My husband and I stayed here for 6 nights. The hotel is clean and the breakfast is good. However my first impression of the hotel was just how outdated it was. It looked like something out of the late sixties. It definitely needs modernising. The rooms are very basic (the most modern thing was the small flat screen TV) and our room was quite small. However it was clean. The hotel is situated close to the main attractions. Also be aware of the extra 'tax' charge of 4 euros each per night at the hotel (which is now common place everywhere in Italy (never heard of this before and we were not advised of this when we booked with the holiday provider)..

The hotel is located close to all the major sites and is also near some good restaurants and coffee places. The room was tidy, comfortable and spotless. The decor is not brand new but well-maintained with some fair wear and tear. However, the hotel is located on a busy road so the room was noisy. The traffic subsided after 11pm but there were sounds of sirens from time to time - if you are sensitive to sound then this is not the place for you. I took ear plugs with me and they helped me to get to sleep otherwise I would not have been able to get to sleep. As I was out seeing the sites for most of my stay, the noise did not cause too much of a problem.
The staff were really helpful and friendly and the breakfast was fairly good as well. Also, the shuttle bus service from the airport to Santa Maria Novella station ends at 10.30pm so I had to take a cab to the hotel which cost me 24 euros.

I took a romantic trip with my girlfriend in July which took us through Florence for a few days. We upgraded our original hotel to a four star and unfortunately received Hotel Carolus. Don't get me wrong...this hotel isn't that bad. The room is relatively tidy and spacious, has a functional LCD TV, roomy washroom and a safe....however when you pay four star prices and are told you're staying at a four star hotel, you expect exactly that. Walking into this hotel was like walking into the set of Faulty Towers. The carpets were crimson red, or at least were once upon a time in the 1980's. The elevator was the perfect setting for a humourous scene out of an Ashton Kutcher movie and the walk to your room felt like the last of your life. Once you closed the door to your room you almost felt like it was going to be kicked in unless you locked it right away. If this hotel just opened in a trendy Bratislavan suburb - it would merrit the four star rating, otherwise save yourself the money and stay elsewhere.

Very well located with a lovely view of the dome from the rear of the hotel but very disappointing, old fashioned rooms.