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.

Hotel Perseo, a room with a view over the Duomo

Hotel Perseo looks over the Duomo

If you’re looking for a 3 star hotel right in the middle of town – looking out onto the Battistero and with the Duomo greeting you in all its splendour and glory, then the Hotel Perseo could be for you.

TripAdvisor puts the hotel, position eight out of two-hundred and fifty three. That’s one higher than Villa Antea’s position nine, even if they are markedly different accommodation types.

Some more comments from Trip Advisor

• “…rooms were up-to-date and very clean; the location of the hotel was ideal (the Duomo was essentially out the front door and the rest of Florence was easily reachable with a short walk”
• “Ideal Location, Personal Service”
• “This is a fantastic hotel. I have traveled all over the world and it is the first hotel which, I feel, is perfect in all respects. The rooms are large, modern and quiet despite being in the very centre of Florence (it is about 3min walk from the Duomo!). It truly has a family feel…”

Location
The Hotel Perseo describes itself as an oasis in the heart of the Florentine hustle and bustle. It’s a very simple three star hotel that prizes itself on its location. It can be reached by foot from the main train station in 5 minutes. But some guests can miss the hotel, despite being directly underneath it because the reception is actually on the 3rd floor of the hotel’s building. So, keep your eyes high in Piazza Duomo so as to not miss the hotel’s signage.[See the Hotel Perseo on Google Maps ].

Simple, clean and uncluttered rooms at the Hotel Perseo

Rooms
The hotel itself comprises twenty simple and cleanly finished rooms. You are not paying for the most luxurious accommodation in town, you’re paying for the location, just like the Hotel Casci. In each room guests can expect to find a direct dial telephone, as well as individually controlled air-conditioning (and heating). An electronic safe for storing any valuables in your rooms during the day, as well as a TV/Satellite and a Broadband Internet connection. The rooms all come with en-suite bathrooms, and comfortable queen and king size beds are available.

Hotel Services
The hotel reception is always staffed, so you will find support and assistance at whatever time of the day or night you need it. If you’re looking to explore the historic sites of Florence, the hotel provides a museum reservation service (this can help dramatically with places such as the Uffizi Gallery). Equally, if you’re interested in the arts, during the summer months Florence has a wide range of open air concerts and exhibitions, and these can be booked for your by the hotel staff. The centre of town has a wide range of places to eat and enjoy fine Tuscany food, the staff at the hotel will be happy to steer you towards the best places to eat. Finally, international newspapers are delivered daily, should you wish to re-connect with the outside World. But seriously why would you, you’re on holiday in the place that defines the Renaissance movement in Italy, just ignore the news for a couple of weeks!

Promotions

• Book more than 3 nights and get a free tour of the Uffizi Gallery or the Accademia (where you will find the original work “Davide” by Michelangelo).
  More Information here
• Book a double rooms for more than 4 nights and get a free trip to Siena, Chianti, and San Gimignano.
  More Information here
• Special Internet only rates, available by direct booking online.
  More Information here

The Hotel Perseo is an extremely valid option for visitors that tackly the Florentine monuments head on. A short walk from the main train station makes this the ideal hotel for first time visitors on a budget. You can visit their website here.

Soggiorno Stibbert

Florence B&B Relais Soggiorno Stibbert

A short walk of fifteen minutes from the centre of Florence can be found a small, discreet and personal Bed and Breakfast that is quietly generating a converted following among budget travellers.  Comments from the popular travel review website, Trip Advisor, add futher weight to the growing interest in this liberty style Bed & Breakfast.

• “Superior in the extreme…”
• “Fascinating Soggiorno Stibbert…”
• “Welcoming and friendly to the highest degree…”
• “Our adoptive Tuscan family…”
  * translated from Italian reviews….

So, what makes the Soggiorno Stibbert a special place for it’s guests?

