gtrgrl

We're considering four hotels for the Florence part of out trip (2-3 nights). Has anyone stayed at any of them? Hotel Duomo, Hotel Silla, La Scaletta, and Hotel Pitti Palace. All receive good reviews on Trip Advisor, but I see so many good reviews for ALL hotels on that site, I'd appreciate any candid advice from Fodorites!

Dukey1

It would be, IMO, a bit easier to give you "advice" if you'd be kind enough to explain exactly why you are considering these four particular hotels. Cost? Location? Decoration? Ratings?

Are you wanting alternatives or are you simply asking for someone to give you reasons to stay in one of your four?

gtrgrl

Thanks, Dukey1. Good advice! This will be our first time in Italy and like everyone, we want to make the best choices we can. While I have guidebooks and the internet, there's nothing like getting first hand advice, about the good AND the bad, from someone who has actually stayed at, or walked by, a specific place and neighborhood. These are all about the same price, with about 30 euros/night separating high to low.

Hotel Duomo: looks like super location, but a bit pricy(you pay for that Dome outside your window!), and the rooms look small even by European standards. But it's a great view!

Silla: recommendation from a travel agent and lowest price of the bunch, but it's the longest walk to the sites and with a not-so-good hip, are the marginal savings worth it? But it did get me to look at the Oltrano side of the river, which seems nice. Hence,

La Scaletta: love the idea of the rooftop view, but wonder if there may be TOO many steps for said hip. Which led to,

Pitti Palace hotel: looks like the most "American" choice, good location (I think?), but kinda boring maybe?

As I mentioned in the OP, I see good reviews on all, but there's nothing as good as feedback from travelers here! I think we'd be happy with any of them, but looking for tie-breaking info (and other options are never a bad idea).

JeffTWA

Take a look at Hotel Torre Guelfa. Great location. A nice bar on top with an extraordinary view of Florence. We enjoyed it there, as did the folks we recommended it to the next spring. Have a great trip. Jeff

willowjane

We stayed in the Monna Lisa in Florence and we really liked it.
http://www.monnalisa.it/ There was a lovely courtyard in the center and the rooms were clean and very nice sized.

tuscanlifeedit

If you have a bad hip, I wouldn't worry about the hotel being boring. Convenience is more important and the location of the Pitti Palace Hotel looks decent.

Charming, quaint, interesting, etc. often come with a little inconvenience and discomfort. I was going to say, "especially in Italy," but then I realized that it is true of most places.

I wouldn't disregard a hotel because it might be boring. I think I like boring hotels, especially at my age.

Pepper_von_snoot

I like the Hotel Savoy in Piazza Repubblica. Members of the Japanese Royal Family stay here (always running in to them at Cowes).

The famous Cafe Gilli is across the road. Known from Ruth Orkin photo.

Aunt Judith loves Helvetia e Bristol.

Both so convenient.

See you at Farmacia Santa Maria Novella!


Thin

sarge56

I have stayed at the Hotel Casci five times since 2007. Love this hotel and they have an elevator, so need need to walk any stairs.

Great location, great family-run place, service is amazing and the breakfast is awesome. Rooms are clean and baths are modern; there is a charging port in every room for all your electronics. And the A/C is delicious in the summer. See TA reviews!

You will love Florence. Don't miss Santa Croce- incredible church that houses the tombs of so many famous Italians.. Michelangelo, Galileo, Rossini, Machiavelli. And the art isn't bad, either.

Have a great trip!

sandralist

Also check out reviews for those hotels on booking.com. That website asks reviewers to list the pros and cons of their stay. That tends to make people more critical and voice whatever might have bothered them, as opposed to just gushing about happy they were in Florence and the hotel staff smiled at them.

sandralist

You should also look at Tourist House Ghiberti, which has an elevator -- and a sauna! I have stayed there several times and it very good and extremely well located.

I would never stay facing the Duomo because of crowds at all hours. But I would stay on the streets around the Duomo or other sights on your personal to-do list because you will be spending most of the day on your feet and you will not want to go walking far to dinner or to and from your hotel. I would not stay across the river if you think your hip is going to bother you.

gtrgrl

Thanks for all your suggestions. sarge56--Santa Croce is on our list! sandralist--checking the reviews at booking.com is a great idea.

sarge56

sandralist, why must you constantly tear down other posters' recommendations before adding your own? Couldn't you simply make your suggestion known?

Have you ever stayed at any of the other recommended hotels? No? Then how could you possibly know that someone was "gushing" instead of giving an honest review?

Yeah, that's what I thought...

noe847

The way I read it, sandralist was contrasting the reviews on booking.com to those on TA, and suggesting that the OP check those for reviews on the 4 hotels she had mentioned. The OP is the one who said that the TA reviews always seem positive and was seeking both positives and negatives. Sandralist was providing a source for more balanced reviews (than TA) and was not disparaging the hotel recommendations made by posters - like you sarge56 - on this thread.

worldinabag

Farmacia Santa Maria Novella, yep great place to check out I bought my Mamma a lovely bottle of Mughetto (Lily of the Valley).

Ackislander

I often disagree with sandralist -- to put it mildly -- but when she is good, she is very, very good, and she gives very good advice this time.

sarge56

noe847- I didn't disparage anyone's hotel recommendations. Re-read the post.

gtrgrl

We certainly have a lively bunch here! Thanks for all the input..not many have stayed at the aforementioned hotels, however.
sarge56---I tried taking a look at Hotel Silla on booking.com and they (booking.com), are no longer a booking agent for the hotel, although they were when I began my initial hotel search. Any ideas why this would be the case?

WillTravel

Seems like you can still book Hotel Silla on Booking.com:

http://www.booking.com/hotel/it/silla.html

I enjoyed staying on the Oltrarno side, but otherwise have no knowledge of any of these hotels, because I stayed in a convent.

gtrgrl

WillTravel---you are right! I had tried it several times with no luck (including just before i posted)...must have been some kind of glitch. Thanks much!

kybourbon

I've had friends stay at Hotel Silla, but it's just not so central. They liked it ok, but I would want something a bit more walkable.

I don't find reviews on TA and booking all that helpful. Often people that don't travel much think any hotel they stayed in is wonderful and that staying at the train station areas is great.

Usually, it's helpful to provide links to any hotels you want opinions on (if you are asking about locations). While some of us might not have stayed at a particular hotel, we might be very familiar with the locations as we've stayed in Florence multiple times.