Palazzo Castri 1874 — Hotel in Florence

Location is near Duomo & Da Vinci museums and is walkable from SMN station. You will clock a lot of steps and it's better to group your itinerary near your hotel and change hotels to be close to those groupings.

Pros: Daily tidying up service Excellent breakfast with lots of options and both hot and cold options Friendly staff in the kitchen who understood what a California refillable water bottle was and what to do with it Good location. Everything we wanted to see during the first part of our tour of Italy was located within reasonable walking distance. There's also a farmacia and a Pam grocery with excellent to-go food selections within the same 2 blocks. Beds are firm, but comfortable, and they accommodated my need for no down/feather pillows well. Free water and snacks restocked daily. Tea was not restocked, though, and the kettle was in a closet, so we had to dig it out and find a place for it to go. We didn't have time for our champagne the first day and the staff did not mess with the glasses and bottle as placed in the fridge, which I also appreciated.

Cons: Entryway staff always looked at us with suspicion, though, so that was uncomfortable. Dark bathroom mold is just a thing in Italian hotels, so be aware of that. Our door didn't shut all the way on its own, but we mistakenly assumed room service was aware of that and would pull the door shut. We came back one day and room service had been there and the door was able to be pushed open. We locked everything up every day because we'd heard some horror stories about thefts in hotels, but that was a really strange feeling to come back and find the door was never locked after they'd been there to tidy up. The spa experience was confusing, and we ended up leaving feeling cheated, unfortunately, because the in-spa staff miscommunicated with us how long our treatments would be and they insisted we were actually in there longer and when we asked the desk staff to pull the security footage (they seem to have cameras even in the rooms in Italy to check amenities used) they refused. So that just sort of made it worse, since there was no proof that we didn't receive the services, and they insisted that we did, yet refused to pull footage. Ultimately, we had to pay the fee for a service we're certain we didn't receive. When in Florence, specifically, please be very aware of what's on your receipts and do not leave until you're sure it's correct. Don't accept 'we'll email you your bill' and leave. Even with American-familiar companies like Hertz. Park creepy at night

Neutral: The rooms have sound-reduction glass, but the street below is very loud and the window in our room didn't close that well once opened, so we had a bit of a leak for a day. This street receives a lot of emergency vehicle traffic, and people are loud through the night on the street. We even witnessed an accident and some Italians shouting explicatives at an innocent lesbian couple just walking down the street minding their own business. You might want to ask for an interior room if you are a light sleeper and don't have earplugs. (views attached)

Summary: The experience at this hotel I think highlights why I never, EVER want to go back to Florence (like, not ever). Naples and Tuscan people were warmer and friendlier and more helpful. Maybe tourism has made the Florentines jaded. Our two experiences in Florence were the worst out of our whole trip, and we had plenty of negative things happen all throughout Italy. You will have to watch people doing things with your money carefully, here (it wasn't just this hotel, Hertz too, but it was strictly a Florentine behavior).

So what are your other options? Our second hotel had almost no amenities (didn't need a pool; we were gone all day) and a hard bed they amazingly swapped out for me immediately (Hotel Milu), but I can recommend Milu for sure if you can afford it and are looking for highly professional staff in a 'modern' hotel with no frills. Unfortunately, I just can't recommend Palazzo Castri. Great breakfast...

I cannot say enough great things about this hotel, as it was by far one of the best I have ever stayed in! To break it down a little bit for anyone scoping out potential accommodations:

Cleanliness and presentation: this hotel was beautifully looked after and very well maintained. The rooms are all cleaned regularly during the late morning and the staff do a phenomenal job of keeping the linens fresh, the toiletries (which are all fresh, natural and excellent quality) stocked and the rooms spotless. The hallways, dining areas, spa and entryway are meticulously maintained and a beautiful blend of classic architecture with a clean, bright, modern twist.

Location: the location is just outside of but adjacent to the main tourist sites, meaning that it is easy to walk around as you are not far from the sites but you are also not in the middle of the tourist crush. It’s within walking distance (see approximate time in brackets) to each the: (10 min.) Santa Maria Novella train station; (10 min.) Fortezza de Basso (a beautiful old fortress that houses many conferences and events, and also the meeting place for a number of fantastic Tuscan bus tours); (5 min.) the Central Market; (15 min.) the Piazza del Duomo, the location of Florence’s impressive and infamous Cathedral; (15 min.) the Palazzo Vecchio; (20 min.) the Ponte Vecchio.

