Le Stanze di Caterina

Once you arrive, the location is amazing: right in front of the Duomo and close to other landmarks. Getting there with luggage was the hard part. Taxis are extremely difficult to find in Florence, especially to the Duomo, and there’s no Uber or Freenow, so we had to walk for about 15 minutes. There were plenty of complimentary snacks and drinks, and both the room and washroom were large. Some areas of the room were damaged, and a few things, including toilet paper, were missing. One night there was no warm water. Even so, I’d still recommend the place.

The owners seemed really nice, and the location was so convenient and affordable that I’d consider staying again. The bed was clean and comfortable enough, but there was a lot of dust. I know these buildings are very old, but the room needed a proper deep clean. Next time I’d ask for a different room.

Florence was made unpleasant for us by a very disappointing stay. The room did have good A/C and a comfortable bed, but the balcony was overrated, the shower floor was broken, and the bedding was inadequate: only two pillows were set out, with extras in the closet but no covers, and there were no blankets, just a cover smaller than the bed. We paid what was requested and didn’t get what we paid for. Dust kept appearing on surfaces and around the room every day, despite raising it with the owner. Only the spots we mentioned were partly cleaned, and we continued finding more. The room also wasn’t organized one of the two nights. The website didn’t represent the breakfast well. An iron was brought, but there was no ironing board, and it took a while to arrive. The owner communicated until I raised the further dust problems. When I asked for a partial refund for the inconvenience, they stopped responding.

Getting around was easy from Le Stanze Di Caterina, near the Duomo and the city sights. The room felt secure, with three locked doors between the street and our room, and there was also a safe in the wardrobe. There’s no breakfast room. Instead, the room had four coffee pods, a machine, tea bags and a kettle, plus biscuits, jam and croissants. Orange juice and water were replenished daily. There was a good-sized fridge, and a sink with washing liquid. The room itself was large and decorated with artwork. I especially liked the shiny tiled bathroom and one of the nicest hotel showers I’ve used. Communication was friendly and quick, and arriving late because of train trouble wasn’t a problem.