Villa Florence

Villa Florence Review

This newly remodeled mid-size hotel promises a little bit of Italy on Powell Street. Bar Norcini, an Italian café-bar with marble surfaces, is just off the street, and a glass wall separates a wide lobby with high ceilings, comfy furnishings, and Italianate chandeliers from Kuleto's, a boisterous, trendy restaurant often packed with locals. Guests can enter the restaurant directly from inside the hotel and eat there, or simply sit at the bar. The hotel's freshly painted colorful hallways have plush orange-print carpets, and the traditional rooms, though not large, feel comfortable, upbeat, and expansive, with inviting FeatherBorne beds, new TVs and work desks. Bathrooms are clean and closets are spacious. Offering contemporary surroundings with Tuscan character and personalized service, it's an attractive alternative to the sterility of the larger chain hotels in the area. Be warned: the hotel charges a resort fee to cover "amenities" like newspaper delivery or towncar use.