The hotel is also located accross from a park with several bus lines that can take you just about anywhere at a cost of €1.50 per person. Finally, although the hotel is just off a main street (handy for travel and restaurants) you can’t hear the traffic from your room, nor from the beautiful open-air courtyard out back that would have you swearing you’re on the edge of a forest.

Service: the staff was EXCEPTIONAL! Incredibly warm and friendly and always willing to help out with travel planning, advice and recommendations. They have a 24h concierge service that will help you find reservations at the best authentic pizza/pasta restaurants and help guide you to the best local attractions.

Breakfast: the hotel offers an incredible breakfast that I believe is included in most (if not all) room packages. Breakfast is served between 7:30 and 10:30 and includes a hot breakfast table (eggs, warm meats, quiches, etc.), a charcuterie table (cold cuts, cheeses, savoury breads), a fresh fruit station (yogurt, fruits, fresh juices) and a pastry table (6 kinds of croissants, cakes, biscuits, danishes, pancakes, etc.). They also offer a large variety of condiments and toppings including fresh honey straight from a honeycomb. The staff is incredibly friendly and attentive and will offer as many specialty coffees/teas as you can drink throughout your meal, while you sit in a beautiful bright room overlooking their beautiful courtyard (outside seating also available).

Wellness Centre: Spa: the hotel also offers and included spa package with most rooms. The spa is open from 2pm and 9pm but guests do need to reserve a 90 minute timeslot to ensure that there are not too many guests at any given time, which works out beautifully as it basically results in private/semi-private access. This reservation is easily done by stopping by reception (right outside the breakfast room) and letting them know. The included spa services involve access to and indoor/outdoor jacuzzi pool, a series of thermal showers, an ice fountain, a steam room (Hammam) and a Finish sauna. Fresh towels are provided to guests upon entry to the spa and your room includes a bath robe and slippers that can be worn down. They also offer a variety of spa treatments (beauty and relaxation/massages) at an additional cost. Gym: the gym is located in the spa centre and as such needs to be booked for specific timeslots as well. The hours are longer, however, from 7am to 9pm.

I have included a few photos of the courtyard from our stay, and look forward to returning on our next visit to Florence. If you are having a hard time deciding on where to stay I can say with confidence that you will not regret...

This hotel seems new. There are a great deal of technology built into the room, but it was our impression the staff doesn't have a good understanding of how to properly use it. Front desk staff were very friendly, checked our bags and asked that we return at 2 for check-in. When we did we were told our bags had been taken to our room. We got to the room. It was tight. Difficult to navigate two suitcases and be able to walk around the bed. There was no where in the room a couple could sit other than the bed. When arriving to our room it was very hot in the room, and our bags were actually not in our room.We opened the door and a window to cool the room. The lights also kept turning off. We called the desk and asked for help and informed them our bags were not in our room. She said the gentleman that will bring the bags will have a new key which will fix the problem. He arrived with no new key. I asked if he could help us with the AC. He tried and was not able to, then told us it was bc we had the window open. I tried to explain the problem was present prior to our opening the window. I had a very difficult time explaining the situation. I asked if he could get us a new key card as the reception staff had said this would resolve the issue. He left came back with the card. It did not resolve the issue. He said he will need to call in the maintenance staff to fix it. I asked if we could be transferred to a functional room. He said, no maintenance will come. We were dying. I went to the front desk, she said they have fixed the issue. Thankfully when I returned the AC and lights were working. We were over hot and needed a rest. We got in bed and about an hour later, a man entered our room. I was shocked! And not properly dressed for people to be entering our room. We got up and dressed and asked the front desk why a man entered our room. I was told the key card was showing it wasn't in the slot but the TV was on. Apparently that makes it ok for them to enter your room. Breakfast had great selections the staff for the restaurant was challenging. The dinner staff was the hardest part. Only one of the wait staff we dealt with spoke English and our service was poor. Dinner would take about two hours to complete. Issues such as bringing bread and no plates to eat it on, we asked for plates waited about 25 mins no plates were brought to us so I finally got up and grabbed two from the breakfast area. The chef was excellent. The food was high quality and prepared well. The hotel itself was really pretty. I think it has what it needs to be a good hotel, just needs some fine tuning. Probably will pass in the future. But as I said once they work out the kinks it...