We stayed here as part of a Cosmos trip, and it's not the sort of place we would have stayed in if we were travelling independently.

One thing you need to watch....there are sensors in the mini-bar that are supposed to register if you pick anything up. We had a look at a few things in the mini-bar, and picked them up, before seeing a sign on one of the counter tops. The sign explained that if anything had been moved in the mini-bar, you will be charged for it. We went to bed unsure as to whether we would be charged thirty euros for looking at a few miniature bottles, but fortunately no mention was made on check out, so maybe their sensors weren't working.

I'm a loyal priority club platinum member staying a minumum of at least 50 nights a year with this chain for the last 5 years and this is, hands down, the worst HI I've ever stayed in. The condition of the rooms is atrocious, the bed and pillows hard, old and unconfortable. Room are on the small side and road noise on one side of the hotel is just unacceptable. Very poor maintenance and daily room up keep (housekeeping). Old tube stuly TV in the room with a bare minimum of channels. Inadequate bathroom toiletries and non responsive when I asked for more. Breakfast was lousy, poor quality and poor service and poor cleanliness. Old everything in the stuffy dated rooms. The internet was down in the hotel for half my stay and the front desk staff is pathetic and ambivalent to guests concerns. Hotel is not walking distance from historical center of Florence but there is bus service and taxis. Only positive is that if you rent a car and drive into the city everyday, the hotel has free parking. In summary, very dissapointing, spend an extra 20 euros and stay somehwere decent, AVOID at all costs.

Very convenient place especialy if you've rented a car.

This hotel worked out quite well for us as we needed to stay in the southern part of town. We were happy with the room and the decent weekend rate (50% off two nights), and didn’t mind being far from the old town’s tourist attractions and noise. The major drawback for us was that it was impossible to connect with the internet, at any price. We were told that the hotel was in between ISPs, so no connectivity was available. This being Italy, I can see how this situation could remain unresolved for more than two weeks, but it’s probably no longer a problem by now.

The major downside for a tourist here is the distance. There is a decent city bus (every 20-30 minutes, depending on time of day), which takes you across the river into the old town in about 20 minutes, and all the way to the train station in 20 more minutes. The bus is cheap, but it can get crowded earlier in the morning, at lunch time, most of the afternoon and into early evening. You certainly shouldn’t try to walk from here to the old town: it’s a long, boring walk, and by the time you’re across the river, your feet will need a break from the hard pavement.

If it’s your first time In Florence, don’t mind spending (quite) a bit more, and hate public transportation, this hotel will be disappointing. If, however, you’re on a budget, or have been to Florence before and would rather ride the bus and get a decent night’s sleep, then this hotel might just work out perfectly. We didn’t have any problem with mozzies, but we visited in March.