3 star hotel with a 5* service in Florence

The Hotel Colomba sits at position number 23/500+ in the TripAdvisor ratings. That’s pretty high up for a 3 star hotel, so they must be doing something right.

The TripAdvisor reviewers have some great words for the Colomba

• Just back from 4 days in Florence and found a wonderful hotel Had a fanatic stay – rooms large – staff very friendly – and location was first class – everything right on the doorstep.
• My husband and I, my elderly parents, and another couple booked rooms at the Hotel Colomba for five nights in October, 2008. I stayed there with my daughter two years ago and knew I would go back if I ever had the chance to travel in Italy again. The hotel is close to the Medici-Riccardi Palace, the Duomo, the Accademia.
• The wonderful and attentive Rossi family took such good care of us. The rooms were immaculate and nicely appointed. Comfortable beds, great breakfasts and………………the caffe !!!
• We had a wonderful 5 day stay in Florence. The hotel has an excellent location and facilities were great. Room was large and clean. Breakfast was great. Rosanna was very helpful and made our stay a pleasure.

Clean and uncluttered

The Hotel Colomba seeks to mix modern comforts with traditional Tuscan style. As a small hotel of just 14 rooms , guests clearly get a very high level of service from Rosanna, and the hotel’s recent renovation mean that the fittings are fresh and up to date. The Hotel Colomba has spacious rooms which are over and above the standard room sizes in Europe ,as the photos attest. Each room has an en-suite bathroom with shower. Guests can expect to find telephone, satellite tv, air-conditioning and a mini-bar as standard in every room. Being in the centre of town can mean noise, not so much from the traffic, but at night when the city livens up in the summer months and people are letting their hair down and enjoying the city. Rooms at the Colomba are all double-glazed so you can sleep at night, or during the afternoon if you take a “riposino” (like the Spanish siesta). Seven of the rooms give views over the city of Florence while the other seven look over an internal courtyard. There are two rooms which are provided for easy access for disabled persons.

Hotel Colomba is situated in the centre of Florence in an elegant Tuscan building that dates back to the seventeen-hundreds. The location of the hotel is perfect for visiting all of the major attractions and artistic highlights that this city has to offer such as Piazza del Duomo, the Uffizi Gallery, Piazza della Signoria and Ponte Vecchio. The convenient location also allows for easy access for travelers arriving by car or train.

Simple, clean and inviting rooms

Rooms
The rooms, new and very spacious, are finely furnished and equipped with all of the modern comforts; you will be overwhelmed by our pleasantly relaxing atmosphere. Here, you will receive all the benefits of traditional Tuscan hospitality that is provided by our staff, able to speak many different languages. Hotel Colomba also offers its guests a series of special services such as Free Internet Access and Bar Lounge open 24 hours a day.

Location
Like the Hotel Casci, Hotel Perseo, and Hotel Axial, the Hotel Colomba is in a fabulous location, right in the centre of town. You can walk to the steps of the Duomo in the time it will take you to count to ten. It’s that close. This makes it a great hotel for holiday makers that are looking to visit the sights of Florence during their visit. It’s very easy to reach from the main train station, and a cab ride will take no more than 4 minutes to bring you to the door of the hotel. If you’re arriving by car, then you should expect to pay between 18 & 30 euro’s per day to keep your car nearby, and the Hotel Colomba can take care of all the arrangements.

Promotions

There are two promotions running on the Hotel Colomba’s website which can be accessed via the online booking engine.

• Promotion 1: If you make a Direct Booking you will receive a 5% discount on the official rate.
  More information here
• Promotion 2: Make a reservation of 4 nights or more, to receive a 10% discount on the cost of your booking.
  More information here

The Hotel Colomba is a comfortable and well positioned 3 star hotel in the centre of Florence within easy access of the main monuments. With large rooms and a friendly staff it clear that past guests have really enjoyed their stay at this hotel. For more information, please visit their website.

Hotel Alternatives – a boutique Guest House in Florence with a Spa!

