Double room from
€ 91 (Tax included)- Average guest rating:
- David has stayed here and says:
- Cleanliness of rooms
- Quietness of rooms
- Spaciousness of rooms
- Quality of service provided
- Hotel surroundings
8.8
8.4
8.5
8.5
9.2
‹‹ Family vacation - the experience at Hotel Balestri was excellent. Excellent location, room, breakfast. We wished we had booked longer in Florence and...››
12 Aug 2008 read hotel reviewsAbout Hotel Balestri
hotel front view
The hotel Balestri is situated in a splendid position in the historical centre of Florence on the bank of the Arno river only a few steps away from Ponte Vecchio and Uffizi Gallery.
All the major attractions, restaurants and everything that Florence has to offer, is within easy walking distance.
The hotel is elegantly furnished with a warm and welcoming atmosphere and offers a bar, an elegant living room, a meeting room for up to 36 persons, a computer with Internet access and a beautiful breakfast room.
Location of Hotel Balestri, Florence
-
City Area:Uffizi
Position of the zone in the city
General map
Rooms at Balestri
double room classic
The property features single, double and triple rooms.
All accommodations are furnished in a pleasant and welcoming way and feature private bathroom with shower or bathtub and hairdryer.
They are furthermore equipped with satellite TV, air-conditioning, mini safe, Internet access and direct dial telephone.
Some of the rooms have a balcony affording a nice view over the Arno river.
- Air conditioning
- Desk
- Direct dial phone
- Electronic safe
- Hairdryer in each room
- Heating
- Individually controlled air conditioning
- Mini bar
- Non-smoking rooms available upon request
- Rooms with view available
- Safe
- Satellite TV
- TV
- Wireless Internet access
Breakfast at Balestri
breakfast room
The breakfast buffet is served in the breakfast room from 7 a.m. until 10.30 a.m
Hotel Facilities
- Air conditioning
- Credit card accepted
- Currency exchange
- Dogs allowed
- Entire property is air conditioned
- Groups welcome
- Laundry service
- Lift/elevator
- Pets accepted
- Room service - limited hour
- Wireless Internet connection in the entire property
- City maps
- City tour
- Concierge
- Front desk - 24 hour
- Front desk - fax service
- Front desk - safety deposit box
- Luggage room
- Multilingual staff
- Newspapers
- Tourist information
- Congress facilities
- Meeting Room
- Garage
- Valet service
- Baby sitter
- Internet/Email services
- Reading room
- Satellite TV
- TV Room
- Bar
Hotel Reviews Balestri
Mature couple
USA, Oct 2009
hotel was great and location was good. everything went well. Only issue we found was that all the staff at the front desk were not really friendly. Basically, had to drag a good morning out of them.
Mature couple
USA, Aug 2009
We received a free upgrade to the new, beautifully-appointed 5th floor, and that STRONGLY influenced our ratings.
Not Specified
Poland, Jul 2009
Very good staff, location in Firenze excellent, good breakfas. Minus - car park possible only on the street.
Not Specified
USA, Jun 2009
Excellent hotel, very well situated, close to the Ponte Vecchio and the old city. You can visit all by foot. The hotel is very comfortable, the personnel competent and kind, and the rooms spacious, luminous and well decorated. A very good choice in Firenze.
Young couple
Mexico, Jun 2009
Muy buen Hotel, excelente ubicación, habitaciones espaciosas... altamente recomendable.
Mature couple
Argentina, Jun 2009
Excelente ubicacion. Se puede hacer todo el centro histórico de Florencia a pie. El hotel es muy bueno y cómodo. Lá única crítica es que tendria que tener internet free. Recomiendo fervientemente este hotel.
Mature couple
Costa Rica, Apr 2008
El hotel no esta limpio, es servicio de internet es caro y no funciona, el staff no es lo amable
Mature couple
USA, Jun 2009
The rooms are a bit spartan but clean and comfortable. The location is wonderful - right on the river and a few steps from the Ufizzi. The staff were friendly and helpful and the breakfast very good.
Mature couple
Denmark, May 2009
very poor breakfast
Mature couple
USA, May 2009
Great location in Florence. Staff very helpful. Rooms clean and spacious. Our second visit to this hotel. Breakfast o.k. However, eggs and fresh fruit were an additional charge.
with friend
USA, Apr 2009
Perfect hotel for the price, in perfect location...not in the middle of noisy tourism, but close enough to walk everywhere. Our room was quiet, not on the Arno side. The breakfast was typical, which means fair, although you could order eggs. Dining room service excellent. Front desk help spotty; rare was the friendly clerk, but we found this cool and indifferent treatment throughout Florence, not just at Balestri front desk.
