Hotel Privilege - Florence

10

Situated on the Arno,Privilege Hotel is in a beautiful old building only a couple of blocks from Santa Croce and the Ufizi and in easy walking distance of all the key landmarks of Florence. The staff were very welcoming, spoke fluent English, gave great advice, help with bookings and ice for cold drinks. Excellent breakfast with lots of choices. We were given an upgrade on the room which was large, quiet and looked onto a central terrace garden. There are lots of eating options close by and we really enjoyed the walk back in the warm evenings through the beautiful streets and along the Arno. Highly recommend this hotel and will use it again.

10

The owners are great. The hotel was beautiful but I would return for the hospitality alone. Thank you!

10

I stayed at Hotel Privilege Sept 3-7, 2009 as part of a 3 week trip to Italy, and I can't say enough great things about this hotel! First off, the staff couldn't have been more helpful - from providing me with train schedules to helping me locate a laundromat near the hotel to coming up at night to help connect my internet. They were absolutely wonderful! They even put up with my very mediocre Italian and always responded to me in Italian so that I could practice. Second, the location really couldn't be any better. This hotel is situated on the river right next to Santa Croce and couldn't have been more ideal for exploring the city and coming back at night. Lastly, the room itself was perfect for me as a single traveler (with a double bed too!) and was larger than I had expected. The bathroom was a good size and very clean as well. I couldn't have asked for more for the very reasonable price that I paid. Oh, and the breakfast is really nice too - lots to choose from! So all in all, I would highly recommend this hotel for anyone wishing to spend a few nights in the beautiful city of Florence. Thanks again Barbara and Emanuele for everything! I hope to return again soon!

9.9

The Hotel Privilege owners (Emanuele & Barbara) are incredibly nice and helpful!! We felt that they were sincerely concerned about assisting us with any requests or questions. Privilege's location on the Arno River is scenic, as well as convenient for walking to sightseeing attractions. The breakfast buffet is outstanding, with a sumptuous variety of foods, and great coffee. Our bed was comfortable, as was the temperature in the room. The bathroom was spacious and clean. Our only remark about the furnishings is that a few items look dated/worn, and we consider that to be a very minor problem. All things considered, this is a great place to stay at a reasonable cost!!

9.7

Very enjoyable from the time we entered the door until we left. Emmanuel and Barbara made us feel at home and were very helpful. The rooms were spacious and clean. Great breakfast. Location excellent for visiting the city.

9.3

Juillet 2009 Excellent accueil et grand confort à 2 pas du centre historique de Florence, une découverte inoubliable dans des conditions idéales... Grand merci à l'équipe de l'hôtel Prestige que nous recommandons sans réserve. JC et V Roucayrol

8.4

Lovely large room. A little bit on the dark side. Very good breakfast. We didn't have views of the Arno but I imagine that rooms with a view would be noisy.

9.7

Despite the modest outside appearance of the Hotel, our stay here could not be faulted. The highlights were;its location, altho on a busy road, it overlooked the River Arno & the triple glazing meant no noise once inside your room; the warm welcome from Emmanuelle & Barbara;very good english spoken which helped as our italian is very limited;excellent suggestions for excursions & restaurants; service - nothing was too much trouble; superb buffet breakfast;small pleasant bar for a quiet drink, served with nibbles! the large rooms& bathrooms, all spotless & well appointed. Overall, accommodation that certainly enhanced our stay in Florence.

9.8

Friendliest staff and so helpful in every way. We had a perfect room travelling with a baby of 3 months. Would love to stay there when going to Florence again.

10

Perfect location , great service , suprisingly spacious rooms. Recommend it .

8.9

Only two downsides: the garden was not usable during our stay because of some works but it must be nice once the works are finished. The other problem was the noisiness of our room towards the reception area but no big deal; overall a very nice and well-located hotel.

10

This is my second stay at Hotel Privilege and if anything the hospitality gets better and better.Our room was facing on to the River Arno and although there is a very busy road outside the shutters and double glazing mean you don't hear the traffic. The room was immaculate and the bed comfortable and huge!

9.0

The Privilege is an excellent place to stay to explore Florence. It has a good location being close to the Uffizi, Ponte Vecchio etc. The owners are very welcoming and happy to offer any information regarding the city its surroundings and transport. We dined each evening of our stay at restaurants recommended by the hotel. All three were very good indeed. If we return to Florence we would definitely place the Privilege on our short list.

8.5

clean and comfortable rooms, even though not big enough, neatly furnished. Nice and easy location, professional and kind personnel, all needed facilities for tourists (garage is not cheep, but comfortable). Not so easy to find this high quality vs price ratio in Florence town.

8.5

The staff was wonderful, they were very polite and help us with our reservations, maps, explanations, etc. We enjoyed it very much. The room and bathroom was kind of small.

10

A superb hotel! Of several hotels we stayed at in Italy this was clearly the best. The rooms were large and immaculate and the staff were friendly and extremely helpful. The location in Florence was ideal -- everything was in walking distance.

9.0

excellent hotel for price, wonderful and helpful staff

9.2

Hotel well situated, near the historic center. Employees very pleasant an competent.