With an incredible choice of places to stay in Florence, we hope to bring you just a small selection of these on the Florence Italy Hotel blog, with the aim to provide a simple and comprehensive overview of some of the notable places to stay in the city.

Relais di Lorenzo

The term “Relais” is a little bit of a mystery. It is not an official hotel classification in the same way that the hotel one to five category star rating is applied. Essentially the Relais name is used by accommodation providers as a commercial classification to market their property. Sometimes you can also find a Relais Hotel, but in these cases the owner should also have an official hotel star categorization, and is probably using the name Relais by choice, to position the hotel among people that just go looking for Relais accommodation. Confused? Don’t be, if you’re English a Relais is a bit like a guest house and if you’re not, the key message is that at a Relais you are likely find the same services you’d find in a hotel, but at a much lower price!

With that said, here’s our first Relais: The Relais di Lorenzo is housed inside an historic villa of the second half of the 19th century. Its location near the Fortezza da Basso, puts the hotel in a quiet neighbourhood which, while away from the main historic centre, is not so far as to make you feel out of Florence city. In fact, a leisurely 10-15 minute walk will bring you up close with the impressive Duomo.

The Private Garden Suite

There are a series of junior and themed suites which combine the traditional charm of Florentine style, with modern comforts – a mix of old and new, beautifully presented. What is different about the Relais is the fact that it offers a range of beauty and therapeutic treatments that you can enjoy during your stay.

What they say…

Booking.com

• Good Location and the availability of free bicycles to travel around in Florence.
• great rooms, almost too big for one person, conveniently located near the exhibition ground.

TripAdvisor

• I stayed for 1 night in a splendid double rooms which had 5 different areas and was stylishly decorated and had many comforts, including an espresso coffee machine, air-conditioning, and in-room hydro-massage. Very big breakfast and very friendly staff (translated).

Bedrooms at the Relais di Lorenzo are exquisitely presented

Rooms
The Relais di Lorenzo really gives hotels in Florence a run for their money, there’s a lovely quality and finish to the rooms, and the themed rooms really give you option to add some glamour to your stay in Florence.

Garden Suite
The Garden Suite features a private courtyard all your own. Secluded and tucked away the suite itself features a modern four-poster bed which is beautifully finished. There are also a choice of 16 types of pillow to ensure a comfortable sleep! Where some hotels give you a kettle, the Relais di Lorenzo provides espresso coffee machines, a mini-bar, microwave and all standard features of a hotel, such as an in-room safe, satellite tv, free wifi. The bathroom is finished in marble and guests in this suite can access easily the wellness centre that is open 24 hours a day where the Jacuzzi pool, hydro-massage and turkish baths are at your disposal.

Fireplace Suite
The main feature of this suite is an elegant French fireplace dating back to 1800. The suite is beautifully finished with a super elegant ceiling and fittings to the highest standard. Rooms come with the same level of in-room services as found in the garden suite and there is easy access to the Wellness centre.

Scenes from the Fireplace Suite

Whirlpool Suite
Frescoes on the ceiling, a 4-poster bed with drapes, and a classic and yet modern finish is what defines the whirlpool suite, all finished in white. Of course, there is also a private whirlpool!! Guests can also expect to find the pillow menu and its 16 flavours available for guests perusal to guarantee a restful sleep.

Double Comfort Room
The Double Comfort room is a large room of twenty-five metres squared and is the ideal solution for guests needing a bit of extra space. This room features a queen size bed, vaulted ceiling and a panoramic shower.

Junior Suite
The Junior Suite are for those guests that like to have a little more space that a double room. The beds are king-size and the rooms have frescoed ceilings.

Location
Just like the four star hotel Lorenzo il Magnifico the Relais di Lorenzo is on the outskirts of Florence. It’s still within walking distance of the city, and there are regular buses that will take you into town in less than 5 minutes. The area is nice as it is essentially residential [read, no loud noises as you'll find in the centre as people go our to enjoy themselves in the summer months]. Nearby to the Fortezza, if you’re coming for business or looking to attend one of the annual crafts festivals, such as the Mostra Internazionale dell’Artigianato, you can reach the main display halls in 2 minutes by foot.

