La Residenza del Proconsolo

We liked this hotel and would stay here again. Yes it was a little older but it was very comfortable with good hot water in the bathroom and a nice bed and plenty of space. What would make it nicer is if there was an extra mirror outside of the bathroom. As well, the prepackaged buns and muffins for breakfast were not really good. The local grocery stores sell really wonderful bread for next to nothing. Fresh bread would have been much better. As well there is a Keurig styled coffee maker in the room. That would have been OK but we got two little coffee pods a day for coffee. That really was not enough and came across as tight fisted. Otherwise breakfast was classic and plenty. There are stairs to get to all the rooms so anyone with mobility issues should be aware. Communication was via Whatsapp. That was not much fun and both of us are rather good with apps and technology.

With this place, you are mainly just paying for the location. All major sights were within 10-minutes walk and the train station SMN just a few minutes more. The rooms are spacious and clean, and the staff is nice but not present for much for the day so if you need something you can whatsapp them to get eventual assistance. There are about 30 steps and no elevator, so anyone with very heavy bags or physical limitations beware. Though overall it was an ok stay, the hotel really should not brand itself as a bed and breakfast. In any reasonable person's mind, that would make you think you will be receiving a hearty (if not warm) meal with several options to ensure you start the day full and satisfied. Instead, they have 1 prepackaged cake/croissant per person, rusk, corn flakes (without bowels or milk to eat it--how am I supposed to eat this--right out of the box like I'm 8 again?) There is some yogurt and 100% orange juice, but something more like fresh fruits would be minimally needed to call this a breakfast. Since I booked this place over others based on the expected breakfast, you can see I'm a tad annoyed about this dupe and at having to take additional time/effort/money to go find food in the AMs. The room is pretty bare bones, but if you ask for something they will get it for you (eg wine opener, wine glass). 2 water bottles given on the first day, then no more. Bring your own shampoo/conditioner as this is a combo body wash and shampoo in one. Bring lotion if you need it. Four poster double bed with a very rickety metal frame--I was by myself and woke myself up with all the rocking when turning at night, so can't imagine what an unrestful sleep it would be with a partner in the bed. Housekeeping came daily but it's pretty minimal (remake the bed, give new towels, empty trash, no cleaning was done between which after 4 days is a bit of a downer). I would think of this more as a small upgrade from a hostel with private room/bathroom or essentially an Airbnb with a mini fridge and coffemaker. Deluxe room with "Duomo View" is technically correct, but they should specify that it is a very obstructed view (see attached pic from Michelangelo Room). Many people would brave the street noise for a view, and I don't think it's worth it especially cuz you are just getting side street noise (not even main drag frenetic activity which can be exciting)--trucks idling below the window frequently and smokers stopping to give you a whiff. Pay much less for an internal courtyard view and get a quiet night's sleep. So in summary--safe, extremely basic but extremely central spot in Florence, just know what you are signing up for as the website is a bit misleading.

My sister and I stayed here for 4 nights. Disappointed overall. The front staff checked us in and had us pay full price up front, without ever informing us the air conditioner was broken in our room. We only found out when we messaged her to say we couldn't get it to turn on. She admitted they knew it had been broken. They provided a small fan but it was no help in summer heat. Front staff is not there 24/7 - but pretty responsive via WhatsApp. Despite quick responses, they weren't always helpful - they tried to schedule a taxi for us, but when that wasn't an option, they simply said we would have to call on our own in the morning. Location is wonderful, but the service, comfort of bed, and breakfast (simply pre-packaged croissants and yogurt) was very disappointing.

This B&B has a location you can't beat. We had a terrace room and it looks right out to the Duomo. Literal steps from the square! Also an amazing gelateria right outside the doors. The room was personalized, HUGE with very high ceilings, and a comfy bed. Breakfast was nothing special, a simple pastry and yogurt breakfast in your room each day. Would need to go elsewhere for a warm breakfast, that would be my only drawback. But it is made up for and more with the location and great room.

It is centrally located, clean, and priced right. I think some of the reviews are due to unreasonable expectations about a small, family-run B&B. No there is no elevator and you have to walk up to the second floor but we expect that and pack lightly for our trips to Europe. I also think that if you purchase one of the cheaper rooms, you may be disappointed. There isn't someone around 24 hours a day which made us nervous if we lost our key. There was an issue with our room when we arrived and no one was around to help us. We were able to contact someone via email and they came back and took care of it within a couple of hours. But I worry that if we were here during a time that they were full, they may not have been able to be so accommodating. But saying that, they did have the room so they moved our room and that totally took care of the problem.