Not Specified
Switzerland, Apr 2009
die angestellten an der reception waren sehr zuvorkommend und hilfsbereit.das hotel ist sehr gut gelegen.würde es wieder buchen.
Young couple
France, Nov 2008
Trés bonne adresse, bien situé, calme. Bon rapport qualité prix pour Florence où les prix sont chers.
Young couple
Brazil, Mar 2009
This was the first time I stayed in Hotel Balestri. I was in Honey-Moon. The hotel is stuated in a fabulous place. The breakfast is superb (expresso, capuccino, coissants, breads, cokkies, cheeses, yogurt, cereals, juices, etc). The price is very interesting. Many hotels in Italy offered just less and were a lot more expensive. I arrived by car and the price for parking is 25 euros per day. That's the only weak point of this hotel.
Not Specified
USA, Dec 2008
This was a fabulous place to stay for my first time in Florence. The staff was very helpful, including navigating internet connection. The location is great for museums, shopping, dining and people watching.
Family with young children
Italy, Nov 2008
The only bad thing about this hotel is that you HAVE to pay 25 euro for valet parking because you can't park in front of the hotel.
Young couple
Russia, Nov 2008
Excellent hotel for couples, nice view from the window (river view). Good breakfast. Thank you!
Mature couple
USA, Oct 2008
This hotel was more than adequate. Staff was good, breakfast adequate. The room was the smallest of the 3 hotels we stayed at in Italy, but ok. The bathroom was good, and the AC was very good. It was also the least expensive of the hotels we stayed at, thus maybe a good deal, even though not luxury. The location was good, along the river, and a short walk to most places of interest---everything is relatively close. Would stay again, or try another hotel just out of curiosity.
Mature couple
USA, Oct 2008
Hotel Balestri provided a comfortable "home" from which to walk to all of the desired locations in Florence. Spacious room and bathroom and open, inviting siting areas added to our stay. The hotel concierge provided fun locations for meals. The river-view was fabulous!
Young couple
Denmark, Aug 2008
Very fine hotel due to the prices and location. Lovely Firenze, and the staff at Hotel Balestri was friendly and polite. The location of the Hotel was great and near the city, restaurants. We had a fantastic view from the balcony and great weather.
Family with young children
Norway, Aug 2008
Beautiful and nice hotel just two minutes walk from the Uffici - extremely good value for money!
Family with young children
USA, Aug 2008
Family vacation - the experience at Hotel Balestri was excellent. Excellent location, room, breakfast. We wished we had booked longer in Florence and specifically at Hotel Balestri
Not Specified
Denmark, Jul 2008
The room was dissapointing, compared with the rest of the hotel.
Family with older children
Canada, Jul 2008
Très bien situé! Cet hotel est parfait pour visiter Florence un ou deux jours. Il est tout près du Ponte Vecchio avec vue sur l'Arno et à quelques minutes de marche de plusieurs sites à visiter. Le quartier est calme et agréable. De plus un valet stationne votre voiture. Le reste (décoration, déjeuner, personnel) est OK mais sans être exceptionnel. Attention si vous réserver sur la place Maria Novella car elle est en réparation ( juillet 2008).
Young couple
Brazil, May 2008
Outstanding location. Excellent level of services. Returning to Florence we will certainly stay at this hotel again.
Mature couple
Australia, Apr 2008
First time in Florence, and stayed here 2 nights out of a 5 week holiday. Most expensive accommodation we stayed in on our trip and most disappointing. Not as close to the station as we expected, and it is a hard slog to walk with full suitcases. Staff are polite but very stiff and starchy. There was none of the warmth that we experieneced at our other hotels. Our first impression was heavily coloured by the fact that when the porter opened the door to our room it hadn't been made up, and we had to go back down to reception to get it all sorted. Hotel location is good - central to all of the main Florentine attractions. The quality and the furnishings of the room were excellent. After all the hype we had heard about Florence, we found it generally didn't live up to expectations and is basically over-rated. Great if you like things (statues and paintings), but if you want to enjoy the people, we found them in general much more aloof and less friendly and helpful than those we encountered in the rest of Tuscany and Italy in general. Great example was the pompous official at the Galleria dell’ Accademia who made us stand in line behind 100 or so school students, despite the fact that their (Spanish) teacher took us to the front of their line to avoid the hour we spent queueing for tickets.
