Residenza d Epoca la Basilica

We had a very stressful, uncomfortable stay in Florence, and I strongly do NOT recommend this hotel. The room smelled horribly of sewerage, almost too bad to stay inside. We kept the windows open the whole time just to breathe, but it was cold and very windy, especially at night. There was no heating, so we were freezing. The stairs to the room were creepy and poorly lit, which made the place feel unsafe. The owner had said to call or text if we needed anything, but my husband tried several times and got no response. We felt completely ignored. On our last night, around midnight, a loud knock woke us. A newly arrived family couldn’t find their room keys or get in, and they also couldn’t reach the owner. They had young children and were clearly scared. My husband ended up giving them the WiFi password and helping look for their key. It was unacceptable to leave guests in that situation without staff available. We’d already paid, so had no choice but to stay. Please trust this honest review, and do NOT book this place.

The online listing is misleading: it shows a restaurant next door as if it were part of the property, though guests only get vouchers to eat there. My husband, son, and I booked this “hotel” in Florence expecting proper accommodation, but found an old, run-down apartment instead. There were no check-in instructions. Someone random on the street knew the door code and let us into a shabby entry with old couches and a scary elevator. Once we finally reached reception, the building’s condition was already alarming. Our room was filthy, with dirty walls, no décor, and a grimy feel. A second staircase had a partly open door, which raised safety concerns. I travel several times a year and had never refused to stay at a booked place before, but I couldn’t stay here. We asked Andrew at reception about a refund so we could go elsewhere. He told us to contact Expedia, but the hotel wouldn’t approve it. The whole thing dragged on for two days and ruined my birthday. I even offered to pay for one night as a fair compromise, but they refused. In the end, we got our money back after escalating with Expedia and Amex, and only because Expedia intervened. Avoid this place. It’s unhygienic, unsafe, and falsely advertised. Florence has plenty of wonderful places to stay, so don’t waste your time or money here.

I was there, or trying to be, from May 14 to 16, 2025, but checked out after the first night because of a constant, unbearable odor in the room. The hotel staff even acknowledged the smell and said it was a known problem. I asked for a refund for the nights I didn’t use. The hotel ignored my messages, wouldn’t answer phone calls, and has since blocked communication. That shows complete disregard for guests’ well-being and basic consumer rights, beyond just poor service. I’m now pursuing formal complaints through the EU ODR platform, Korean consumer protection authorities, and my payment provider. I strongly advise future guests to think twice, especially if they expect management to be accountable.

The bathroom sink was clogged from the start, and we had no hot water for two full days. With young kids who couldn’t shower or even brush their teeth, that was unacceptable. Management kept saying they’d fix it, but nobody came. After two miserable days of waiting, we had to cut our stay short and move to another hotel. They still haven’t taken responsibility or issued a refund. I’ve spent weeks dealing with Expedia while the hotel ignores my refund request and won’t respond. This was a disaster from check-in and one of my worst travel experiences. Even the basic necessities weren’t provided. Stay somewhere else. They don’t care about guests and took our money without delivering what they promised.