Going to Florence for 3 nights in a few weeks (early Novenmber). Am I crazy for wanting to only spend about $75/night (for a double) in a two-star hotel? Florence seems small enough that location doesn't appear to be a concern. As long as it is safe and clean, I 'm usually not that fussy. Not sure if this price is realistic or if it would be worth spending more for a three-star hotel. Any thoughts/suggestions???

For that price you're probably looking @ an upgraded youth hostel unless you want to stay away from the sights. Italy is not cheap. I'm not a Rick Steves fan but you can try his books or the 'shoe-string' books are always pretty good for inexpensive digs.

I agree. I'd say $75 is pretty cheap for one night at a hotel in Florence but the hotel is not going to be anything to write home about. I'd rather spend extra and be a little more central and not necessarily in a regular suburb. While Florence is not that big and you can walk so much, the center is very characteristic of "Old" Europe so you might want to reconsider your budget. If you can't (which is completely understandable), check the "Oltrarno" section across the Ponte Vecchio or behind Santa Croce. Those are nice, quiet neighborhoods that have a lot of the old Florentine charm: artisans, craftsman, etc. Good luck.

What about the Residence Palazzo Ricasoli Hotel (4 stars) Nov.01-Dec.31<BR> $96 <BR>http://www.freedom-tour.com/hotels/italy/florence/ricasoli.html<BR><BR>Location is everything. night time in Florence is what its all about... nothing is more beautiful that when you first see the pink glowing Duomo at night. <BR><BR>

Frank - Thanks for the suggestion..it looks lovely! Have you stayed there yourself? Is the location good?

Frank,<BR><BR>Great website to know so thanks. But since this hotel is up by the Fortezza, it's at least a 20 minute walk to the Duomo. It's not really in the 'centro storico' but at those prices, you can go up on the roof and have a great nighttime view and with the money you're saving on lodging, it seems worth it.

I recently stayed at a very nice B&B three minute walk to the Duomo (It's right next door to an American Express office so you know it's a good location). It's called Dei Mori. www.bnb.it/deimori/. I paid $80 for a single with private bath. Great people who own it.

Not crazy Lisa. If you can "think outside the box" a little, consider:<BR><BR>Instituto Oblate dell'Assunzione <BR>Borgo Pinti, 15 <BR>Firenze 50121<BR>Fax: 39 0155 234 629<BR><BR>This is a sparkly clean convent not far from Santa Croce and Vivoli. You don't have to be Catholic to stay there, but book early because it's popular. We paid the equivalent of about USD 64 for a double in October 2001. Our room looked out on a big garden and we could see the top of the duomo. It's a French order, so the sisters speak French as well as Italian. I had to fax a couple of times before I received a response. The didn't even require a deposit.<BR><BR>Buon viaggio<BR>

Try eurocheapo.com. They have pretty good listings. We stayed at the Hotel Cristina, central Florence and loved it. It was clean, with your own bathroom and shower and the hosts - mother and daughter were very nice.

No, that is not crazy and entirely feasible in Firenze. If you can allow yourself a little more leeway, you can stay at a terrific albergo (hotel) right in the heart of Firenze. We went last Fall and stayed at the wonderful Soggiorno Bavaria, Borgo Albizi, 26 (tel/fax:011-39-055-234-0313) and paid $90 USD for a double. It was a very large room with 2 double beds, bathroom inside room and big wooden shutters with double window casements that opened up onto a lovely inner courtyard. It was just a stone's throw from the Duomo. I will stay there again the next time I return to beautiful Firenze.

Try looking for Fedinando II hotel. They are a 3rd floor in a big building in the downtown. (Hard to find - the door was just down a side street, and hardly marked at all)<BR>They were fairly new last year Sept. when we were there, so it was suggested they were less likely to mentioned in guide books and be booked up.<BR>I forget what we paid, but about $US90 fo a double with shower seems to ring a bell.

A big second for convents, have stayed in a number of convents in Italy and never paid more that 80 EURO (Venice)for any of them. All clean, safe, private bath, well located, etc. Like Betsy said think outside the box. Try convents we loved them, and we saved money to splurge on other things, like Murano glass.

Lisa,<BR><BR>Try the Hotel Il Perseo. Stayed there in April, 2000 and thought it was good value for the money. The room and bathroom were large and very clean. It's a block from the Duomo so it's central to all the sights and about a 10 minute walk from the train station. I just checked their web site and the price is 88Euro for a double with bath. I see that your other concern is safety. I felt very safe there. The hotel is on the fourth and fifth floors of a building (with elevator). There's a night clerk on the fifth floor (reception is on fifth floor) and the fourth floor rooms (where we stayed) have a locked door to the hallway. After about 8:00 you go up to the fifth floor, identify yourself and the clerk will buzz you into the fourth floor area. Ask for a courtyard room to avoid noise since there's a lot of activity in this area, even at night. The Perseo web site is: <BR>http://www.venere.com/it/firenze/perseo/<BR><BR>Adrienne<BR>

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