Not Specified
Italy, Mar 2008
This hotel was in a very convenient location to get to all the major attractions. I was very pleased with this hotel. We came to florence to sight see. The hotel was clean and had a great view of the Arno River.
Young couple
France, Mar 2008
If you really want to stay in a luxury hotel, Balestri is not for you; but this hotel is completely fitting with a "3 stars" hotel; really good and nice welcoming and services (French, German speaking); very well located; we had a room with view on Arno and Ponte Vecchio...If i have to come back to Florence, I will go to Balestri
Single traveller
Mexico, Feb 2008
Exellent place I recommend (exept the breakfast which is a rather poor).
Young couple
USA, Dec 2007
The hotel was very clean. The rooms were a bit dated looking, but comfortable. The bathroom was large and our room had a bath tub in it. There was not much hot water available for the shower, and if you wanted to actually take a bath in the bathtub, there was not enough hot water to do so. We asked the front desk to recommend a restaurant for dinner, and they made reservations for us at a place we really enjoyed that was near the hotel. Overall, this was a pretty nice hotel.
Young couple
Germany, Nov 2007
Hi,after the bad news "reservation o.k., no more room availble" they send us to their partner hotel "Santa Maria Novella" / so you find our feedback about the other hotel - it was very first class stay in florence and we will come back!
Mature couple
Norway, Oct 2007
A balcony was a must to compensate for the size of the room. The location was excellent. Breakfast was rather sparse - thought they could have included eggs without extra charge.
Mature couple
Argentina, Oct 2007
Cuando llegamos la empleada que nos recibio nos atendio en forma descuidada. La contraseña para ingresar a internet no funcionaba y se molesto cuando baje con la maquina a demostrarselo. Ademas como llegamos a la noche le preguntamos por un lugar para comer y no logramos verlo ni ese dia ni en los subsiguientes. El staff que nos atendio cuando hicimos el check out fue completamente diferente y se preocupo de confirmar nuestros vuelos con toda celeridad. Vale la pena contratar una habitación con vista al Arno, fue una maravilla levantarse con ese cuadro en la ventana.
Mature couple
USA, Oct 2007
We loved the view of the Arno River from our room. Also the large bathroom. The location was excellent for walking to all the sights of the city.
Mature couple
USA, Oct 2007
The location was excellent! The room was clean and large enough. The bathroom same. The view of the river and city was very good. The public areas of the hotel very good. The breakfast was fine. The staff was very professional, very capable, and willing to help; very resourceful. We never waited longer than 5 minutes for a taxi once we asked the desk to call one. We were disappointed that some members of the desk staff seemed to prefer not to be disturbed - yet when greated and help requested they were completely helpful. Also, unfortunately our bed was the hardest we have experienced in four recent trips to Europe. We likely will return to the Balestri on our next visit.
USA, Oct 2007
beautiful hotel, very competent staff.
Mature couple
USA, Sep 2007
The Hotel location and the friendliness of the staff was outstanding. Althought the Hotel serves breakfast, it does not offer lunch or diner. That does not present a problem, as the staff can recommend many fine resturants within walking distance from hotel. Only negative about the hotel is that the bed in the room is extra firm, and could be softer for a more comfortable nights rest.
Group
United Kingdom, Sep 2007
This is a central hotel only a very short walk from all the important tourist attractions and top restaurants. Parking is a problem naturally. The rooms were clean and basic and not luxurious in any way but generally speaking we were delighted with the hotel and the staff and we found it good value for money.
Single traveller
South Africa, Sep 2007
The assistance and friendliness of all staff was outstanding. Location of Balestri is ideal. I think the breakfast could be improved. Fresh fruit? The attendant in the breakfast room though was so helpful and brought anything to us that we needed. My only critisism is that the single room that I was allocated was so small. I am realising that as a single person, we are always allocated the smallest and pokiest rooms in hotels and this was the case at Balestri. However the view over the Arno was great. I would definitely return and hope to find the renovations all complete by then. Please keep me updated on the renovations and when all is complete. Thanks for a very enjoyable stay.
Mature couple
United States Minor Outlying Islands, Sep 2007
Close to major attractions of the city. Request Arno river view.