Another benefit of staying out of town is parking. While the whole of Florence is tightly controlled by parking zones that rival those found in London, the Relais does provide guests with their own private parking for free ( a saving of up to Euro 30 a day) The hotel is easily reached from the main motorway, the A1, or from the main airport if you’re picking up a hire car.

The Relais provides free bicycles for its guests, and this is by far the most enjoyable way anyone can explore Florence. The city of Florence is also being transformed slowly into a series of bicycle priority lanes and, as the centre of town has a restricted access, you can really enjoy Florence in this way.

Promotions

• Book 3 weeks in Advance for a 10% discount
  More information here
• Book directly through the website for 5% discount
  More information here
• Family Promotion, children up to 17 year’s of age stay for free
  More information here
• Stay for 6 nights and get one free
  More information here
• 5% off if you Stay for more than 2 nights
  More information here

The Relais di Lorenzo is a guest house of a superior standard. Guests can expect for find comfort and attention to detail in any of the rooms, and a location which places it in a tucked away part of Florence. Easy to reach if you’re arriving by car, but equally accessible if you’re arriving by train, this is a special kind of Guest house, to be discovered and enjoyed. Think of it as you own personal villa in Florence. For more information about the Relais di Lorenzo, please visit their website.

Strozzi Palace – Affordable 4 Star in Florence center

Strozzi Palace Hotel

The Strozzi Palace is an 18 room hotel located on Via de’ Vecchietti in Florence just a few metres from the historic Piazza della Republica where Florence’s old market used to be, and Via Tornabuoni, where you can find all the latest fashion trends from shops such as Gucci and Prada. A quick look through the comments left by people at TripAdvisor give a sense that this hotel is great for it’s location, and rapport between quality and price.

• “Strozzi represents great value in a central location, with excellent staff.”
• “Location is a must. The rooms are big and comfortable The staff very nice and helpful”
• “Spacious clean rooms (no bed bugs). Great marble bathroom with a bidet and a shower door (very important). Fantastic location just a block from the center of town.”
• “I have had the pleasure of staying at the Strozzi Palace Hotel twice, once in 2003 and again in 2005, both during the summer. Both times the staff was welcoming, the service excellent and the rooms elegant,large, comfortable and modern. By far it is the nicest hotel I have stayed at in Italy.”

Double rooms cost less at the Strozzi Palace

Rooms
There are a range of room types available for guests, which can accommodate up to four people, which means as a family you could make a saving by not having to take two separate room. In fact when we checked, a four bedroom room only cost E45 a night. Equally the double rooms are also very good value at E55 per night. Bear in mind we are talking of a four star hotel located right in the centre of Florence. Guests of the hotel can expect to find stucco finished ceilineg, cherry wood furnishings and soft fabrics and quilts to make up a relaxed atmosphere for guests. All the rooms, as one would expect, have individually controllable air-conditioning, satellite TV, mini-bar as well as Free Wi-Fi and ADSL connection. Two years ago all the windows in the hotel were soundproofed so as to guarantee that despite being right in the centre of town, guests can enjoy peaceful and restful sleeps. Marble bathrooms equipped with Jacuzzi or hydro-massage shower are complemented by standard features such as a hair-drier and compliementary beauty products. The Strozzi Palace hotel offers the following rooms types: Double Superior room for single use, Double Superior, Double Deluxe room as well as the 4 berthed bedroom for larger groups that wish to stay together.

