We have 4 children and will be spending 11 days in Italy. After much research I have narrowed our hotel choices in Florence to Hotel Casci or Relais Il Campanile. If you have stayed in either can you give me some feedback. In Venice we have narrowed our choices to Hotel Bernardi or Locanda Antica Venezia. Again, does anyone have any feedback?

We have stayed at the Hotel Casci no less than four times in the past several years. What would you like to know exactly?

Since you have stayed there 4 times I can assume you would recommnend.
Any down side to this hotel?

We stayed at the Hotel Bernardi in 2003. Very clean, helpful staff, good value, great location. We would stay there again if looking to stay in a hotel.

We are a family of 4 and stayed in Hotel Casci 2 years ago when the kids were 13 and 15.

It was perfect.

It is within walking distance to everything, the hotel was clean, and the owners very friendly. We looked forward to the buffet breakfast every morning.

In Venice we stayed in Hotel Galleria in the Accademia area.

It was not fancy but our window looked right onto the Grand Canal, we were right by the gondola stop and the Accademia bridge ,therefore accessed everything very easily.

For the price, I was pleased.

Indeed I can highly recommend the Casci. There is no downside. The only thing you need to be aware is that it is not a luxury hotel. It is spotlessly clean, sparkling in fact, everywhere, the owners are the nicest and most helpful people I have ever encountered in my travels, the location could not be better - right in the middle of town, buffet breakfast has something for everyone and includes "real" food and not just coffee and cornetto.