Residenza Storica Il Battistero

The host gave me great tips for restaurants and attractions, and the service was fantastic. I was surprised by how comfortable an affordable place in such a central location could be. The rooms were clean, the beds comfortable, the WiFi fast, and the AC powerful. I’d definitely come back.

Marco was a good host, if a little eccentric. We couldn’t find the place, so he came up the road to meet us and guide us back. The building itself was hard to spot. Maps had us in the right place, but we missed the small, dark brass sign mounted about eight feet up the wall. The location is great, right in the heart of Florence. The Duomo is a short walk away and visible from the room’s back doors, with shopping in one direction and museums, statues, and bridges in the other. The room was very small. Since we stayed just one night, it didn’t matter much, but for a couple staying longer with two large suitcases it would be very tight.

Housekeeping came daily to clean and replace the towels, and we had a lovely chat with Daniele at the front desk. He answered our language questions and offered recommendations. The hotel is listed in some places as a bed and breakfast, but I think they stopped serving breakfast by August 2024. We knew that before arriving, though it would have been nice to have it. The room had a fridge, a very comfortable bed, and lots of large shelves, so we could put away our things instead of leaving them all over the floor. It was spacious, and the location made it easy to walk everywhere we needed to go. This was my favourite hotel of our Italy trip, and I’d stay again.

The location was good, but the receptionist was curt and very unhelpful. The bathroom was small, the toilet seat was very loose, and the shower cubicle was tiny.