Breakfast Room at the Strozzi Palace

Hotel Services
Guests can expect to find a buffet breakfast ready to greet them in the morning with eggs, cheese, cold meats, cereals, yogurt, fresh brioches, as well as a wide selection of hot and cold drinks: milk, hot chocolate, espresso coffee, orange and grapefruit juices. Despite being in the centre of town the hotel has an arrangement with a car park nearby which will cost between 28 and 40 euros per day. It is also possible for the hotel to arrange a shopping tour, so you can be sure to see all the best places for shopping in Florence. If you’re heart is set on taking a trip outside of Florence the hotel is also able to arrange trips to the Cinque Terre, Portofino and Monte Carlo. The front desk of the hotel is manned 24 hours a day and the hotel is pet friendly.

Promotions

• 5% discount for bookings made directly through the website
  More information here
• 10% discount for bookings made the day before or same day as arrival
  More information here
• 10% discount for more than 3 night stay
  More information here

If you are looking for a 4 star hotel in Florence with an excellent relationship between quality and price, then the Strozzi Palace hotel could be just the hotel for you. For more information, visit their website.

An Apartment in Piazza del Duomo

A Room with a view

This the the first apartment to feature on the Florence Hotels Italy blog, and we think you won’t be dissapointed with what we’ve found. These are a set of apartments each with their own unique style and charm, which overlook the Piazza del Duomo in Florence. We’ve talked about the importance of location on a number of occassions, and while the Hotel Axial, Hotel Perseo and Hotel Casci all deliver on this criteria, there are times when you just want to be on your own, and only an apartment will do. Palazzo Gamba cobines the independence of your own apartment with the service of a luxury hotel.

TripAdvisor guests diligently note:

• “Fantastic find in the historic center of Florence”
• “The location is fantastic (look out your window at the Duomo), the bedrooms and the living space are large, the unit is well equiped and the price represents an excellent value.”
• “Palazzo Gambo – one of the best apartments I’ve stayed in.”
• “From our apartment named aptly “Leonardo” we could see the Duomo and the Baptistry. The wonderful thing about that is you could check on the queues for both places without leaving your loungeroom.”

A combination of style and classic finishes await guests of Palazzo Gamba

About the Apartments
Each apartment is decorated in a modern and contemporary style and they have been recently renovated to further bring the apartments up to an international standard of luxury. The apartments are spacious and have a lot of natural light. As you would expect to find in a hotel, each apartment has air conditioning (and in the winter months, central heating), bathroom accessories, and an in-room safe. A direct dial telephone as well as Satellite TV is fitted as standard, while other domestic appliances such as a dishwasher, mean that you’ll be able to spend most of your time enjoying the Florentine life, rather than being camped at the sink. A free wifi connection is also available throughout the apartments.

Apartment services
Local parking is available for €32.00 per day. A maid service in the apartments will see your rooms cleaned and tidied 6-days a week, while linens and towels are refreshed every 4 days. If you wish, Palazzo Gamba can make museum reservations for you during your stay, so you spend less times in queues and more time looking at some of Florence’s amazing historic buidlings and galleries.

Location
The apartments look out onto the Piazza del Duomo, which means that they are right in the centre of town. If you’re going to be arriving by car, then Palazzo Gamba has an arrangment that will allow you to park your car for Euro 32.00 a day. If you are going to be in Florence for a few days, it’s best to ditch the car completely as the city is best enjoyed on foot. If you are arriving at the train station of Santa Maria Novella, any bus heading in the direction of the Duomo will bring you to the main piazza in a couple of minutes. If you’re feeling more energetic, you can walk from the main train station to Piazza del Duomo in 5 minutes (taking a taxi is also an easier option if it’s very hot and humid.

A stylish bedroom at the Palazzo Gamba

Promotions

• Book direct and save 5% immediately
  More information here
• Book 4 weeks in advance for a 10% discount
  More information here
• Stay more than 7 nights for a 15% discount
  More information here
• Last Minute – if you’re arriving in the next 48 hours
  More information here

The Palazzo Gamba is the perfect base to explore Florence, and the range of apartments means that whether you are a couple or looking for holiday apartment or coming as a group of up to six people, the Palazzo Gamba offers a unique choice of apartments right in the centre of town. For more information, visit their website here.