I'll be going to Florence and Venice for 2 weeks in February with a friend. I'd like some input on 3-4* hotels that would be good for two single women - clean, quiet, $200/night range ($100 each/night is our budget); close to museums, churches, etc. Don't necessarily want B/B's but that would be another option. We're on the dark side of 50 and don't want to be sharing a bathroom down the hall!

Many or maybe most B&Bs have private ensuite bathrooms. Personally I still prefer hotels, though. I'd start by taking a look at http://www.venere.com and seeing what's available. Not all hotels are on Venere, but many are. Then if you find a good hotel, check other sites and with the hotel itself to see if you can get a cheaper price.

There have been a number of posts recently about Al Campaniel, a guest house in Venice. The "superior rooms" (these are doubles; it wasn't clear from your message whether you want to have single rooms or to share a double)have en suite bathrooms.

You might want to put <Al Campaniel> in the search box; it will bring up quite a few threads, among them a number that include my fairly detailed descriptions of Al Campaniel.

I stayed there in April 2003 and was very happy with it.

Two that we've enjoyed in your price range are:

Tourist House Ghiberti (Florence) and Locanda Orseolo (Venice). Both were outstanding in my opinion. I think Ghiberti is less than you specified and Orseolo might be a bit more. Also Ghiberti is a B&B.

www.touristhouseghiberti.com
www.locandaorseolo.com

If you search, you'll find lots of higly recommended hotels on this site.

Happy travels!
Sally

Relais Cavalcanti in Florence
www.relaiscavalcanti.com

A B&B, but ideally located and charming. Great bathrooms.

A friend and I stayed at the Hotel Alessandra last year, and really enjoyed it. Great location, lovely, large rooms, good (for Italy) "breakfast", helpful staff. We stayed in a twin room with a bathroom across the hall, but they also have ensuite rooms. Their website shows E145 for a double with ensuite. It says "2003" but I don't think their prices have changed - I was quoted the same 2003 price in 2004 when we were thinking of returning to Florence.

Cheers,
Linda

I can second the recommendation on the Hotel Alessandra. We had a wonderful room there and under $200 a night (we paid extra for a view of the river). Breakfasts were great and the staff wonderful. A friend of mine just honeymooned there as well and loved it. The location can't be beat...very quiet too!

I can recommend the following within your price range:

Venice - www.hotelaidomori.com. Great location, just a few steps from P. San Marco. Rooms are cozy but clean and comfortable. No elevators, no breakfast included in price, but there are lots of cafes and restaurants nearby.

Florence - www.relaiscavalcanti.com. My favorite hotel in Florence. The 3 or 4th floor (don't remember) of this building was renovated about 3-4 years ago and turned into a B&B. The two owners (Francesca and Anna) are very friendly and will make you feel like at home. The rooms are nicely appointed, and nice size rooms as well. The hotel is located in the heart of everything, next to mercato nuovo, and approx. 15 min. walk from the train station.

Have fun

Carlos

I haven't stayed in these places yet, but did a lot of research and selected Locando Orseolo in Venice (standard double 150 euros) and Hotel Orto de' Medici in Florence (standard double 199 euros) Both rates include breakfast and taxes, and are for nights in March 2005.

cmeyer,

In Florence I too highly recomend Tourist House Ghiberti, I've stayed there once before in May and will return myself in Feb. for two nights.

I believe the rate is 110 Euro for a double and they have great bathrooms!
www.touristhouseghiberti.com

You might try searching on www.veniceby.com and www.florenceby.com. Very reputable listing service with great pictures and accurate information. When you e-mail, your query goes directly to the hotel so you're not really dealing with a middle-man.

cmeyer:

If this is redundant, I apologize. The server has been very touchy. I recommend that you go to itwg.com, a very good European search engine for accommodations. When you get to the main page, you will see options for Italian cities including Florence and Venice. Click on each for their selections. I'm not familiar with Venice but for Florence: My personal budget suggestion is Relais Campanille. It is probably a bit too basic for your tastes but it provides a comfortable lodging with all one would need, excepting a lift. Otherwise, in general, I would say that you should stay away from establishments close to the Santa Maria Novella train station (district), and try to grab something closer to the Duomo, or within the Santa Croce District. Hotels that face the Piazza Della Repubblica are quite nice. There are some lovely hotels across the Ponte Vecchio in the Oltrarno District, but that is a little further away and a bit inconvenient (though not much). Given what you say you can spend, you won't have any problem finding a place with all the amenities--- private shower and bath, as well as breakfast. added note: you will have access to many sites because the large tourist crowds are absent this time of year. Have a great time.

I really liked Hotel Flora in Venice, but be sure to request a large room.

Pensione La Calcina in Venice would be perfect. Love that hotel!

www.lacalcina.com