Florence: Lodging

Hotel Relais Il Cestello

Rating:

Cost: $126.25/night through Orbitz

Location: Right on the south side of the Arno River next to San Frediano Church.

Overview: This hotel had good reviews on Trip Advisor and we wanted a hotel that was within walking distance of some of the major sites if public transportation went on strike while we were there (which it did the 1 day we stayed in the city). It is a 15 minute walk from the SMN train station (1.3km). The city seemed quite safe even in the dark, and the hotel is right on the river and has a well lit parking area in front. This was a good hotel for the money, and the staff was very friendly and helpful. The common room is converted into the breakfast area in the morning.

Pros:

• Very reasonable priced.
• Right on the river which has a decent view from a couple rooms.
• Spacious rooms.
• Concierge is available 24 hours a day.

Cons:

• Shower only had a slight glass shield, not a full closing door or curtain.
• Since it is right on the river, you can’t open the windows for fresh air because of the mosquitoes.
• There are only a few rooms and they’re all on one level and a few of them open right up to the common area which can be noisy any time of day (or night).
• Not a lot of restaurants nearby that are open on Sunday nights after 9PM.
• Room service is provided even if you don’t want it. Our wet towels were folded and hung one on top of the other.

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