Hotel Desiree - Florence

8.8

Good room with location convenient to train station, easy walk to sites - our room backed up to bus loading area. Breakfast just OK. Parking available in nearby lot. WIFI in hallway only.

8.0

Rooms were clean, breakfast was rich and the girl in the reception very kind. I would suggest it. It is also very closed to the centre: 2 minutes walk to Santa Maria Novella Church

7.1

A small, but charming hotel. Breakfast was good, served in a very nice room. Very OK position as to shops, restaurants and above all the railway station. Will definitely come back.

9.0

I stayed in a triple room with two friends of mine and did not have any particular problem. There was some noise from the street downstairs but it was really improving if you kept the window close. The room was a little bit shabby but clean. The staff was very helpful and competent and breakfast was really good -the room and view from the balcony were creating a kind of romantic feeling and the food seemed to be really fresh, except for the juices. Coffees were awesome even though made by a machine. A nice experience on the whole, indeed.

7.2

We've traveled to Florence many times it is our favorite Italian city. This is excellent for business travel as it is near the train and bus station. The views and locations are not as desirable for tourism, it is not far from the city center (easy walk) but not in the heart.

5.9

Habitaciones pequeñas y muy ruidosas, ya que está enfrente de una estación de autobuses. Aunque el personal del hotel se portó muy bien, yo intentaria otra opción para conocer Florencia!!

7.1

I booked a single room. I was given a room with a larger bed, but the foot of it was very close to the wall. Room had a desk in one corner and a small chair and a wardrobe unit. It faced an airshaft. I could look out my window and see the hotel desk if they had the window on the opposite side open! Bathroom was very small. I had to close the door to get to the toilet. There was no shower stall. Water went on the floor and s hower curtain did not even come down to the floor! Also, water came up from the drain periodically (even when I wasn't there) creating a flood in the shower area. There was also a pipe or hose coming down from the ceiling in the corner of the shower area with water dripping down! Some of the lights weren't working, but light was adequate anyway. TV was way up high near the ceiling.

8.3

Light, spacious and clean rooms, and fine service. Very nice breakfast room, only the staff doesn't speak English very well, but they are helpfull. We had a perfect stay!

9.1

Nice people, spacious rooms, comfortable bed. I would stay there again.

6.2

La habitación daba a la calle y el tamaño estaba bien. Lo que era un producto transgénico era el baño; era muy pequeño, pero ese no era el tema. Cuando uno de los dos iba al baño, la habitación entera presentaba ruidos extraños. El hotel se encuentra bien ubicado si como en nuestro caso llegabas a Firenze por tren. Si bien no fue un padecimiento, buscaría un hotel un poco mejor la próxima vez.

8.9

This is a small hotel, attractively presented, very close to the central station and city centre. About 12 steps before getting to the lift. Reception staff were very nice and helpful. One room was very quiet, the other was a bit noisy. Good breakfast for this size of establishment. The Australian exchange rate makes everything in Europe expensive, but this hotel seemed relatively good value for money. Would definitely stay here again and think it is one of the best value for money hotels we stayed at in Italy.

5.4

location rather quiet till 6.30 it's near to the bus station. rooms toooo small for 3 person. little breakfast with terrible coffee. nice reception, no good breakfast service

7.4

Arrived at 10p.m. to be told by an employee with minimal English they had no room and we'd been booked in to a hotel nearby. He couldn't give us a reason but did give us a map to find the new hotel.We returned to Desiree after 2 nights and were told why we'd been moved--it would have been nice to hear this on our arrival by someone who spoke English. The last 2 nights at Desiree were O.K.

7.9

The directions were a bit off. We were told to turn right when it should have been left. Other than that, the hotel was relatively easy to find and was located near the train station which was convenient. The hotel was noisy, but that depends mainly on the other guests. We had a school group there for two nights so it was quite noisy. Plus, our room was located near reception, so we heard the phone ring... luckily it didn't ring often. That being said, the hotel was good quality for money. The bathroom needs a bit of a remodel, but the room was much bigger than I expected. Breakfast was decent. It is located on the third floor. There is a lift, but it wasn't working when we were leaving... not fun to carry two suitcases. Just be wary of the possibility.

4.3

Staff are generally competent for their jobs and nice. However, I was anger with the payment when check-out. For the discount offered by Venere, the hotel staff rejected to honor. Finally, I needed to pay full amount without any discount due to communication problem (you knew it was difficult to communicate with Italian with English).

