Yikes! Bed bugs in Florence and the Issue of Sharing a Bathroom...
 

Ok...so reading hotels on venere.com waa great advice! thanks everybody!

I was very frightened by the description of one hotel having bed bugs.

I have issues with bugs. I really don't like them and can't sleep if they are all crawling about. Yikes!

I am also not rich, so I like budget hotels.

I found some good deals in florence in the city center, but they don't come with a bath ensuite.

Have you ever stayed in a hotel and shared a bathroom? And which would you choose? the bathroom ensuite, or the shower?

I have stayed in the welfare type hotels where you share the bathroom and find them horrendous and dirty--but I was very young then. Is sharing a bathroom in Florence similar to sharing a bathroom in an urban U.S. city?

Haven't done Florence, and it'll of course vary from hotel to hotel how clean they're kept, but it's usually not a big deal to share a bathroom, so long as the place isn't a complete dump. Bring shower shoes if you're worried (in fact, just bring them regardless, better safe than sorry, I figure).

IMO sharing a bathroom is sharing a bathroom; you take your chances on how the other people sharing it will leave it for you.

I would definitely stay away from the place with bed bugs!

What's your budget for a room? We stayed at the Hotel Cestelli, which was terrific little place - very clean and conveniently located near the Ponte Vecchio, owned by a very friendly and helpful young couple. A double room, which was not at all small, with private bath was 85E, but the rooms with shared bath were 70E for a double or 50E for a single.

I have done a shared bathroom only once (Amsterdam) never again. It was not so bad but it was simply not comfortable for me.

I hate to tell you but you don't see bed bugs "crawling around" that's the problem, you don't know until it's too late.

I am not rich either, but how often do I get to vacation in Europe? Not often.

In my experience for a little bit more money you can get a much more comfortable situation. Unless you have the luxury of traveling for more than a few weeks, why not get a place you feel sure about?

Also if by chance you are traveling solo, even more reason to make sure you pick accomodations that aren't too scary.

>Have you ever stayed in a hotel and shared a bathroom?

Yes, when my Lady wife and I were somewhat poorer and much younger.

>And which would you choose? the bathroom ensuite, or the shower?<

Now, ensuite.

((I))

I have shared a bathroom quite a few times. The vast majority of times, it has been perfectly fine, since the bathroom usually gets cleaned several times throughout the day. The only times it hasn't been fine is when the place has otherwise been a bit of a dump and would have been unpleasant regardless.

However...I am definitely in the minority on this board when it comes to willingness to share a bath. I've given up trying to say that it can be okay and seeing responses that make it sound like I'm recommending living in squalor. If it makes you uncomfortable, don't do it.

birthdaygirl, bedbugs have evidently become a problem around the world, some experts say it is because so many people travel internationally now. It sure doesn't seem to be just the lowcost lodgins that have the problem.

I get creeped out even thinking about bedbugs and hope I never have to experience them. Shudder.

Regarding a shared bath. If I couldn't afford a room with an ensuite bathroom I would stay home. I will not share a bathroom with strangers, even if the bathroom is cleaned several times a day. But that is just me.

I share bathrooms all the time - with my family, on a plane, when I go to the gym, when I visit friends. From time to time, I share bathrooms at my paid accommodation. I haven't had any nightmare experiences, but I could see it happening. Consider things like the following - what is the ratio, do you have access to more than one bathroom, how are they set up (separate showers from bathrooms, or does one person occupy the whole place at once). If I had to choose between a private shower or toilet, I'd probably go for a private shower, because it's a bit uncomfortable to walk back to your room all wet and drippy.

In party places, it's sometimes an issue that people get sick all over the bathroom (sorry to gross anyone out), and I suppose that could happen even at quiet places. But - knock on wood - it hasn't happened to me yet.

I will say it was extremely nice to have my own private bathroom on days on a trip where I wasn't feeling well.

Bedbugs seem to be an increasing issue from 5* hotels all the way down. Just do some research so you know what to do if you get bitten.

"I'd probably go for a private shower, because it's a bit uncomfortable to walk back to your room all wet and drippy."

Next time, bring a towel. :-)

"I will say it was extremely nice to have my own private bathroom on days on a trip where I wasn't feeling well." I couldn't agree more. Unfortunately, I haven't yet figured out how to predict when those days will be, and sometimes I've been in the wrong place at the wrong time.

I agree with LoveItaly. I might "share" a bath with people when I use the facilities in restaurants, airplanes etc, but when it comes to a hotel, where I will sleep and bathe, I want something as clean as possible that only I will use that week.
What is the price difference in the shared bath room? Can it be managed if you stay one day less or do one thing less?
Good luck,~

You know, I guess it's really a miracle that I survived four years of dorm living, not to mention campgrounds and the gym.

Not to mention growing up in a house with four people and one shower. It was like living in the Third World.

KT - your family must have been rich! We had 6 kids and 2 parents and one bathroom. Only a tub, no shower. :)

To the OP. I can't address the bugs, don't like them either. But as for a shared bath. Do you mean that the shower/tub is shared with others or the toilet/sink/shower/tub? That would make a big difference to me. It would also matter to me how many nights you are staying. If it is one night, I'd save the money and get a shared shower/tub. I could not handle it for a week. I also would not want to share the toilet with the others on the floor.

It's one thing to "share" bathrooms when you're out shopping/at restaurants/in gyms, etc. It's another thing for me personally when I'm paying for a place to sleep. And I'm far from rich!

What is your budget in Florence? I had a great room with a tiny bathroom (all mine while I was there) at Hotel Desiree on Via Fiume, which is a block away from the railway station. Found the hotel at florenceby.com, and it currently lists a single rate of 55-75 euro, depending on the time of year.

Another idea I've seen around here is to stay at a convent, although I believe there are curfews in place. Search for "convents in Florence" and you should get a nice selection of posts.

birthdaygirl,

You haven't disclosed your budget, but really, it's probably possible to find a hotel in the center with private bath and without bedbugs unless you are at hostel-level budget. In which case why not just find a good hostel and meet and mingle with the folks there? Could be fun.

I once stayed at La Calcina in Venice with my mother and aunt. They could only accommodate us if one of us took a single with shared bath. My aunt said fine (believe me, we all wanted a single at that point!). She got a very sweet room with an amazing canal view. The bathroom was shared with only one other room on the floor and she never saw anyone else (or signs of anyone else) in there.

So they're not all bad.

It's true, the single rooms at La Calcina are one place I would be willing to take a shared bath. That hotel's great.