Our daughter is going to Florence to visit a college friend at Thanksgiving. We need a very safe hotel in good area for her to stay since she will be by herself. I know Italy is very expensive. Is $200.00 or under per night a realistic price? Our main concern is her safety.

Try www.venere.com for hotels. You can search by using their map to locate the area you want. It would help to know where your daughter's friend lives and then she can search the area near her. You can use the pedestrian feature on mappy.com from a hotel address to her friend's address to see if the location is convenient.

Would she consider staying in a convent? She doesn't have to be Catholic. I've stayed in the one below twice and it definitely meets your criteria for safety and location. See the review below that I adapted from someone's previous post. There is
an 11:30 pm curfew, which may be a drawback for a 20 year old. Book ASAP, as they fill up early. Though limited English is spoken, if you phone, the sisters speak enough English to make a reservation.

"Instituto Oblate dell'Assunzione
Borgo Pinti, 15, Florence
Phone: 055.248.0582; Fax: 055.234.6291

I stayed there for three nights. My single room (number 211), with unattached bathroom directly opposite the door, costs 38 Euro. The room is spacious and quite clean. Shower facilities are acceptable. The sisters provide you with two towels per stay. There is an elevator.

Walking from Florence’s Santa Maria Novella station takes about 25 minutes (with luggage). The convent is really easy to find. Just take Duomo as the landmark and follow the map. The location is convenient; I walked to everywhere, from Accademia to Palazzo Pitti and all. There’re cute takeaways, internet cafes, groceries, and restaurants in the neighborhood.

The convent is not at the car-free section of the Borgo Pinti street. And it has thin walls. In the early evening, noises from vespas and from other travelers in other rooms can be annoying.

The sisters are kind and have friendly faces. Italian, French, and some English are spoken. There’s a wide selection of breakfast (many types of bread and jam, etc.). Breakfast is served during 7.30-8.30 am.

I also find people in Florence nice, helpful, and friendly. Considering the location, I’ll still choose this convent for my future stay, but will ask for an ensuite and a quieter room."

Try a search on this board for "Florence hotels" or Florence Bed and Breakfast." Some Fodorites have had wonderful experiences with their host/hostess that seemed to have gone beyond a "business only" transaction and moved right into "friendship." With some host/hostesss you just immediately connect. I have read many trip reports here where people have joyfully shared the way they were treated at a particular hotel. My 72 year old Dad misplaced his driver's license on a trip to Europe last month. He told me how the bed and breakfast owner in Edinburgh kept bringing over cups of tea and cookies as Dad dealt with Calfornia's DMV office from the hotel lobby phone. My partner and I were misty eyed as we left a little farmhouse in the Dordonne knowing we were leaving a special friend in the hostess. Having a caring, friendly, and helpful proprietor may ease your mind a bit. I do think your budget is realistic.

Oops! That was the Dordogne.

Another convent option that I have bookmarked (in my didn't-stay-there-yet file is Casa Santo Nome di Gesu in Florence. The rooms look lovely, the price for a single with bath is very reasonable and the website is pretty slick for a convent!

http://www.fmmfirenze.it/

Also, I can't remember where I saw this B&B recommended but it is also in my bookmarks for my next stay in Florence:

La Residenza del Pronscolo
http://www.proconsolo.com/index_eng.asp

Money doesn't necessarily buy safety. I think your budget is overly generous.

Can the friend (who is living in Florence?) advice an area close to where she lives that she thinks is good.

And do follow-up on all the good advice posted here on Fodors already. Many folks have great and very detailed recommendations for places to stay in Florence.

Hi A,

Italy is not very expensive.

$200/nite for a single is very generous.

>Our main concern is her safety. <

In Italian, "No" is "No".

Hi alawes, I know a very good hotel in a residential area of Florence which would be perfect for your daughter BUT only if I knew what area your daughter wants to stay in. This hotel is in a safe and very nice residential area but if her friend doesn't live in the area your daughter would not be interested.

As far as safety, Ira is right, "no means no" and using common sense and being aware of ones surrondings as one would hopefully anywhere and especially in a large city is something that everyone should know how to do. Take care.

If I were sending my 20 year old to Florence I would put her in the Hotel Pendini. The staff is incredible and it's on Piazza Republica which is in a very safe part of the historic center. It's on the 4th floor. If you make a reservation there, just tell them that you want a room near the lobby and that she will be alone. They will be very accomodating. The price runs a lot less than $200 a night.
http://www.florenceitaly.net/pagine/pendini/index.asp

I recommend Hotel Casci (www.hotelcasciflorence.com). I stayed there a few years ago with my young children, and was very pleased. The hotel was not fancy, but was spotless, felt very safe, and the staff was delightful. Current rate for a single is 110 Euros with a discount of 33% for the time your daughter will be in Florence. That's for a room with an en suite bathroom, and a buffet breakfast every morning.

Hi Ann, the Hotel Pendini on the Piazza Republica sounds fantastic!!

Which reminds me of something alawes, thanks to Ann's post. Do make sure that whereever your daughter stays that the lodging has a 24/7 desk clerk. Some places do not. I would not want a daughter of mine to stay anywhere that does not have hotel staff on duty at all times. In fact I will not stay anywhere that does not.

Ann, again, thanks for the info on the Hotel Pendini. I went to their website and it really does look wonderful. I bookmarked this. I, since I have been on my own, always stay at a hotel in a residential area in Florence just a few block from where friends live but I am thinking at some point I would be interested in staying at the Pendini. And the location is perfect!

I totally agree with the 24 hour people at the front desk. We just stayed at a hotel that didn't have that service and I was very uncomfortable. What I like about the Pendini (especially for a 20 year old) is that the Piazza Republica is always lighted up and active. As much as I like staying in residential areas, they can be dark and quiet. That's fine if I'm with my husband, but not alone. The other thing with the Pendini is you have to take the elevator up (or a long walk up the stairs) and come out right across from the front desk. In other words, no one can get past without being noticed. You can't just walk off the street.