Hotel Valdarno

We stayed for two nights. The hotel has a beautiful look, though it feels very old. Staff were helpful, and breakfast was just okay. When we checked in, the water heater, tray, and teacups were dusty, as shown in the pictures. The sink also looked a little rusty, and the room lights weren't bright enough.

We called ahead and booked a room after getting stuck in Easter Monday traffic. The reception staff were friendly and helpful, and the rate was great. The building has an old-fashioned charm and was very clean. Our room was a good size, as was the modern bathroom. The next morning, I was pleasantly surprised by the selection of gluten-free cereals, superfood seeds, grains, and berries. Soy milk was available too, which seems to be appearing in most Italian hotels this year. The staff were amazing. It’s a good stopover or a base for exploring Tuscany.

The shower pressure was good, but the cubicle itself was horrific. The hotel felt like downgraded student accommodation, and the owner's loud video calls in the downstairs lounge carried to the guests, since she used it as her private living room. Breakfast was third class at best. The coffee was drinkable by Italian standards, though good on a global scale. The food was poor. Awful hotel. Avoid!

Check-in and check-out at reception were very easy and extremely quick, the best part of our stay. We chose the hotel for its proximity to The Mall and the Prada Outlet, and because it fit our budget of EUR88/night. Breakfast for two and parking were included. Since it was Easter Holiday, many shops and restaurants were closed, but we found a very pleasant cafe/restaurant nearby, “Antico Forno,” with yummy pastries. The room was okay, with a very old-fashioned classic interior, a quite large and quiet balcony, and comfy mattresses. It had tea and coffee supplies, a water boiler, and a working TV. The bathroom had the basics for an overnight stay and hot and cold water, but after showering we found that water had leaked from the bathtub and covered about a quarter of the toilet floor. Breakfast was served until 10:00 and was alright. We noticed the woman with black, short hair dressed in black behaving rudely with some clientele, and speaking loudly in an otherwise tranquil room.