B&B Santa Maria del Fiore

The room itself was clean and spacious, with a great powerful shower, and the room service was immaculate. But during our three nights, the shower gel ran out after barely a day and wasn't replaced, nor was the little bar of soap. We ended up buying our own. Breakfast seems to have been removed, presumably because of COVID, so the website should make clear that it isn't included. Check-in happens at a different establishment, where we also left our car for €25 a day. The B&B is on the first floor of an apartment building, and the lift seems to be for residents only, so we had to carry our bags up and down. Entry is by key card and there was nobody to greet us. The air conditioning was set freezing cold. We'd just come back from a fabulous trip to Florence, and the room did deliver on cleanliness and space. I’m fussy about details, though, and the missing breakfast information and toiletries matter. If you’re fine with what’s included, I’d recommend it.

The rooms were impressively spacious and clean, with a nice private bathroom, and we really enjoyed breakfast at Serafini Caffe as a chance to try an Italian breakfast. We did have trouble checking in. Our internet connection was poor, so we couldn't call the hotel. After a very stressful hour, we finally found Forte16.

The location worked well for evenings, with a few good bars nearby, and the Duomo was about a 17-20 minute walk away. I loved the place. It isn't really a hotel, and the check-in process wasn't much of one either, but everything was very clean and smelled heavenly. The bathroom had a lovely feel and the shower was perfect. Our one problem was that the A/C wasn't working very hard. Everything else was amazing!

Getting into the unit was a hassle. You have to collect a keycard from another building, and they only give you one. The lights need the key to stay on, which is awkward if one person goes out and the other stays in. We booked two beds but found one bed and a sofa, with no blankets. The room was just meh. I don't recommend it, and I don't know how it got such good reviews.