Ape Rosa Relais

My mother is from Florence and used to live nearby, so we were excited to stay at Ape Rosa. The villa has an Italian charm and a lovely setting, but there were too many problems and we left after one night. The bathroom had dozens of ants, dead and alive, mostly in the shower, so we couldn’t use it without stepping on them. We were wary of leaving food in the room or our bags. There were long cobwebs above the shower, full of dead insects. The floors felt gritty underfoot and clearly hadn’t been cleaned properly. The wardrobe was hard to open with an old key in worn holes, and the heavy doors wouldn’t close properly without lifting them. Storage was scarce: just four little nightstand drawers, three with no knobs, leaving one usable drawer about an inch and a half deep. We’d booked two beds, but at 10pm found one had no sheets under the coverlet. The other coverlet had visible stains. The only bed with sheets had a mattress sloping down on both sides, so you kept sliding toward the edge. At night we repeatedly heard people next door talking normally and even urinating through the paper-thin walls. The front desk woman offered to fix things, but many issues seemed long-standing, and we had no confidence in the cleanliness or care. They also refused a refund for the rest of our stay, despite the persistent subpar conditions. Take your money elsewhere.

The building and rooms are beautiful, and the area was quiet and relaxing after busy days. The city center is about a 10 minute walk or 5 minutes by tram, with frequent, affordable trams. Digital keys were convenient and secure. Just ask the host for the WiFi password before you arrive, so your signal is good enough to open the keys if reception is closed. I’d stay again if I come back to Firenze.

We spent July 14-15 at Ape Rosa in Florence, and the villa was impressive, an old, grand place decorated in period style. Our room was comfortable and spacious. You can have breakfast in the dining room or garden, and the food is made on site with a wonderful variety. Elena was a gracious, helpful host who helped us book tours. We arrived late, and she checked that we were all right, then invited us to dinner at a restaurant about a 10 minute walk away. After driving in Florence, which is nothing like motoring in the U.S., the walk was just what we needed. We had a lovely meal and company. Pierre & Janet highly recommend APE ROSA when visiting Florence. Ciao.

Charming place, and the hosts were lovely and very friendly.