6.9

Very close to the station and reasonably quiet. Hotel was acceptable for the price with a decent buffet breakfast. The room was of a good size with a recently refurbished but smallish shower room.

9.6

Albergo confortevole e caratteristico, ottimo rapporto qualità prezzo. Fortemente consigliato.

8.3

Very pleasantly surprised! Our triple room was very spacious and the staff were courteous. Excellent location - definitely good value for money!

8.7

What a delightful hotel; conveniently positioned within easy walking distance from the historical centre. Wonderful interiors in a solid Palazzo Antica. I had an economy of space in my single room, but who goes to Florence to sit in their bedroom?

8.8

My wife and 2 friends. Breakfast; could have larger sortement

8.9

We were on holidays from Australia and booked all our accommodation through Venere. It was easy and this Hotel was better than we expected for the price. We would recommend this Hotel to all overseas travellers. Fantastic value for money. Central to all sights, shopping and transport. Excellent!

10

This may be a small hotel, but its clean and neat with an affordable price. The courtesy of the staff are also very commendable. They speak English quite well and are ready to assist at anytime! Really excellent service! The location is also very good as it is located near the train station with buses that go to any destination in Florence. A short walk will also take you to San Lorenzo market and many of the other sights in Florence.

9.5

very nice hotel and friendly employees.....

9.2

Pleasantly surprised..we were 3 adult couples and all rooms good, of equal quality. Room 124 had balcony, rooms 122 and 125 also good. Fridge in 122 and 124, also laptop. Good shower pressure, good Italian breakfast. Very central, walk to all sights. Supermarket and laundromat very close. Parking expensive for our people mover...36 euros/day.

8.6

staff were very friendly and helpful. great location to station and sights. room just right for 2 of us, small but not tiny like some we have stayed at.

7.2

The hotel is well located near to railway station, but the street directions provided were incorrect (and still are) and also not the shortest route. We stayed five nights. The room was spacious, but the bedding could have been more comfortable. Breakfast was good.

7.6

Location was great close to train station easy to find. Room was good but bathroom was added to the room and when you flushed the toilet it was very noisy.

7.5

1. Minor difficulty in finding hotel as the (multi story) building was occupied by several hotels and signage was poor. 2. There was an unacceptable level of noise from the room above, in another hotel, on two nights. Staff offered another room but this was declined as only one night of the stay remained. 3. Handy to railway station and all major attractions within easy walking distance.

9.0

My husband and I stayed at Hotel Desiree. It was our first time to Venice and Italy and the stay couldn't have been nicer, very helpful staff and gorgeous room.

9.2

Nice hotel, very clean, great location! You can walk from the train station and also to every important place in Firenze. We met a brazilian recepcionist, Aluisio, who was very friendly and indicated lots of good restaurants (please, don't miss "Za Za" restaurant!!!)and nice places to visit. I travelled with my family and we'd stay at Desirée again!

7.4

Desiree is in a very handy spot in Florence, only a couple of minutes walk from the station. It is great if you have big suitcases and want somewhere close to the train station, but still within walking distance of the town and all the major sights. We love walking and so it was perfect for us, everything was no more than 20 mins walk away. Desiree was clean, convenient and comfortable. Pretty good for it's 2 star rating we thought. Breakfast is nothing to write home about but a good point is that the hotel does have a lift which is essential and a god send in Italy!

9.7

We stayed at Hotel Desiree for 3 nights in May. The hotel is situated on the 2nd floor. We liked our room which gave us the "flavour" of Florence. Great breakfast too!

6.6

This place is in a prime location so that is why the price is higher for only a 2 star bed and breakfast type of place. The rooms are basic, but they are clean. Breakfast is simple, but good enough....The shower needs some work, if it is not closed properly, water could be all over the bathroom floor so we made sure to close the door well. The location is great, easy walking from the train station...i would stay here again because the price was reasonable for a place that we basically only used to sleep in...we were too busy exploring the Florence for anything else anyways. Overall, I would recommend it, if you are not too picky.

8.1

This hotel had a good location, close to trains & bus station but near enough to all major sites to walk comfortably, thus keeping transport costs down staff spoke mainly Italian, some dii speak English but all were helpful & polite. the only complaint was at breakfast, coffee came from a machine not a barista!!

6.2

Very nice hotel, near the station. The bed was extremely hard and had difficulty in sleeping. Breakfast fairly poor. Coffee, hot water,etc. all out of same machine,so tea was not good. Room very spacious and clean. Traditional furnishing. TV set very old and set at an angle very difficult to view from the bed. Bathroom very clean and good shower.

