David

We have narrowed down our search to these 3 <BR>Torre di Bellosguardo <BR>Hotel Hermitage <BR>Morrandi alla Crocetta. <BR>Anyone have any experience with them? some specific questions are: How big are the rooms at Morrandi? How far was Torre from the city? Is it worth the cost? How noisy was Hermitage?

Dona

I haven't stayed at any of them - but I have some thoughts about two. (I have a hotel curiosity and visit as many as I can...) <BR> <BR>This past trip I wanted to go to see Torre di Bellosguardo - we started to walk - but it was so far up the hill that we turned around and went back to town. It's quite a hike - and although I'm sure it's beautiful, if you're interested in "being in Florence", this is not the location. <BR> <BR>I have good friends who share my taste in hotels and really like the Hermitage. We visited it and I would stay there on another trip to Florence. You can't get a more central location but it's tucked away just enough to give you privacy. The public rooms are lovely and the roof garden offers wonderful city views. I'm not sure of the motorino noise - but my friends would not like it if it were noisy. Others many be able to give you more insight into the rooms. <BR> <BR>(I stayed at the Lungarno on this recent trip and loved it...)

Rex

More info from www.timeout.com - - I believe this is all independent third-party reporting: <BR> <BR>Morandi alla Crocetta <BR> <BR>This quiet ten-room hotel is housed in a former 16th-century convent in the university area. Kathleen Doyle Antuono and her family offer friendly, informal but comfortable accommodation at very reasonable prices. Rooms are furnished with antiques and prints, manuscripts and icons, with colourful rugs on warm parquet floors. Two rooms have private terraces, and one has an original 16th-century fresco (discovered quite by chance during renovation work) filling one wall. Particularly popular with gay couples. <BR> <BR>Hermitage <BR> <BR>Book well in advance to be sure of one of the 28 rooms in this delightful hotel. Its superb location (by the Ponte Vecchio), warm welcome and superior facilities make it a winner. Public areas - plant-filled roof garden, sunny breakfast room and cosy sitting room - are on the top floors, while the comfortable and intimate bedrooms with their tasteful fabrics and antique furniture occupy the lower three floors. Some bedrooms enjoy the view of the river but, in spite of double glazing, these are not the most peaceful. Prices are a little above average for this category, but well worth the outlay. <BR> <BR>...and since Dona mentioned the Lungarno... <BR> <BR>The location of this hotel - in a '60s building with a medieval tower in the middle - couldn't be more central. Two minutes walk from the Ponte Vecchio in the Oltrarno, it is right on the river, and the most coveted rooms have flower-clad terraces directly over the water. The comfortable sitting room area, where you can also have breakfast, has huge picture windows which take full advantage of the waterside setting. The hotel has been in business for 30 years and many of the staff have been there since day one. Pride is taken in the fact that many guests are regulars; some have the furniture in their favourite rooms re-arranged according to whim, and others even store their summer or winter wardrobes at the hotel. The sitting and bar area is on two levels and overlooks the river. Furniture is traditional with comfortable chairs and sofas in elegant fabrics which mix well with some antique pieces, prints on the walls and lots of fresh flowers. Bedrooms - on 8 floors - are not particularly spacious, but extremely comfortable; those in the medieval tower have original stone walls. At the time of going to press the Lungarno was being refurbished, but the management guarantees to maintain standards. <BR> <BR>Always reading... always posting... <BR> <BR>Best wishes, <BR> <BR>Rex <BR>www.allexperts.com

Patrick

Stayed three nights at the Hermitage three years ago. Very lovely small hotel. Even enjoyed chasing the birds away from our food as we breakfasted on the roof garden every morning --what a great view. Our room faced the river and there was virtually no noise. As I recall there was virtually no traffic right by the hotel, it is all routed away from there. We drove there and had a hard time finding our way because traffic was diverted just before that spot. They were wonderful. A guy took our car, parked it somewhere else and we never thought about it again till he brought it for us and loaded our luggage when we left. Small, but very nice rooms, extremely friendly staff and the roof garden is the high light. One hint, they kept trying to book us for dinner at "wonderful" restaurants out somewhere and told us to avoid all the places we asked about that had been recommended. We stuck with our choices and loved them. Others we talked to at breakfast took their advice and were disappointed in overpriced, out of the way restaurants that were packed with other tourists -- apparently some major kick-back plan with hotels.

David

Thanks for the replies. My travelling comapion is very interested in the Torre. Do you have any idea how much a cab would be to get there?