria")
area: Located in the residential district of san frediano, which is considered semi-central; you can easy take a bus or walk to Porta Romana and from there to the centro in about 15-20 minutes.
price: Rack rates are from 400-500 euros per night. However, there are often amazing specials available on their website, like various package deals with dinners, spa services, museum tickets etc (depending on the moment). Guests in May 2004 paid 149 for the double room and 175 for the deluxe double room (jacuzzi bathtub and larger room) with breakfast.
extras: 15 euros for parking
description: possibly the coolest hotel i have ever seen. The modern architecture in the entrance is a bit hard on the eyes, but the rooms are swanky, with beds on wooden platforms surrounded by walls with LCD "stars", flat TV's with internet access in room, sexy glass panel showers; cool bar and restaurant downstairs.
Downside: it feels more new york than florence.
Book this hotel through Venere.com and get a 4% discount if it's your first booking by using the following discount code at checkout: AMC69P5

Hotel Villa Gabriele D'Annunzio
Official website: www.hoteldannunzio.com
area: Coverciano is a quiet residential area easily connected to downtown in 20 minutes by bus (#10).
Price: 155-290 euros for the double (depending on season)
includes: buffet breakfast, parking, swimming pool
Description: An old monastery rennovated in 1999 and decorated in simple tuscan style with terracotta floors. Definately quiet and rather green. The buffet breakfast is reputed to be good.
Downside: a bit of a hike to downtown; some of the rooms are on the small side.
Book this hotel through Venere.com and get a 4% discount if it's your first booking by using the following discount code at checkout: AMC69P5

2-3 star hotels (midrange)

Hotel Relais il Cestello
Official website: www.relaisilcestello.it
area: downtown! piazza cestello in central san frediano with VIEW OF ARNO. 5 minutes to ponte vecchio and all tourist sites. We have sent many a satisfied guest here.
price: 80-160 euros for the double depending on season. A triple room is also available for a family with a young child.
includes: italian breakfast
parking: pay parking lot nearby in piazza cestello
Description: This affitacamere was recently restored and became a 3 star hotel. The rooms are standard and clean. Your host, Don Antonio, is warm and friendly, and always on-site.
Book this hotel through Venere.com and get a 4% discount if it's your first booking by using the following discount code at checkout: AMC69P5

Inexpensive options

Sette santi hostel
Official website: www.eidinet.com/7santi/
area: modern residential area near stadium; many busses (#17 etc.) take you downtown in 15 minutes
price: double with bath for 51 euros!!! single room 31; bunks available too.
Description: apparently a modern convent hostel.
No curfew

Hotel Derby two star hotel
Via Nazionale 35
Suggested by an acquaintance as a clean place to sleep downtown (hostel alternative), for about 30 euros a person. Not tested by Arttrav.
website: www.derbyhotel.net