7.3

This was our first trip to Italy and stayed at Desiree for 3 nights. The room was spotless and the staff very pleasant. The only complaints were the beds were uncomfortable and the neighbors were loud. Otherwise we would stay again and recommend them to others.

6.6

The hotel is in a good location. A quiet aisle that's 30 sec-walk away from Santa Maria Novella station. The first staff that checked us in was fluent in English and answered everything. The alternating staff spoke only Italian and we could barely communicate. The room itself is clean, decent. The shower works nicely. There are only two minor issues I was slightly uncomfortable with: the safe box was a fixed three-digit code shared between ALL rooms that is changed once per week. We used it, nothing bad happened, but still I would've prefered more security. Also the only available Internet was a laptop down the hall that was not for free (2 euro/hour), runs on Linux, and only allows me to browse webpages through Firefox. I couldn't even check Gmail on it.

9.9

Very nice hotel,competent and helpful staff. Only one block away from the railwaystation; couldn´t be better! The room was very spacious and quiet.Nice breakfast. We can certainly recommend this hotel, and will use it again if we go back to Florence.

9.5

i have stayed in many hotels in italy over many years and this hotel is a gem.easy to find with a close proximity to santa maria station.breakfast very good,friendly competent staff.for the price great value for money.not to far from all the great sights that this wonderful city has to offer. will be back.

8.2

Conveniently located near the SMN train station. Easy walking to all major attractions. Good value for the money.

10

Hotel Desiree was absolutely charming. It far exceeded our expectations. I highly recommend it to anyone. It set a beautiful tone for our time in Florence.

7.7

Excellent location.Close to train and bus stations and walking distance to sites. It fully met our expectations.

6.5

The room didn't have a heater and it was very cold.

5.9

it was ok eventually, but first room offered was really bad - smelly and old. some guys from the staff spoke very poor english

8.8

when we arrived late at night the receptionist was expecting us and I didn't even have to show my booking confirmation. a very welcoming older man!

5.7

I thought the room was nice & spacious, the showers were a bit small, however. The staff were inconsistent - some were not very friendly at all, others were ok. I questioned whether for 100 euros/night I might have been able to do better at a chain hotel by spending just a bit more

6.9

It's a beautiful place, very clean, but the person who works at nights is not very polite. My husband call one night and he didn't put me through because in Italy it was around midnight and during the check out he wasn't very keen on calling me a taxi to go to the airport...

8.6

Hotel is in convient location to train station. Breakfast was limited, rolls etc were prepackaged and not frest, but what they had was ok and the breakfast room and sleeping room was nice and spacious

8.0

This is an older hotel in a building that has a different hotel on each floor. It is very close to the train station and convenient if you are traveling by train. Our room was spacious and comfortable. There is quite a bit of traffic noise at night but our windows were triple shuttered and that cut down the noise to an acceptable level. The free breakfast was really just coffee, tea, juice, yogurt and a roll, but that was fine for us. The staff were very accomodating and stored our luggage for us after checkout.

8.9

The Hotel Desire is a quaint B&B in a good location. you can walk from the Santa Maria Novella Train Station in 5 minutes. The staff was friendly, recommended restaurants when we asked (and they were very good) gave us a nice map and pointed out where to go. only issue I Had was they insisted on cash payment the day I was checking out, they advertise they take Amex, but they said their machine didn't work. And when I used my visa, they said it didn't go through. (I didn't have a problem with either card the rest of my trip, so I believe they didn't really try to put it through) I wouldn't have minded paying cash if I had more time to prepare. I felt they should have asked me the night before at least, instead of making me rush to an ATM and trying to get enough money out (FYI some machines will only let you take out 250 Euros at a time even if you have a higher limit set at your bank and if you put your card back in to get more, it doesn't always allow you to) other than that I had a lovely time there. Breakfast was a spread of cereal, yogurt, pastries, orange juice, bread, cheese, and nutella. thought it was nice and the coffee was fantastic. I would return to Hotel Desiree, I will just be prepared to pay in cash next time.

10

This is a lovely hotel where service was excellent. We had a large room with adjoining bath and the request for twin beds was met. Breakfast was served in a delightful breakfast room with a large window and a view. The location to the train station was terrific. I would recommend this hotel to anyone.