8.0

The front desk staff was extremely helpful with recommendations for restaurants and transportation. Their English language skills were very good. The location was a short walk to major sites. Our room was spacious and quiet as it faced an inner court yard. I suspect street views could be noisy. The AC had a room thermostat and worked very well. We would stay in this hotel again.

10

This hotel is situated near river and that makes it very close to city center.I stayed at Privilege hotel in the very in the last week of May. It was a very pleasant stay and I enjoyed the warmth of welcome from the Hotel staff whom were very helpful and kind. I had a single room and since I was actually early the woman offered me two room types and she recommended the spacey one and I took it of course. Room was very nicely decorated, very clean and nicely decorated. I loved the old window type that opens towards outside, it shows the culture of the city. Bed was very comfy and the drawers were very nice and spacey, I had place for my suites and clothes.I liked mini-bar in the room had fruit drinks. Breakfast was very complete and nice. I really love to go to beautiful firenze again and if I go there again I will definitely stay at this hotel again.

10

We enjoyed our stay, not only because of the room, but because the owners of this small family-run hotel were very helpful and enjoyed making reservations for us and giving us a lot of valuable advice. Their breakfasts were excellent quality, with a lot of variety. If we return to Firenze, we will definitely try to stay there.

9.6

Hotel Privilege is located on the Arno River so it is a leisurely pace to the major attractions in Florence. The room was VERY large compared to other rooms where we stayed. The bathroom was adequate; breakfast was very nice with fresh fruit and even salmon two days! The furnishings were very nice. Since we were on the first floor, there was noise from the public areas in the evenings. We liked being close to the Pitti Palace, Santa Croce, and the Uffizi. We highly recommend this hotel.

9.3

On the Arno river close to Sante Croce. Short walk to all the touristy spots. Very nice and helpful staff. Decent Breakfast. I'd definitely stay there again.

9.4

Excellent hotel, very helpful and friendly owners who were unassuming and relaxed. Nice locations, close enough to walk to the centre but also to cross to the Oltrano. Not enough time though - wish we had stayed long. Food etc. as everyone says, very good - not al all noisy. Also on a bus route straight to the station and all around the city, if you can work out how to buy tickets - a mystery, but possible.

9.0

Cozy hotel, a 10 minutes from the Uffizzi museum and Florence main places. The staff is very kind and helpful for any thing. They have fast internet connection in the room free of charge. When in Italy other expensive hotels usually ask you 10 Euro, for one our connection.

9.0

Located along a busy street along the Arno River, it was within an easy walk of Santa Croce Church (we walked to all the major sites during our 4-day stay). Our room overlooked the river and the street (the street noise was not an issue with the windows closed). The hotel staff were extremely friendly and helpful -- they made some wonderful suggestions about where to eat. Room was very big for European standards. Obviously a high-end hotel in its prime and, though it is showing some age, it was still comfortable. Superb range of things to eat for breakfast. Better air conditioning would have been appreciated (it was unusually hot for the period we were there) but we would still return.

9.4

very nicely located overlooking the river and a pleasant 10 minutes walk from the main museums and square. Must be congratulated on the EXCELLENT breakfast which although in the usual continental style featured a good range of fresh local produce and some of the best cheese I have ever tasted in a breakfast. Lots of good fresh coffee too.

8.4

The owners were incredibly friendly, courteous, and helpful. The view of the river was great. If you want quiet, then ask for a room in the back however there is limited view.

10

Emanuele and Barbara were so helpful. The hotel was perfect, the rooms were clean and large....but the breakfast was the highlight! Very delicious and plenty! The view from our room was of the beautiful Arno River. Location was close enough to everything.

10

This was the nicest hotel of my entire trip in Italy. It was very close to most of the places we wanted to go in Florence. The staff was very nice and helpful. I would recommend this hotel to anyone staying in Florence.

8.7

I arrived at the Hotel after two days of travel, feeling weary. The wonderful staff member, Barbara, did everything possible to make me feel comfortable and at home. She began with giving me a choice of rooms and continued by personally bringing my buffet breakfast to my room every morning! The food, all included was wonderful! Barbara anticipated my need to get a ticket to the Uffzi gallery and phoned immediatley to insure my entry.The staff continued to provide directions and wonderful friendly service all throughout my stay. I would go back at a moments notice! Thanks to Venere and to the wonderful Privledge Hotel! D.R., Aptos, California USA

9.8

Hotel Privilege was a highlight of our trip. The location was great - easy walk to all the major spots, but just far enough out of the historical section (no cars allowed) that you can easily keep a car in hotel parking (reasonably priced) for touring Tuscany. The room was spacious and well appointed - even robes and slippers. Great morning breakfasts. Free internet if you have a laptop. But the best part was the owners -- friendly, welcoming couple who really want to help you have a great time. Take their restaurant and touring suggestions, and you won't be disappointed.