Family with older children
United Kingdom, Sep 2007
The location was perfect and the efficieny, friendliness and helpfulness on arrival could not be faulted. We are a 'mature, family and booked 3 rooms i.e.2 doubles and 1 single for adults with age range from 31 to 59. Hotel ideal for guests looking for a quality central base for sightseeing and dining out.
Young couple
Italy, Aug 2007
The hotel was beautiful & excellent location! The staff was very knowledgeable and friendly while offering excellent service. GREAT value. Newly renovated, large rooms, nice breakfast and, worth mentioning again, excellent service!
Young couple
United Arab Emirates, Aug 2007
we stayed two nights in florence, the hotel was quiet near everywhere...good location and specialy very good welcoming and our room was too spacious
Mature couple
France, Aug 2007
Nous avons passé deux jours dans cet hôtel en fin de semaine au mois d'août : ce fut une bonne surprise. Il est très bien situé en bord de l'Arno, très tranquille malgré les Offices et le Ponte Vecchio à trois cents mètres. Les chambres sont très propres, la salle de bain très clean. L'établissement a un petit air suranné, ce qui n'est pas déplaisant. Le hall est habilement décoré, à l'ancienne. Les employés sont charmants, et le portier de nuit est un spécialiste de la peinture florentine ! Il suffit de comprendre l'italien pour tout savoir sur Pietro Annigoni, portraitiste du siècle passé. Nous recommandons très volontiers cet hôtel où nous ne manquerons pas de retourner...un giorno, speriamo : perchè Firenze è veramente una splendida città.
Not Specified
USA, Aug 2007
Great location, service very good. Rooms looked a little "spartan" in decor, but not bad in any way, just not to our taste. Breakfast included in the price of the room was very good and served in a nice room. Considering the location and the price, it's a great deal. Highly recommended.
Family with young children
Spain, Aug 2007
El Hotel Balestri es un hotel que está situado en un punto estratégico de florencia, se puede ir caminando al casco antiguo de florencia, no es ruidoso, el único fallo son los desayunos un pocos escasos, sin fruta fresca, pero bueno.
Family with young children
Italy, Jul 2007
Great location in Florence, most attractions are easy within easy walking distance, even with a two year old! Very accomodating staff, the room I was initially assigned did not have a cot for my daughter, and I was then moved to a room with a double bed and a futon in the room. I came back that night after dinner and the futon was all set up to go to sleep. Great hotel, will definitely be back!
Group
USA, Jul 2007
The most dour, unpleasant staff. From the moment we entered the lobby the bellman and the receptionist looked annoyed that guests had come to stay at the hotel. Subsequent staff had a similar attitude. Our room was clean and the bathroom was quite nice but our bedspreads were very stained with what looked like it could be blood and the overall look of the room was dated and depressing.
Mature couple
USA, Jun 2007
This hotel was in a wonderful location with spacious rooms and attentive staff. Very good for the moderate price
Young couple
USA, May 2007
Nice location. Worked perfect for getting up early and getting in line for the Uffizzi. The bathrooms are a little outdated, but they are undergoing renovations, so that should be fixed soon!
Mature couple
Canada, May 2007
Good location, breakfeat quite acceptable, service friendly, Room small. travelling with spouse and another couple will recommend for a short stay. we will use again if necessary.
Gay Couple
Thailand, Apr 2007
Selling the room as the upper floor are under construction without notice.
Mature couple
USA, Sep 2005
Fantastic and would stay there again and again. This location is right on the river and with in all major sights. So romantic too. Our room was the biggest room in our entire stay in Italy. I wish I could have stay longer. Great place. Will come back and stay longer at Balestri.
Not Specified
United Kingdom, Apr 2007
Great location! Worth the money for the location, less than 2 mins to Uffizi. There is currently building noise starting at 8 am so beware if longing for a lie-in! Good breakfast.
Young couple
USA, Mar 2007
The hotel was lovely. We had room 340, facing the Arno, with the Ponte Vechio in sight. I was pleased to find a safe in the room. The bathroom was immaculate. There was some street noise during the day but quiet enough at night. The staff was excellent and very helpful. Breakfast buffet was ample and fresh, even at 9:15 and service was good. I would definitely recommend this hotel to anyone visiting Florence and would stay there again myself.
Young couple
Australia, Mar 2007
The room was clean and nice. Bathroom was newly appointed with modern fittings. The breakfast was great. The location is fantastic. Our only criticsm was that the staff were not friendly. We arrived at 11.30am and our room was not ready until 2pm. We were offered use of the luggage room until our room was ready (which was good) but the porter gave us some attitude about this and appeared really put out when we had to access our luggage to get something out. Also the lift was not operational so we had to carry our bags up several flights of stairs. Overall a great place to stay if you can ignore the staff.