Location
First of all, it’s location is quite special because in the summer months in Florence, apart from the usual access restrictions in the centre for cars (hotel’s do have an arrangement that mean that their guests do not have to pay to come into the centre, but it will mean that you need to find somewhere to park the car, which usually means accepting the high prices of private parking options provided by hotels in the centre) the Soggiorno Stibbert is free from this restriction, and there is parking nearby at a greatly reduced price to that of its centre of town competitors.

It’s within walking distance of three main points of focus in the city. First the Fortezza da Basso, which includes the Palazzo dei Congressi, and where some of the city’s most important congresses and trade shows take place every year.  Second, it is near (5 minutes) from the main hospital district of Careggi, a district in itself which combines a university, one of Italy’s premier Children’s hospitals, Meyer (Ospedale Pediatrico Meyer) and a fully operational hospital service. It’s one of Italy’s biggest.  Lastly the Soggiorno Stibbert is 15 minutes walk from the centre of town – the historic monuments of Florence including the Duomo of Firenze, Ponte Vecchio and the historic Piazza’s, such as Piazza della Signoria. [View location of Relais Stibbert on Google Maps]

Relais Stibbert - Special Breakfasts

What’s the B&B got that others have not?

• A superb breakfast full of homemade pastries, cereals juices and an expresso that would make the average Italian sit up and take note.
• At the weekends you can stay out late and won’t miss the breakfast which runs right the way through to midday.
• As the owners say, it’s your B&B, so take the key and let yourself in.
• If you’re coming to Florence on a tight budget there’s a Full board option (under arrangement with a local restaurant) that will save you money (as other visitors will experience in in some of the tourist traps found in all major tourist cities of the World) and you’ll eat fantastically well too.
• You can surf the Internet from your room or the reading room, it’s wireless and it’s free.
• Pets are welcome, hooray.
• Free daily newspaper and a free drink on arrival.

Of course there’s all the usual services you’d usually associate with a hotel rather than a B&B (fax, photocopying, museum reservation service, local sights excursions), but the Soggiorno Stibbert also comes through a winner on these too. In fact the B&B’s reviews are so encouraging that we’re pretty pleased to have discovered it and brought it to you first on this blog.

Room Features
A B&B that is competing with those in the town centre, has to offer it’s guests so much more, and the Relais Stibbert doesn’t disappoint.

• Free wi-fi internet connection
• Air conditioning (individually controller)
• LCD TV
• Electric kettle (this is old style but it’s nice having tea under your control!)
• Minibar
• En-suite bathroom with shower stall or bathtub
• Free set with toothbrush and bedroom slippers
• High quality bed linen and towels
• Complementary bath and shower gels
• High-quality “sommier” beds
• Room adjustable Heating
• Private lounge (only Junior Suite)
• Private balcony gazing over the internal courtyard on request
• Extra beds available on request
• Daily room service

Promotions

• Longstay reservations are eligible for a 10% discount on the reservation.
• Last minute bookings are eligible for a special discount.
• Other relais stibbert special offers from the hotel can be found here.

We give the Relais Stibbert in Florence a big thumbs up.  Visit their website and decide for yourself whether it’s going provide a great base from which to take your holiday in Florence.

Hotel Casci Florence – The Best Cheap Hotel in Florence?

Photo of a bedroom at the Hotel Casci

Nearly 90% of all of Florence’s historical monuments can be found right in the centre of the city. It’s a small area, literally 20 minutes walk north, east, south and west of the beautiful Duomo of Santa Maria del Fiore.

If you’re travelling on a budget, this 2 star family run hotel has everything a traveller could wish for: decent digs, a hearty buffet breakfast and a cheap price (from E100 a night). [View location of hotel on Google Maps]

Everyone raves about it and I mean, that you just can’t find a bad review about them which means that they are doing something right.  You’ll struggle to find a two-star hotel in the centre of Florence that is just 150 metres from the Duomo, and a 10 minute walk from Michelangelo’s Davide.

You can find out more from their website

Hotel Casci
Via Cavour 13
50129 Firenze (FI), Italy

‎Telephone: +39 055 211 686
Fax: +39 055 239 6461‎
http://www.hotelcasci.com

email: info@hotelcasci.com