9.3

A friend and I needed a hotel in Florence for our last night in Italy as we had a very early morning flight from Florence. WE were very satisfied with Hotel Privelege. It was a very convenient location. The hotel owner/manager was most accomodating. We were helped with arrangements to the airport and dinner reservations on his excellent recommendation. Due to our very abbreviated stay we really didn't check out any other areas of the hotel other than our room which was very clean, very large and comfortable. The carpet was a bit worn but it was a very spacious room- 2 beds and 2 couches made uo into single beds.We appreciated the generous number of towels all of which were thick and soft. There is no elevator as far as we know though the owner generously carried our bags up the stairs. Nice location- right on the Arno- nice view from our room. Woul ddefinitely stay here again.

8.4

Gute Lage zur Innenstadt und einfach per Auto von der Autobahn zu erreichen. Wir konnten unser Auto für 15 Euro in einem kleinen Hinterhof gesichert abstellen - sonst gibt es nur Kurzzeit-Parkplätze in der Umgebung. Zimmer waren sehr ruhig, geräumig und auch behindertengerecht.

2.3

I was surprised when staying there after reading all the good reviews. The owners where friendly, but reserved. The room so old, one had the impression everything was falling apart. It doesn't deserve the 3stars, it is rather a 2 star hotel, which is overpriced. At night, it was so loud, we only got to sleep at 3am (and I am an easy sleeper). The only thing that was okay, was the location. But that's about all there is to say. I wouldn't recommend this hotel to my friends or family.

9.1

Stayed at the hotel for 5 nites in May 06, right at beginning of tourist season. Top ratings for the hotel staff. My girlfriend became ill with stomach virus, and staff was nice enough to offer crackers, food, etc. Rooms on main street are especially loud when windows are open. HOWEVER, double-paned windows really drown out the sound when closed, and I am light sleeper, so if I can recommend without earplugs, that is good. Bed comfortable, bathroom fine. Hotel is a little further away from city centre than most, but lower price and fewer crowds reflect this appropriately. Also, for distance marker, walking down along Arno, took me 8 min at full pace walk to get to Ponte Vecchia bridge, so not bad really. Overally, I would highly recommend as alternative to all the crowds at good price without being way out of the way, and with very friendly staff.

9.4

Barbara and Emmanuelle who manage the hotel couldn't have been nicer or more helpful. The rooms were spacious and clean. Our room had a great view of the Arno and the double-paned windows cut the traffic noise almost completely. Location is good with the farthest walk about 15-20 minutes to the Galleria dell'Accademia. We would most definitely stay here again.

7.7

No heating in service until complaining, when we were provided with a portable heating fan. Excellent breakfast. Quite expensive private car parking, 15 Euro per day. Close to Piazza Santa Croce and only about 10 minutes walk to Galleria degli Uffizi at Piazza della Signoria and Ponte Vecchio.

9.8

The Hotel Priviledge was a fantastic hotel to see Florence. You arrive to breath taking views and genuinely friendly and helpful staff. We asked for a room with a view and were allocated a room with a view of the wonderful river that flows through Florence. All the main attractions are within a 5 to 15 minute walk with the Duomo being furthest away. This is an excellent location as you get to experience the sights and sounds of Florence, but can return to the quietness of the hotel and its surrounding area. Top tip, across the road outside the hotel, or go out the hotel and turn right, you will find the sightseeing tour bus stops. They are a fantastic tour and allow you to get your barings around the city and to see the famous view of Florences sky line!

9.9

Very friendly & helpful staff.

10

We found the hotel to be perfect for us. Manuel was an excellent host, making dinner reservations and giving us many suggestions about our visit to Firenze. Breakfast was excellent. We would certainly return to Privelege in the future.

8.4

Staff was extremely hospitable and friendly. They provided great restaurant recommendations and were helpful with how I should spend my time in Florence. The buffet breakfast was served in a quaint room and the food was simple & fresh.

10

We enjoyed the large living- and bedrooms, with a lot of accommodation, the nice bathrooms, with excellent shower, the splendid breakfast, with so many choices and plenty of fresh fruit, but we enjoyed the most the hospitality, the kindness and the good advice of the managers Barbara and Emanuele Toccafundi-Baldassari

9.9

great people!! great experience!! great location!! would go there again in a heartbeat

9.8

wonderful staff and great location. would definitely stay here again.

8.5

This hotel was okay, Barbara and Emmanuele were great and very helpful. The shower in our room the first night did not work at all, instead it flooded the bathroom floor. Only a 5 Eur discount was given and we were totally unable to shower. The room we were switched to was much beter, nothing fancy. Also, if you are bothered by street noise, then don't stay here!

9.9

property is quaint but modern, centrally located yet very quiet, view of the river is very pleasant

9.8

The staff was wonderful and went out of their way to help us. The room was very clean and had a great view of the river. The only negative was the noise from the street, but that what comes with the view.

9.1

Barbara and her partner were welcoming and very helpful. We had a wonderful stay in Florence, even with the rain and cold weather and part of the reason was the good feeling we had at the "Privilege". The view of the Arno from our window was beautiful. The breakfast was delicious and plentiful; and those capuccinos were super. We recommned the hotel. Carlos & Cristina.