Single traveller
Switzerland, Feb 2007
The Balestri is perfctly situated for visiting the Uffizi and centre of Florence - close to the sights but in a quieter setting. The river view was pleasant in February, but the room contained warnings about opening windows during summer months because of insects. The room was small,but adequate, and there was some noise from neighbouring rooms. Breakfast was good. I'd stay here again.
Me(32)and my father(73)
Portugal, Dec 2006
Very big room, great view of the Arno river. Good breakfast, very friendly and helpful staff. Would definitely stay again.
Young couple
Brazil, Dec 2006
Very good localization. room view is amazing. Greta breakfast. I would go back there.
Group
United Kingdom, Dec 2006
There was an elevator restoration during our stay (late December) but we were staying on the first floor so it was not inconvenient for us. Our hotel room was very spacious (triple), facing the river. There were two layers of windows so our room was very quiet. The breakfast was served in buffet style and full of choices. (croissant, breads, cheese, ham, cereal, fruits, buscuits.) The lady there can make cappuccino for free upon request! There is also wireless internet in the lobby (which is decorated quite nicely) for the hotel guests. They charge 5 euros for the entire stay so it was quite reasonable. This hotel is about 20 min walk from the train station, and right in the heart of the town!
Mature couple
Canada, Sep 2006
The hotel is close to the tourist attractions yet a bit away from the noisy city center. Compared to the last time we stayed at another place close to Duomo, the hotel provided us a better accommocation in quality and location at much quieter surroundings. We could see Arno river and stream of tourists walking along the river by the hotel all day. Ponte Veccio is only a few minutes away and all attractions were within a 10-15 mininutes walking distance.
Young couple
Germany, Nov 2006
very central, good location; however, located on a street which remains quite busy also at night
Family with older children
USA, Oct 2006
Great location. Great view.
Young couple
Gibraltar, Nov 2006
The hotel is in an excellent location to all the main sights in Florence. Hotel is value for money and the room was clean and tidy. We did ask them to fix a very loss toilet seat which they never did. Our initial welcome wasn't very good however the staff were very helpful with regards to providing ticket information.
Mature couple
USA, Oct 2006
It was advertised as having internet.After arrival I was told there was none and I could use an internet cafe.Well for that price and such a prestigious location there should an internet connection offered . I almost lost some bussines transactions due to the lack of available connection. The airconditioning in the room was inadequate. Although it was the end of October,it was unseasonably warm and due to the lack of poper ventilation we had to open the window.Since the hotel is in the vicinity of Arno river..with beautiful views,hundreds of small mosquitoes flew in and caused a real problem esp.at night.All the windows should have screens!!! Besides simple breakfast there was no drink service/bar offered in the afternoon or evening hours. The staff was very courteous and helpful otherwise.Italians are wonderful people. I believe small remedies to address the above problems would make the hotel very desirable.
Mature couple
USA, Oct 2006
Our room was very spacious with a king size bed, which was a real treat in Italy. The bathroom was also very large with a tub and separate open shower area. Both the room and bathroom were very clean, and I would recommend this hotel. Our room overlooked the Arno River, which was another plus. The hotel is located about 2 blocks from the Uffizi and the Ponte Vecchio Bridge - great location!
Mature couple
USA, Sep 2006
clean comfortable room good location would stay again no breakfast though
Mature couple
Israel, Sep 2006
greatest location ever!
Me and my grand mother
France, Sep 2006
La chambre occupée etait très grande et confortable tout comme la salle de bain (WC, bidet, douche, baignoir et grand lavabo). Nous avions une vue sur l'Arno très agréable. Deux grandes fenêtres dans la chambre offraient beaucoup de lumière. De plus elles sont dotées de deux doubles vitrages.
Not Specified
United Kingdom, Aug 2006
This hotel is right on the river and 2 mins from the Plaza de la Signora, so it's very lively and a good location for exploring the surrounding area.
Group
USA, Aug 2006
EXCELLENT LOCATION , STAFF WAS SUPER . BRAKFAST WAS AVOVE AVERAGE FOR HOTEL RATING. WILL RECOMMEND TO MY FRIENDS.
