I stayed at the Hotel Axial in September 2011 with my husband and mother. As this was my mother's first trip to Italy (and Europe), I was very cautious when making our hotel bookings. After reading the reviews on tripadvisor, I chose Hotel Axial. The Hotel Axial was a fabulous choice! The hotel is centrally located and within walking distance to Duomo and Santa Maria Train Station. The staff were helpful and friendly. The rooms are simple, very clean and quite a good size. When booking, we requested a quiet room and were allocated a room facing into the hotel's courtyard. The room was very quiet and the bed was comfortable. If you arrive by train, take a taxi to the hotel because although it's not that far from the train station to the hotel, it can be difficult to pull your luggage over cobblestone roads when they have some weight in them! There is a small lift in the hotel so you don't have to carry your bags up the stairs. I thought this hotel represented good value for money. I would definitely stay here again!

Took about 15 minutes to get here walking from the train station. Had to ask for help to find the street. It is a frequently walked street but we couldn't find the name on the building. Go in door and walk up about 3 flights of stairs. Lobby is small but adequate. Room was not large but bed was comfortable. Had a very small shower. I am only 5 ft 2 inches and I hit my elbows on the sides of the shower when washing. Room was clean. Included breakfast was typical continental breakfast. Was a big change from the really nice breakfast we had at Hotel Berna in Milan. Definitely recommend this hotel. Was a good value for the money.

Florence was our second stop on our trip to Italy and once again, I was looking for a good place to stay that was near the train station and close to all the action. Hotel Axial turned out to be a great choice for the above reasons and more. The hotel was a 10 minute walk from the Santa Maria Novella train station, very close to the beautiful Duomo and is surrounded by tons of shops and restaurants. I let the hotel know that we were celebrating our anniversary and when we walked into our room, there was a beautiful orchid in a vase with a note from the hotel. How nice!

The room was clean and had a pretty large bed, in comparison to some of the others we had seen in Europe. The thing that continues to baffle me in Italy is the length of the beds, as my husband (who is 5’11) had to scrunch up to go to sleep throughout our trip. Again, this isn’t just at Hotel Axial, ALL of the beds we slept on in Italy were shorter than they are in North America. The bathroom in our room was clean and pretty modern, no complaints there.

The hotel has free Wi-fi and a lounge area with 2 computers and a printer that you can use (also with free Internet access). There was a bookshelf in the lounge area with books for trade, so you could take a book and leave a book if you wanted to. I picked up a great book that I read for the rest of the trip! There was also an extra full bathroom (including a shower!) in the lounge.

Breakfast was included and it consisted of a buffet with croissants (don’t get too excited, they are just okay), yogurt, cheese, hard boiled eggs, fruit (full-sized kiwis), melba toasts, juices, tea and coffee from an automated machine. There was more than enough to eat to fill your stomach for the morning. Keep in mind that breakfast is not a big deal for the Italians as most people just have a pastry and a coffee in the morning. I think the hotels make an effort for the tourists though, which is great. They also have an “honor bar” in the hallway with water, juice, soda, wine and beer that is self-serve and you just take your money to the reception desk to pay. A nice option for those late nights when you need something to drink.

Overall, I would definitely recommend this hotel as it was within walking distance to main attractions including the Accademia Gallery (which houses the David statue – it is stunning and a MUST see!) and the Uffizi gallery. The price was great, the location was excellent and the staff was professional, friendly and helpful. I would return again the next time I’m in Florence.

Almost in front of the duomo, the location is just the best you can get. Reasonable price and clean rooms. Efficient service.