kraav

We are traveling to Italy this June with our three girls, 14, 12 and 10. We are still looking for lodging in Florence, keeping under 400 dollars. We can consider two rooms, a family suite, or any other suggestions anyone may have. Thank you in advance.

kateny17

Have you thought of renting an apartment in the city? It's a great way to get in touch with the culture (shopping at local markets, etc.) and you can save money by eating breakfast or any other meals you like in your apt. Try RentVillas.com - I used them for a Paris rental apartment and found the service wonderful and the apt. even better!

Statia

I was going to suggest an apartment, too, although some people aren't comfortable going on their own.

If you are interested in one, however, we've used sleepinginflorence.com and been very happy.

Eloise

I think I recall - vaguely - that the Hotel Porta Rossa has a few large rooms:

http://www.hotelportarossa.com/

beanweb24

My husband and I rented this apartment during our honeymoon:

http://www.florenceby.com/sangallo/index.html

It was ridiculously huge for the 2 of us, though I loved having my own bathroom. There are 2 bedrooms and the sofa in the living room is a sleeper. The apartment is absolutely *gorgeous* and roughly 220 Euros a night. The layout is also nice because the 2BRs are on opposite ends of the apartment separated by the living room and kitchen.

Only downer? It's a healthy 12-15 min walk to the Uffizi area.

iloveitalymore

We used sleepinginflorence.com about a year and half ago. The apartment was clean, well maintained and with all the amenities (including a clothes washer, no dryer) and only 2 minutes door-to-door to the Duomo.
It was a loft with one large upstairs bedroom, large living room and kitchen. The view of the Duomo (the dome portion) was a plus plus.

Cost was, if I remember correctly, under E140 a night. There are other, larger configurations of room.

kraav

Thanks for all your prompt replies, you guys are great. My question is traveling with my kids, how valuable is it having someone on site to help with restaurant recommendations, train schedules ect. We will be using Florence as a base for exploring for two of the four days we will be there, thinking Siena and a wine stop one day, possibly Pisa another day. Any other thoughts? Are the San Lorenzo Apts. close enough to stroll through to the center of town easily? Finally, Hotel Torre Guelfa has a two room apt. across the street from their hotel, for 210 euro a night, with full access to the hotel common areas and ammenities and breakfast. Has anyone stayed there? Is the very charming and personalized service you hear about for certain hotels make or break your vacation? I consider ourselves fairly independant travelers, but it's still sometimes nice to come back to a familiar face. What are your thoughts on this?