Young couple
France, Aug 2006
Excellent location: walking distance to the visiting attractions. Good breakfast. Good and clean rooms. Free car Parking at piazza del michelangello. Try the Golden View Open Bar near the Ponte Vecchio.
Young couple
United Kingdom, Aug 2006
Staff were really helpful and we had the room we requested with a view over the Arno, the room was clean and the hotel is very centrally located for the uffizi which helped as we had to get up very early to beat the queues! We went here as a honeymoon couple but there were families and groups of friends all staying there as well.
Family with young children
Ireland, Aug 2006
Location of the hotel to the main attractions in Florence is excellent. Literally 5 minutes walk to the Uffizi and Ponte Vecchio.Did not really believe it was so close to these attractions until we stayed there. It was especially good for children as, you can take in a few sights then back to the hotel for a rest and then out again for more sightseeing.
Young couple
Canada, Aug 2006
Apart from the rather frosty receptionist, and the elevator that did not seem to want to work (when we were on the top floor this mattered after 16 km of walking one day) this hotel is a great find. The breakfast is unexceptional but decent. The rooms are lovely and spacious, and the ones overlooking the Arno are great. The location was fabulous, just 5 minutes walk from the Uffizi, 7 minutes to the Ponte Vecchio and 10 minutes to the Duomo. Parking at 22 euros a night was a bit of a shock, but we would return to this hotel.
Family with older children
USA, Aug 2006
Our first triple room was spacious and had views of the Arno. Beds were comfortable, the bathroom was gorgeous, and the room was very quiet. We were so pleased that we stayed again on our return through Florence. The location is ideal--walking distance to Uffizi, Duomo, Ponte Vecchio--we walked everywhere. Staff is courteous and helpful. We would stay here again without hesitation.
Family with older children
USA, Jul 2006
The location of this hotel was very nice, the public rooms were pretty, and there were a few staff who were pleasant and helpful. However, we were not welcomed politely, daytime desk staff were unfriendly, and both the elevator and air-conditioning were broken for extended periods of time. Those nights without air (mosquitoes if we opened the windows) were unbearable and sleepless.
Family with young children
Sweden, Apr 2006
I will gladly recommend this hotel to anyone visiting Florence. The location is outstanding (quiet, yet very close to all sights), service was terrific and the room was very spacious. We had a great time and will definitely be back.
Young couple
United Kingdom, Jun 2006
Great find. This hotel was in a great location, and the room we had was very very spacious (in fact massive). We had a great view of the river arno, and it is 2 mins walk from the uffizi. Staff were great, would definitely return to this hotel again.
Heterosexual Couple
Norway, Jun 2006
nice clean room & good service. Close to city and main sights. I'll recommend the hotel and would happily come again.
Family Group
USA, May 2006
We had some of the best rooms in the hotel. It had a great location and the staff where extremely helpful.
Group of friends
Italy, Apr 2006
Very nice.
Family Group
Canada, Mar 2006
The Balestri was a real find. Our room had a great view of the Arno and was so close to all the major attractions. the staff was attentive and rooms very spacious and clean. If ever in Florence again the Balestri is where we will stay.
Heterosexual Couple
Spain, Mar 2006
Clean and well located hotel very near walking to the Ufizis and Duomo. Public areas, and rooms well decorated and spacious. Good breakfast. I recommend the hotel without any doubt. Hotel muy recomendable, limpio, céntrico (al lado del río y de la galería de los Ufizis). Espacioso y muy elegante y bonito. Buen desayuno.
Heterosexual Couple
USA, Mar 2006
The location and common rooms were excellent, evening beautiful, however I found the staff rather cool and formal. They did not offer information about breakfast hours or restaurants. The room itself was very spare and compared to the lushness of the common rooms, surprisingly unattractive. If I had it to do over again, I would upgrade to a room facing the river.
Heterosexual Couple
Israel, Mar 2006
Great hotel,next to city center, very nice clean rooms.
Heterosexual Couple
United Kingdom, Feb 2006
The interior of the hotel was quite a surprise for a 3 star hotel, with very luxurious public areas. Our room was also very well equipped, large, with a super bathroom and excellent view over the Arno. The location is first class, close to the sights and the Santa Croce area which is excellent for bars and restaurants, although they take some finding in the back streets. My only criticism of our stay was the reception we got on arrival. We arrived at noon but were told that the room would not be available until 2pm. That seemed to be a house rule rather than the fact that the room had not been cleaned. We were then sent out into some pretty foul weather for a couple of hours. Overall the staff were quite unfriendly, but that was my only criticism of our stay.
