Heed the poor reviews. I wish I had done the same.

The hotel is just OK, very close to the train station, but thats about where all the positives end.

The beds are very hard. There’s not much linens on the beds, the linens look grimy as do the decorative pillows.

The walls look dirty and paint is chipping.

Our room was next to the road, and it was super loud, you could hear people working outside or just walking by and talking. It was very unpleasant.

The place could easily improve, just by getting better beds and bedding, some fresh paint on the walls.

Overall, it’s fine if you’re on a budget. Unfortunately it’s priced high for what you get.

I would find better options in the area.

I'll start with the positives so that the review doesn't sound too much like a rant, but if you check out the other negative reviews, you'll find this one much the same - I wish I'd read them more carefully before booking!

The location is fantastic. It's close to the train station (though we managed to miss the entrance as it's on a side street and not noticeable, mainly as there were workers nearby improving the pavement). As you head southeast on Via Faenza, you'll find plenty of nice cafes and restaurants (try Rosalia Salad Gourmet for breakfast and L'Imperatore Ristorante Pizzeria for excellent pizza/pasta). The hotel is also close to popular attractions, such as the Statue of David at Accademia Gallery and Santa Maria del Fiore Cathedral. Even Ponte Vecchio is only 10-15 minutes walk.

The reception staff were friendly enough and did allow us to check in early, something we hadn't expected. Sadly, that's where the good part ends.

Our room was on the first floor opposite the main building, up a steep, narrow, poorly lit staircase. The room was quite large, with a sofa bed and two single beds that had been moved together to make up a double. However, it was very dated and in need of refurbishment: the walls were marked and chipped in various places, the shower door was damaged, and, worst of all, the air conditioning was useless - even on full blast, it did nothing to cool the room, not ideal when it was 40 degrees Celsius outside! We ended up leaving it on even while we were out to see if it would make a difference, but it didn't.

The beds were also uncomfortable, and we slept poorly for all three nights of our stay (not helped by the aforementioned air conditioning issues either). The shower cubicle had also not been cleaned properly before our arrival, as we found used sachets of shower gel in the tray. Oh, and I nearly forgot to mention that the shower emitted an irritating, high-pitched squeal whenever the water was running!

Given that this was the most expensive hotel of our Italy trip (covering five cities), we left feeling very disappointed and only the great location did anything to improve our enjoyment. I'd suggest booking elsewhere.

The room was ready on spot in our early arrival, duplex and spacious, reception was very helpful, breakfast available in the hotel, and a lot of food restaurants around, walkable from train station and center of Florence, Gold souk and bridges all around.