Hotel La Villetta — Hotel in Calenzano

I stayed at Hotel La Villetta for a work trip in July 2013. My colleague and I were given rooms in the new building, which was just one month old. These rooms are not only pristine, they are tastefully decorated and very comfortable. They had air conditioning units above the doorway, which made for great sleeping during a hot summer stint. Big sliding glass doors open onto a balcony and let in the Tuscan sun. My bed was comfortable, and I heard no noises to disturb me at any time. There's a small fridge, phone, TV, and hair dryer in the room, too. A brand new elevator and a lovely atrium/breezeway to the main building make this a very elegant addition. (see pictures)||||Excellent service at Hotel La Villetta sets it apart. In particular, I'd like to thank Silvia for all her travel advice and TV troubleshooting. She told us this is a family-run business, and their great care showed in every aspect of our stay. Fabulous breakfast, spotless cleaning, friendly welcome in the lobby, a call for a taxi to leave, and, as I say, extraordinary help in planning day trips to Florence and Prato. The staff here are amazing! ||||This hotel is in an industrial area, so I imagine most of its customers come here for business. However, if a tourist wanted to stay outside central Florence, Hotel La Villetta is a very good value. (Later in my trip I stayed in Florence for the same price but in a much dingier hotel.) From Hotel La Villetta, you can get to Florence's Santa Maria Novella train station via a 40-minute bus ride (tickets can be bought in the hotel lobby), and Prato is just 2 train stops away from the nearby Pratignone train station. (You will need to buy tickets at the tobacco shop, as there are not ticket machines at Pratignone station itself.) We had half-days for touring either side of our work commitment, so we took the bus to Florence on Sunday, and then we took the train to Prato midweek. (Note that train service to Prato on Sundays is poor.) Both were very easy to do from Hotel La Villetta.||||I highly recommend Hotel...

This is a family-run hotel and the staff is wonderful. It is small, but the rooms and the atmosphere are very comfortable. I recently made my third stay in the last five years. The quality of the experience was unchanged. The rooms are clean and nicely appointed. The breakfast is very good. Each person is provided with two croissants (one plain and one with cream or jam). There is also coffee, an ample selection of teas, juice, various flavors of yogurt to choose from, a fruit torta, rolls, ham, and cheese. The rates for this hotel are very reasonable, especially when compared to a similar hotel in the center of Florence...definite value for your money.||||The location may be a hinderance for those travelers whose main objective is to see the sights of Florence. However, it is only a 40 minute bus ride to the S.M.N. train station and the center of everything. So, if only part of your time in the area will be spent "al centro storico", then this place is worth considering. This hotel would probably be best for those on business, who have meetings in the suburbs of the city. Also, it would be a perfect location for those travelers who intend to visit the northern part of Tuscany...making day trips to the Mugello, Prato, several of the worthwhile small towns, or for shopping at the designer outlets...

Stayed here on business for one night only - thank god it was just one night. I never thought I would be happy to leave Florence.||||I was unfortunate enough to have a room next to the reception and breakfast area (an early wakeup call at 6am) The room next door to me was loud all night and when they used the shower it felt like I was in it with them! I tried to ask the receptionist to move my room but she did not speak English and then we gathered the hotel was full (somehow)||||I had some kind of disabled room - not sure why. Bad décor (like going back to the 18th century)and no air con- I didn't even have the window open and somehow my room was full of mosquitos. I have woken up with bites all over me including my face. ||||My colleague had the room directly with his window out into the hallway and he only got a couple of hours sleep.||||Perhaps the other rooms are better and even the reception area is quite pleasant and modern looking. I probably got 4 hours sleep at the most and staying on business this is not acceptable. Would never...