Rating
"Within walking distance to most of the major 'must sees' in the City" My sister treated me to a week end break in Florence knowing it's my favourite city in Europe (probably worldwide ). I was thrilled of course but her little 'find' for our short stay was great This hotel supposed to be the oldest 'inn' of Florence was so convenient - all the down sides, of which there were a few, were compensated by the fact we did not have to spend money on taxis, hire cars (which is virtually impossible as driving and parking in any Italian city as one knows is a complete no no....... Stones throw away from Ponte Vecchio, Duomo, main shopping streets, Piazzas and most important we could walk from the main Santa Maria Novella Railway station. Yes even pulling our own suitcases along was not too much a problem. In fact that is one of the beauties of Florence, many visitors can be seen doing just that and no one bats an eyelid. Better to spend the money on a bus trip from outside the Bagnioli hotel to Siena or San Gimignano, or eat out in one of the fab restaurants or even enjoy cocktails and a meal at the Savoy if you want to splash out. Hotel is basic, in fact we had the distinct impression it was like a converted convent, but we were told that it had always been a hotel. Our room was very large, high ceiling, twin beds very clean no nonsense ward robe and drawer space and bathroom practical but certainly not Relais & Chateaux - simple would be the correct adjective. No extras apart from a small bar of soap and those awful flimsy towels that I always put on a par with a dishcloth. Take your own towel or by one at Rinacente. The rooms on the back were quite noisy as there is a small road that the ubiquitous moped use as a cut through and the dustbins were collected quite early or late whatever time you retire. I managed to fuse the whole hotel one evening with hair tongues but just outside our door was the main board so we quickly flipped the trip switch. Breakfast was OK normal bread, coffee, watered down juice, fruit yoghurt tea, etc. I don't know how much she paid for the trip, it would not have been too expensive, but I do know I would certainly recommend it for ease of access, and we felt perfectly safe and comfortable walking to and from the hotel at all times of the day and night from all parts of the city. Would recommend to students, women travellers, (dont know about anyone with walking probs as cant remember seeing a lift)

Rating
"Great Experience" Based on previous mixed reviews of this hotel, I was uneasy as to what my friend and I would find. However, we had an excellent stay at this hotel, and it deserves a good write up. For starters, it is the oldest hotel in Florence and seems to be an amalgamation of 2 or 3 old buildings, each w/ different floor levels, which connect in a split level fashion. Due to the irregular shape of the buildings, there's little consistency with room and bathroom sizes and shapes. There are 2 different elevator banks. My friend and I each had rooms facing a differnet courtyard, which cut down on the ever present street (Vespa) noise, which was good. The downside is that you tend to have a view of mechanical equipment. From what I could tell, the rooms facing the 2 parallel streets tended to be fancier than those facing the courtyards, but I'm sure that they had more noise. Our rooms were basic - wood floors, some art work, an armoire + dresser, a mini refrigerator and small TV. One room had a desk and chair, the other a round table and chair. The bathroom had a small sink, toilet and shower, w/ a retractable clothesline for hanging up towels. Our rooms were comfortable, but not lavish. Also, our bathrooms appeared to have been recently renovated. One room had air conditioning, the other didn't. I don't know if they have room service. The other hotel visitors represented British, Americans, Japanese and French speaking tourists, a nice mix. For breakfast, there is a nice high ceiling dining room w/ a cold buffet, self-service: coffee, tea, juices, hot water, cold water plus rolls, croissants, yogurts, cereals, toast, cheese, jams, etc. A lovely airy space to start the day. The staff were very efficient at clearing the tables as soon as patrons departed. The people at the front desk could not have been kinder and more helpful. They recommended Mercurio Tours for an excellent Art History walking Tour of Florence - superb. When my friend was taken ill, the staff was helpful. In summary, an excellent location near the Ponte Vecchio and decent but managable walk from the Firenze S.M.N. Train Station. Plenty of stores, including Ferragamo, churches, restaurants, etc. Even the Academia is a 20 min. walk, through the flat center city. Cezanne show at the nearby Palazzo Strozzi. In booking your room, you'd need to identify street vs. courtyard and whether or not you require air conditioning. While the building is old and picturesque, the rooms are more basic than lavish. Breakfast has more than enough food and selections to get you going. Front desk staff very helpful w/ tours and taxis when needed. You will not have the uniformity of a Holiday Inn here, and that's OK by me. Enjoy.

Rating
"Should be in a flim set!" "It was one of the best weekend breaks we have ever had and this was largely down to the excellent hotel Porta Rossa which deserves the hotelier's equivalent of the Nobel prize for originality... No frills, no false smiles, no welcome messages on your tv just a lovely hotel in a superb location with well trained staff who do their job efficiently and with purpose. Our room was spacious, comfortable with parquet flooring and a comfortable king sized bed. The key to our room weighed a ton and we were happy to leave it at reception each morning we left. Breakfast was very Italian which just adds to the overall Florentine feel of this ancient and original hotel. In an ever increasingly homogeneous world it is refreshing to find little gem's like the Hotel Porta Rossa! Long live independent Florentine hotels down the Chains."

Rating
"Interesting historic Hotel in great location, but some negatives" Our family of 4 (kids ages 12 & 15) stayed for 4 nights in July and although the hotel is in a great location (near the Arno and designer boutiques) I honestly do not think we would stay there again. The staff was not friendly or helpful and our room was very loud at night due to local bars. However, breakfast and our quad room/bathroom were ok. There is a great little restaurant down the back street (nonna nella) that we highly recommend. Although we had booked the "ancient tower suite" when we saw it, there was no way my kids would agree to stay there. It was kinda scary with bedrooms on separate floor and it was hot/hot/hot. I don't think our luggage could have made it up the extra stairs. When we asked for another room, they were kind enough to find us another. Although my husband and I appreciated the hotel for its historic value, and our desire to avoid chain (sterile) hotels at all costs, I wish our stay had been better. Had the ancient tower suite been not so stark, the staff more friendly, we would have enjoyed ourselves more.

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