Grand Hotel Baglioni

The room was absolutely amazing, really high-end. The breakfast was delicious, and the fruit was incredibly sweet – just fantastic. The staff were also very good, and the items in the minibar were great. However, the 'smart rooms' are actually two rooms joined together, separated by a door that doesn't open. Apparently, this place attracts a lot of Koreans, and my neighbors were Korean. If you know, you know – the soundproofing isn't great. My neighbors were incredibly noisy late into the night.

The public areas are quite nice, but that's where it ends. Everything in the room was really old and outdated. The moment I opened the door, there was a strong bathroom smell that lingered throughout the entire room. The air conditioning was also incredibly loud, like a range hood running all night, and it didn't cool well at all. The room was stuffy and hotter than outside.

A surprisingly delightful stay with a unique blend of modern and vintage decor. The location is superb; easily accessible right after getting off the train. It's just a few minutes' walk to the Florence Cathedral (Duomo), with plenty of restaurants and cafes along the way, making it incredibly convenient. The front desk was managed by a very friendly and patient older gentleman. The facilities were excellent too, and the creaky old wooden elevator added a charming touch of nostalgia. The minibar offerings—water, juice, and snacks—were complimentary and replenished daily, outshining most five-star hotels. I will definitely be back to stay here again.

Excellent! Everything was great. The breakfast was plentiful, and they even offered champagne. You could sit by the window and enjoy a drink while looking out at the Duomo.

The location is fantastic, right opposite the train station. The environment is absolutely top-notch; though small, it's very comfortable, and the room style is very 'European.' Breakfast was great (the croissants were delicious every day), and we enjoyed city views overlooking the Duomo while eating. The service attitude was also excellent! All in all, great value for money.

The front desk service was terrible. I arrived at the hotel around 1 PM after getting off the train at 12 PM. At first, the staff member was very friendly and told me my room was ready, and even though check-in was officially at 2 PM, I could check in early. After looking at my passport, for some reason, she immediately said she had switched me to a better room, but it hadn't been cleaned yet and asked me to wait. I asked what made the 'better room' better, perhaps a better view? She just shrugged and spread her hands, saying, 'We have many rooms, I'm not sure which one.' I explained that I wanted to check in immediately because I needed to drop off my luggage, change clothes, and then go out. She replied, 'You can change clothes in the restroom on the first floor, and you can leave your luggage at the front desk.' I went to the restroom to change and then sat by the window in the lobby to rest for a while. During this time, I saw a large American tour group all checking in, and I also noticed some individual travelers checking in. By then, it was almost 2 PM. I went back to the front desk, and the previous girl wasn't there, but another girl was. So I asked her if my room was ready for check-in. She said no, it would take another 20 minutes. I immediately felt a bit annoyed. Why could everyone else check in, but not me? I was sure there were no issues with me before I even started the check-in process. Seeing my seriousness, she said she didn't know either but would try calling to see if my room was ready. Whether the call connected or not, she hung up and told me the room had just been cleaned, and I could get the key. So, I got my room card exactly at 2 PM. Upon reaching room 355 on the 3rd floor, I found I had been assigned a room with the worst possible view. Looking back at the whole incident, it seems they changed their story after seeing my passport, and both staff members deliberately delayed my check-in, ultimately giving me the worst room. I can only attribute this to them seeing my Chinese passport. If this is indeed the case, I advise everyone not to stay at this hotel. We won't get to enjoy the scenic views shown in the hotel pictures; instead, we'll experience discrimination and belittlement. In fact, Florence isn't large, and anywhere in the city center is usually just a 1-2 km walk away. After leaving this hotel, I stayed at a charming apartment right opposite the Duomo, just a stone's throw away, which was very Italian and offered excellent value for money: Granduomo charming accommodation.

Traveling around Europe with my family, this was hands down the worst hotel we stayed in during our month-long trip. It was close to Easter, so the rates were pretty high, almost 300 euros a night, but the experience was incredibly disappointing. I'm not one to leave bad reviews; I usually give 5 stars even with minor issues, but this trip was truly hard to describe. **Pros:** The location is good, close to the subway station. The staff were very friendly and polite. The view from the breakfast room window was also nice. **Cons:** 1. **Terrible ventilation/air quality/temperature.** Our assigned room faced an internal courtyard, so the natural light and ventilation were awful. Even though it was early April and cool outside, the room felt like a sauna. When we called the front desk, they said the AC only had a heating mode, so we just had to endure it, sweating all night. On top of that, the room air smelled really bad, a strong toilet odor, and with the poor ventilation, the whole room was stuffy and stinky. The next day, we called the front desk again, and they sent up a fan. We ended up having to keep the door, window, and fan running just to get some air circulation. 2. **Construction/kitchen noise & poor soundproofing.** We stayed for two nights, and every morning around 6 AM, we'd hear clanking and banging noises (likely from the kitchen). There was also construction noise in the afternoon, which was even louder. In the evenings, it was the restaurant kitchen noise again. Because of the air quality issue mentioned above, we couldn't close the windows, which meant the noise was even louder. We just had to put up with it. Frankly, we paid a fortune just to suffer!

The design is very retro, with a medieval feel, and I took so many photos in the hallway. Although the breakfast was all 'Western-style' food, the variety was really rich! The location is right near Maria Station, just a few steps from the Central Market, and a ten-minute walk to the Duomo.