Novella House

Novella house worked perfectly as a base for us, close to the train station and within walking distance of Florence's main sights. We loved our stay. The room was spacious, comfortable, and clean, and the staff were kind and accommodating. Highly recommend.

The location worked well for our day trips, since it’s very close to the train station. Staff are there from 8:30am to 6:30pm, and they’re friendly. Martina shared lots of recommendations when we checked in. Our room, San Lorenzo I believe, was cute and charming, though being on the ground floor meant we heard neighbours coming and going. It was quiet overnight. They refill the free juice, water, and snacks in the room, and take the rubbish and clean the floors daily. Towels weren’t changed every day, I think it’s every few days. During our six-night stay we got fresh ones once, and you can pay for another set if you want. It was pretty cold in our room in mid-December, and took a long time to warm up. At night there wasn’t much hot water, so we had to shower quickly. If two people need showers, the second has to wait for the hot water to build back up.

I never stayed at this apartment. I’d paid before arriving in Florence, after being promised valet parking and parking on the website, but neither was available. They have a garage instead, charging 60 euros per night, and the parking was far from the house. They also said you can only use the nearby garage if they have a space for you. Otherwise, you have to find parking yourself, since cars can’t enter central Florence. The check-in message from Alex said reception was open until 18:30 and that they’d leave the key in a locker. When I arrived, after a long drive, I was left outside at night with my two little kids and nowhere to sleep. I called the police. A man who said he was Lorenzo, the owner, told me in front of them that he’d return my money to my account and that I could go. He never did, even though I’d paid for services they didn’t provide. He was arrogant and aggressive on the phone, and later harassed me about the bad review I left on Booking, asking why I’d rated him poorly. He also had the staff harass me. Please don’t be fooled by appearances. I don’t consider this property OK or safe, and I wouldn’t want anyone else left out late at night with two kids and nowhere to sleep.

The hotel made it easy to get around Florence on foot, including the train station, which was especially handy. The rooms are pretty and decorated in a tasteful vintage style. There’s no breakfast, but we had a basket of complimentary snacks in the room, which was a nice touch. Our only issues were the mattress, which felt hard at first but we got used to it by the second night, and the noise. Ground floor rooms aren’t soundproof, so you can hear other guests and people outside at night. Light sleepers may prefer a room on the top floor. I was happy with the stay and would recommend it to someone looking for a well-located place.