9.6

Very welcoming & friendly staff. Good size room wich was spotless. Very small bathroom with equally small shower but perfectly acceptable. Plenty of good quality fresh towels daily. Excellant continental breakfast with lots of choice. This must be the "top end" of a 2* rating.

8.3

Even though not in the nicest area being near the Santa Maria Novella train station, it was very convenient if travelling by train. The hotel is old and could use some updating, but was clean. Even though we e-mail'ed the hotel to make us reservations at the Accadamia, they missed the e-mail and didn't do it. When we arrived and asked about it, they quickly took care of it and made us our reservations appologizing for missing the e-mail.

9.0

The desiree hotel is excellent, the location is good that near the station only walk within 5mins. The staff(s) were nice, friendly and helpful.The room and the WC is tidyness and big enough. I will be stay here again when we travel Florence.

9.6

Great hotel and close to train station. There seemed to be lots of homeless people nearby in the mornings and late evenings. Windows were all double and triple paned which made it very quiet. When we checked out the owner tried to insist we pay in cash, but we had none and reluctantly he took our credit card.

6.2

Not as good as the picture. Perhaps the double room is good. But the single room really make me unpleasant, small, dark, old and not very clean. Plus the surroundings of the railway station make people feel unsafe.

9.7

We stayed in a clean and comfortable double room,which was quiet eventhough streetside. The breakfasts were included and very welcoming, with good choices. The location of the hotel is its biggest advantage. Close to train&bus stations and in easy walking distance to centre of city. Great place to stay, no hesitation in staying there again.

6.0

The hotel is very close to the train station which has it's pros & cons. The location of the hotel is in a pretty isolated and sketchy block. People pissed on the sidewalks because it's a quiet & dim block which makes this block really stingy. Really nothing on this block other hotels and there are many of them because each floor is a different hotel. So coming back late to the hotel feels a little unsafe. The room is big but extremely noisy if you have the window open. But you have to have them open because it's quite stuffy if you don't. The staff is not that friendly or helpful. They did not told us about the breakfast which was included in the rate. So during our 4-night stay, we did not have any breakfast at all and they refused to deduct it from our rate even though we did not have any breakfast. I will not consider to stay in this hotel again.

9.8

Very close to train station. Convenient if you're traveling early or arriving late. Hotel and rooms have lots of charm. Beautiful windows and floors if you like the classic European look. Hotel made Ufizzi and Academia reservations for us (more than one month before our stay) by our request. Staff very friendly and helpful. Breakfast was excellent. Breakfast room looks over a courtyard. They allowed us to eat breakfast even though we needed to leave very early one morning. Great place to stay in Florence!

4.2

Seeing as how you pay extra for A/C, you expect it to work. When ours didn't we had an extrememly restless night because of how loud it is with the windows open. Our shower also ran into a snag when it refused to drain and overflowed into the rest of our room.

9.2

The hotel Desiree is very nice and I will come again with friends and tell the address to other friends. I felt very well and the personnel is very welcoming and warm. Also breakfast and the establishment of the rooms -all the wonderful paintings of Florence - wonderful. You will like at home! The breakfast room is a bit like in the movie 'Room with a view'!

8.9

We stayed at the Hotel Desiree for two reasons. Price and location. We were very pleased that it was also a very nice hotel. We had a GIANT room off of the back with a king bed and a twin. The room was very spacious. The only negitive was the people in the room above us walked around all night the first night we were there, but with ear plugs, the problem was solved. The staff spoke english for the most part and were very helpful. The only way to get close to the train station would have been to actually stay at the train station. The area is not that pretty, but it is clean and safe. The breakfast was typical and of good quality. We would stay there again.

9.5

My second stay at Desiree didn't disappoint. Excellent restaurant recommendations!!! Thanks! If I return to Florence again, I'll be staying at Desiree.

7.8

Friendly staff with good knowledge of English. Very clean. Good breakfast. Good value. Rather a lot of traffic noise at night.

8.6

Lovely hotel with very friendly staff. Very pretty view from the breakfast room and some stunning furniture. Beautifully decorated. Bathroom was slightly small and sometimes at the night the street was a little noisy, although not a problem.

10

Nous avons adoré notre chambre. Le décor était digne de Florence. Beaucoup de restaurants à l'entour. Situé en plein centre de Florence, vous pouvez visiter à pieds. Pas de stationnement sur place, mais quelqu'un vient chercher votre voiture devant l'hôtel et la raporte le jour de votre départ pour 25 Euros par jour.

