Hotel Raffaello

The staff were polite and courteous, but beyond that the hotel leaves a lot to be desired. Sound carries poorly between rooms, as other reviews have mentioned. You need to put a key in the room’s control slot to keep the power on, especially the AC in warmer months. Without it, you come back after a day out to a hot room. Ask for two keys so one can stay in the slot, though housekeeping pulled mine out when they made up the room. The gym they advertise has only one working machine. Breakfast is served in a tiny area, food choices are limited, and coffee has to be brought to you. That makes everything slow, and you can’t take it out of the small breakfast room.

The room had no kettle or way to make hot water or coffee. When I asked for hot water, they sent me to the bar and charged 1-2 euros for a cup. There was no iron or cabinet either, which isn’t the service I’d expect from a decent hotel claiming four stars. Parking was the biggest problem. They advertise it as included, but there may not be any available at all. I asked staff several times and was told it was full all the time. I spent over an hour looking for paid parking nearby and had to cover the cost myself. That was misleading and unacceptable. My stay at Hotel Raffaello in Florence was extremely disappointing. It claims to be a four-star hotel, but felt like one or two stars at best. The poor service and false advertising made the whole experience frustrating. I wouldn’t recommend it, especially to international travelers looking for comfort and honesty.

The bathroom flooded because the shower leaked, and it was cramped even for me at 72 kg. The rooms themselves are small too. The soap dispensers by the sink and shower were both completely empty, which is unacceptable. There’s no kettle or other amenity beyond a minibar with expensive drinks. Wi-Fi is slow and makes you log in repeatedly. Parking is very limited, and the elevators are tiny, fitting only two or three people with luggage. Breakfast choices are sparse and poor quality, and the patio is too mosquito-ridden to enjoy. This is closer to a one- or two-star hotel than four stars. The hotel’s repeated replies to bad reviews apparently include the general manager threatening guests with legal action, according to the photo attached to one response. I’ve never seen a service company say that to paying customers. The negative reviews are justified. After more than 30 years of travel, this ranks last for me. Even the motel and two-star hotel I stayed at the night before in Venice were far better. The general manager urgently needs to change their attitude and service.

The hotel was comfortable and close to the tram. The Reception Manager was helpful and gave us useful information, though unfortunately I didn’t catch her name.