jedri

I am wondering if anyone has stayed at some of the following hotels recently and would you recommend any of them for a 6 night stay:
Boscolo Hotel Astoria
Hotel Morandi alla Crocetta
Panella Residence
Hotel Hermitage
Hotel Silla

I'd liked to hear pros and cons or other recommendations that won't break the bank. Thanks.

LouisaH

We leave for Florence on the 1st of January (Thursday) and will be staying at the Boscolo Hotel Astoria. Will be there until the 6th, when we head for Rome. I would be happy to let you know what the hotel is like upon my return.

jedri

LouisaH:
Thanks, that would be great. I have a reservation there to be safe. Have a wonderful trip. I will look for your posting mid-January or you can e-mail me at [email protected].

LouisaH

Hello Jedri. I've just returned from my (fabulous) trip to Florence and Rome and, as promised, am providing you with my comments/thoughts on the Boscolo Astoria. It was much harder for me to select a hotel in Florence than Rome, and I spent a lot of time on this forum, Trip Advisor, etc. looking at reviews and comments. Initially I had reserversations at the Westin Excelsior and the Helvetia &Bristol, but with the plummeting dollar I had to scale back to a 4 star. (I saved my splurge for Rome, The Westin Excelsior.)I was pleased with the Boscolo Astoria and would stay there again. Although I had been to Florence once before, it was a totally different trip (30 years ago, backpacking through Europe), so I don't have any other point of reference from which to compare. I wanted something quiet, in part, based on the many comments I had read about the noise in the city, but also because I am an extremely light sleeper. I also wanted something convenient since I would not have a car, and I wanted something safe since I am a woman and was travelling with my college-age daughter. I also considered the Hotel Silla (closed for renovations) and the Hermitage, but thought that the location might be too busy. Okay, I thought the location was great, close enough to all the sites, but on a relatively quiet side street. The hotel was elegant, in that European old palazio sort of way, although it was not luxurious, i.e. 4 star vs. 5 star. Once you walked into the hotel, all street noise vanished. I requested a deluxe room, and I accepted the first room they showed us, in part, because I was tired after long flight, but also because the room was fine. Beautiful marble bathroom, but could someone please tell me why Italians don't believe in shower curtains when they provide a real shower head in the bath??? The room was ample in size and had character--coffered ceilings, painted design on the walls, fabulous linens, comfortable bed. It was blissfully quiet. The one negative---no view. Although there were two windows, they overlooked tiny hotel "yard." Normally this would bother me a great deal, but because it provided the peace and quiet I was looking for, it was okay. Staff was great, very accomodating. All in all, a very pleasant stay. Now, to compare to the Westin Excelsior in Rome, no real comparison since that was luxurious vs. elegant, but as my daughter said, we could have been anywhere, New York, Paris, no character or real feel that we were in Italy, which we certainly felt in Florence.

Peggyann

My husband and I have stayed at the Hermitage two different times each for 6 or 7 nights and were pleased. The second time we asked for a room on the quiet side (courtyard). You can't beat the location, right on the Arno near the foot of the Ponte Vecchio on the Duomo side. Both times were in March so we did not get to have breakfast on the rooftop garden which has a spectacular view. Bathrooms were nice and large with a glass partition in the bath for a manageable shower experience. Probably a bit expensive for the size of the rooms, but we were satisfied because of the location and the helpful staff. Good luck where ever you stay. Florence is our favorite place to hang out!!

msmaxx

On our first trip to Italy, two years ago, we stayed at the Hotel Silla. It was recommended by this site too. We loved it. Very clean, friendly and helpful staff, walking distance to the Ponte Vecchio. We've just decided today that we will go back to Italy this fall. YIPPEE! If we were to stay in Florence again we would choose the Hotel Silla.

Patrick

We had a hard time getting to the Hermitage, even though the map clearly showed where it was. Finally when we arrived, a young man came from the hotel and said, "you won't want the car while you're here." He took it somewhere and we never paid a dime and he returned it when we were ready to leave three days later. To this day I don't know where our car was and I don't care. We were overwhelmed with how nice the staff was. And unlike Peggyann, we had breakfast every morning on the roof which was spectacular -- although you had to keep a hand free for waving away the pigeons.