Heterosexual Couple
Italy, Jan 2006
Was really delighted with this hotel. Our room was lovely, the breakfast was nice and the location was fab. Would definetely recommend this hotel and we will be back again.
Heterosexual Couple
USA, Jan 2006
We were very pleased with our stay at the Balestri. Going in the off-season as we did, we were afforded what we noticed was one of only four rooms with a balcony and a view of the Arno. (The hotel is right along the river.) That was especially nice since most buildings in Florence simply look out on other bulidings. We had no problems with either the hotel or the staff. The location was great. We definately fell like we got our money's worth.
Heterosexual Couple
United Kingdom, Jan 2006
A very clean hotel. The rooms were a little small, but adequate for the stay. There was plenty of choice for breakfast. Staff were helpful, without being over familiar. The hotel was in an ideal location for all the amenities & places of interest.
Heterosexual Couple
Ireland, Jan 2006
hotel was excellent.staff at reception not very helpfull. maybe it was the time of the year, being new year. the 2 girls serving in the breakfast room were realy nice and pleasant.always greeted you with a smile and a good morning. the web site photos show a bar but it doesnt exist. so after being out all day you had to go to your room and use the mini bar which was very expensive. we found a pub around the corner which had a happy hour from 4--7 each evening .most of the people at breakfast would be in the pub each evening. florence is a beautiful city to visit. we enjoyed our new year immensely.
Heterosexual Couple
United Kingdom, Jan 2006
What an excellent hotel this is! There should really be a further classification to cover it. We spent New Year's Eve in the hotel, and as the weather was bad, came back from our restaurant and observed the festivities from our balcony overlooking the river, with our champagne glasses in our hands. Unforgettable experience. Cannot praise the helpfulness of the staff enough, and the ambience was wonderful. Nowhere else worth staying in Firenze.
Heterosexual Couple
France, Dec 2005
Only major problem is garage service. Expensive ( as indicated when asked ), with car returned dirty, probably due to outside parking and poor "brushing" and not parked in a real garage as indicated. Price paid was 98€ per day vs. 90 quoted, this due to a room looking over Arno river, which is probably "superior", this is no problem but should be addressed at time of resa. Overall, a good hotel where I would be happy to return.
Group
USA, Nov 2005
My sister & I enjoyed our stay. The location was wonderful, the view was grand, the room was great. We were glad we brought extra kleenex and toilet tissue, though! Wish we'd thought to bring washcloths! But we were extremely happy with the hotel. The breakfast was great---especially the head waiter!!!! Thank you for a delightful time.
Heterosexual Couple
USA, Nov 2005
We loved this hotel. The price for the location and friendliness was a steal. We will stay here everytime we visit Florence.
Heterosexual Couple
France, Oct 2005
Bien que le trajet voiture soit très mal indiqué sur le site, une fois trouvé l'hôtel est idéalement situé pour une visite à pied de la ville, à deux pas des Offices, très calme. Même les chambres sur le côté ont une vue intéressante. Prévoir 22e/j pour le parking.
Heterosexual Couple
United Kingdom, Oct 2005
Excellent location. Very spacious room and bathroom. Breakfast (served until 11a.m) was wonderful with lots of choices.Staff efficient. Had a room overlooking the river. Rooms available for disabled.Plenty of places to eat nearby from cheap and cheerful to very classy. Bit disappointed with the bar.
Group of friends
United Kingdom, Oct 2005
This hotel came up better than expected. It's location was close enough to the centre of the city to have everything within easy walking distance and yet not too close to be noisy. The photo does not do it justice. There are lots of nice places to eat very near too. Our room overlooked the river which was fab. Breakfast was included in the price which made the hotel very good value. The food was good fresh and plentifull. A help yourself buffet but no hot food (but you could pay extra for this facility). There was a minibar in our room and a free safe. The hotel changed money with no commision and the final bill did not have to be paid in cash as the web site suggested. There is a computor in reception with internet access (can't remember fee). Would recommend this hotel to anyone, should point out that the lift is only big enough for three slim adults to get into, so a wheelchair might struggle? Well done Venere.
Heterosexual Couple
United Kingdom, Oct 2005
Ideal hotel for short stay in the city, with all visitor attractions within easy walking distance. Room was spacious if somewhat basic, staff very helpful and efficient, and, all in all, good value and well recommended.