9.4

We were very pleased with our stay at Desiree. It was attractive and comfortable and not misrepresented. We would stay there again as the location was very near the train station.

9.7

Great hotel - decent sized rooms, with high ceilings and individually controlled air conditioning. Very quiet. Staff very friendly. Highly recommended.

10

The hotel is located in a building in which each floor houses a different small hotel, just around the corner from the train station in Florence. The decorations in the Desiree Hotel are unique, and really attractive. We enjoyed the small balcony and found the room extremely quiet at night in spite of its proximity to continual traffic. The proprietor accepts credit cards but prefers cash payment. We enjoyed the sunny breakfast room and the excellent coffee as well as the rest of the traditional European light breakfast.

7.8

The quality of the room and breakfast was fine given the accommodation costs. My single room was extremely small but adequate. The breakfast was mediocre and could be greatly improved by providing good cappuccinos, and fresh fruit.

6.4

Our double room was spacious, but our friend's single room was small. The shower was strange, just a drain in the bathroom floor - no shower pan, but the water only went about 8 inches into the bathroom. It was too noisy to keep the windows open and we were told the air conditioning wouldn't be turned on until sometime later in May. Our friend felt the hotel was dirty and he noted that, at breakfast, the tablecloths were simply turned over, not changed. At one point, the lobby did smell a little foul. It was difficult to find with the map. Desk help was friendly and helpful, and they allowed us to leave our luggage there the next day while we were sightseeing.

10

We were very pleasantly surprised to find such a beautiful and well-run 2 star hotel. We had friends staying in 3 star hotels where the rooms and public areas of the hotel were not nearly as nice and the service not as good. Our room was gorgeous - exactly what we were looking for to feel that we were in Italy. They have 24 hour access to the hotel and arranged parking which was very convenient (25 euros a night which is standard and 5 euros for every pick up/drop off in between the first and last). The location was excellent - close to everything and easy to find.

9.4

Other than the noisy Americans this was a fine place to stay. Very good value and lovely rooms.

9.2

This was an attractive place to stay with very nice and helpful staff. The only problem was noise - a condition probably exacerbated by all the tile, the high ceilings, and shuttered windows that open, characteristics that we love. My first night was not too bad but the second time I was kept awake by noisy American women who could not talk in normal tones and by the traffic on the street - none of those are the fault of the hotel, but it does affect sleep. Nonetheless I liked it and would consider going back. It was a very good value.

9.5

Great place to stay in Florence. The rooms are beautifully decorated and big. Our room included an ensuite bathroom. The location is great because you can walk to everything. We did hear a little street noise, but it wasnt terrible. Breakfast was included. It wasnt much, but pretty standard for a continental style breakfast.

8.4

The hotel was very conveniently located fot the conference I attended.The staff were very friendly and helpful.Language ability was not good and only the night staff was competent. I was very satisfied with value for the hotel and the service offered.

8.0

nice furniture, very spacious room

6.8

Well situated for the major sites, Ponte Vecchio,Duomo 15 mins walk through bustling open air market.Lots of good restaurants nearby on way into centre. The hotel is situated on the 2nd floor of the building , it has a lft, one block away from the main Railway station ( from Pisa 1 hour).Coffee making facilities are not provided & management should consider this as one doesn't always want to get up & rush to breakfast on a weekend away.The night attendant smokes Heavily and this drifts along the corridor under the door and STINKS the room out.Otherwise a charming value for money ( this is Florence )B&B but no public rooms to relax in.Normally staying in 4/5 star Hotels we rated this 3* ,7 out of 10. Lovely City.

7.5

The rooms are quite spacious,the bathroom ok,public areas consist only of a breakfast room.The surrounding-the railway station, quite noisy and dirty.The staff was friendly and helpfull.

9.0

An unpromising entrance on an unpromising street lead to a beautiful and charming hotel on the second floor of this building. A quaint, original elevator delivers you to the reception area where the staff are friendly and welcoming. Architecture, furnishings and decor are all true to the web site description and worthy of more than the two star rating. The staff are attentive, efficient and speak excellent English. Breakfast is of a high quality and every attempt was made to make us feel at home (selection of teas avail. etc). I would definately recommend this hotel and will return to it myself. Reviews state streets around the railway station are to be avoided at night but we felt perfectly safe throughout our 7 day visit.

6.1

Generally we are satisfied with the services of the Hotel, but only thing which bothered us was the noise of the ventilation machine installed in the shower room.