Family Group
USA, Sep 2005
Our overall stay at the Balestri was wonderful. We would stay there again and will recommend this Hotel to friends. The location is excellent,close to everything.The view across the Arno is spectacular! The bathrooms spacious and very clean. The rooms we had (we had 2 double rooms) were comforatable although lacking in decor.We spend only time to sleep in our room on vacation in Florence so I guess you could say they were perfect! The hotel breakfast typical for this price Hotel. Marko at the desk was a hit with our family. He went out of his way to answer questions about local area inquiries.The Hotel advertised a small bar that was NOT at the Hotel. I do not know if they were renovating to add or not. The younger half of our group was a little disappointed in not being able to sit and sip on a little wine in the evening before retiring....We would say Grazie to the Balestri Hotel and Staff!
How to reach Hotel Balestri
By car
The hotel is easily reachable from the highway A1. Take the Firenze Sud exit and proceed on via Marco Polo. After the bridge on the Arno river turn left at the traffic lights and continuing straight for about 5 km. Take viale Giovanni Amendola and follow the indications to piazza Cavalleggeri.
By train
The Florence railway station Santa Maria Novella is about 1 km from the hotel.
By airplane
The Florence airport is about 7 km from the hotel and is connected to the Santa Maria Novella railway station by a bus leaving every 30 minutes.
Transport Services Hotel Balestri
- Garage
- Valet service
Parking is available for guests at reduced price only 100 meters from the hotel.
The Hotel
hotel front view
hotel front view
exterior
reception
Rooms at Balestri
double room classic
double room classic
double room classic
double room classic
deluxe double room
deluxe double room
deluxe double room
single room classic
room view
terrace/balcony
bathroom
Hotel Facilities
bar
bar
bar
meeting room
lounge
lounge
lounge
breakfast room
The hotel has a bar perfect to relax and have a drink after a day spent visiting the historical centre of Florence.
Hotel Guest Pictures
Exterior
Exterior
Exterior
Exterior
Interior
Interior
Bathroom
View from the room - other side of the river
Hotel Policies
METHODS OF PAYMENT
Venere.com does not debit your credit card for your reservations. You will be asked to insert your credit card details which will be sent to the property only as a guarantee of the reservation. The bill will then have to be settled directly at the hotel. In case your chosen hotel needs a deposit, this information will be included in the "Cancellation policy" section and the deposit will have to be settled directly with the pre-selected property. It is not possible to cancel your reservation if you selected and booked a room indicated as "PREPAID/NOT REFUNDABLE". In this case, the total amount of your stay will be charged to your credit card by the hotel at the time of booking.
CHECK-IN & CHECK-OUT
Check-in: the rooms are available at any time after 2 p.m.
Check-out: it is necessary to leave the rooms not later than midday.
INCLUDED/NOT INCLUDED IN THE PRICE
Parking is not included in the price and costs between €18,00 and €30,00 per day.
Use of the Internet Point is not included. Price upon request.
Breakfast is included in the price.
CANCELLATION POLICY
CANCELLATION POLICY: freecharge only with written notice at
least TWO days before the scheduled arrival date.
ANNULLAMENTO: nessuna penale sarà dovuta a condizione che
ci pervenga nota scritta almeno DUE giorni prima
dell'arrivo.
You may cancel your reservation without penalty up until 2 days before your arrival date, by accessing the Your Reservations page. It is not possible to cancel your reservation if you selected and booked a room indicated as "PREPAID/NOT REFUNDABLE".
Other destinations:
- Hotels in Milan Italy
- Hotels in Sirmione Italy
- Hotels in Como Italy
- Hotels in Venice Italy
- Hotels in Verona Italy
- Hotels in Genoa Italy
- Hotels in Santa Margherita Ligure Italy
- Hotels in Naples Italy
- Hotels in Sorrento Italy
- Hotels in Amalfi Italy
- Hotels in Positano Italy
- Hotels in Lucca Italy
- Hotels in Pisa Italy
- Hotels in Siena Italy
- Hotels in San Gimignano Italy
- Hotels in Assisi Italy
- Hotels in Bologna Italy
- Hotels in Rimini Italy
- Hotels in Turin Italy
- Hotels in Taormina Italy
- Hotels in Palermo Italy
- Hotels in Desenzano Del Garda Italy
- Hotels in Rome Italy
- Hotels in Meran Italy
- Hotels in Massa Lubrense Italy
- Book by phone
- 877-214-4288







