Locanda Orchidea - B&B

“A Lovely Place close to the centre of Florence”

What a lovely place for our 4 nights in Florence. We travelled as a party of 6 and occupied 4 rooms during our stay. The property is ideally located with only a short walk to all the main attractions on this side of the River Arno e.g Basilica, Uffizi Gallery etc. Our host, Luciano, was everything… more

What a lovely place for our 4 nights in Florence. We travelled as a party of 6 and occupied 4 rooms during our stay. The property is ideally located with only a short walk to all the main attractions on this side of the River Arno e.g Basilica, Uffizi Gallery etc. Our host, Luciano, was everything you could wish for in terms of making our stay as pleasant as possible. The accommodation is close to many bars and restaurants but there was no noise intrusion in the rooms. The rooms were spacious, the air conditioning worked well and quietly, and they were fully equipped. The beds were comfortable. For Florence the room rates are very reasonable.

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“Great location for a stay in Florence”

Stayed here in June for 2 nights, arrived by train and a short walk to get to the hotel. Great location for all key sites and restaurants/bars. Huge room with separate dressing area was really impressive. Breakfast plenty of choice and owner very friendly. We arrived after 3pm and we’re messaged in… more

Stayed here in June for 2 nights, arrived by train and a short walk to get to the hotel. Great location for all key sites and restaurants/bars. Huge room with separate dressing area was really impressive. Breakfast plenty of choice and owner very friendly. We arrived after 3pm and we’re messaged instructions, these were very easy to follow.

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“Centre of Florence b&b”

Very clean and very central . Comprehensive breakfast. Very very helpful owner as we had complicated family arrangements at that time. The owner is now Italian and the web pictures here are out of date. Well sited for pleasant restaurants and interesting shops. Difficult for taxis to get there as … more

Very clean and very central . Comprehensive breakfast. Very very helpful owner as we had complicated family arrangements at that time. The owner is now Italian and the web pictures here are out of date. Well sited for pleasant restaurants and interesting shops. Difficult for taxis to get there as they drop you in a nearby square or back down a one way street which is interesting. Plenty of orchids in the breakfast room.teenagers found it avery good base for their explorations.

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“Wrong info re: WIFI accessibility”

This is not an easy review to write. When I booked this, I read the positive reviews and felt I had made a good choice. I was looking at: location, wifi, if it had AC, and how comfortable it seemed. When I arrived, I was put in a room with a twin bed. As I travel solo frequently, I did not have… more

This is not an easy review to write. When I booked this, I read the positive reviews and felt I had made a good choice. I was looking at: location, wifi, if it had AC, and how comfortable it seemed. When I arrived, I was put in a room with a twin bed. As I travel solo frequently, I did not have an issue with that, especially because it was clean and the AC was working. The bed was not comfortable, but I also was able to over look that. The issue was the WIFI. It did not work in that room. I contacted the owner, Luciano, and he initially ignored my message. I called him over whatsapp, informing him that I needed WIFI for work. He stated that since it is an 800-year-old building, WIFI may not always work properly, but I could go into the main common areas (where there is a fridge for water and a coffee machine--pay per use). This was not suitable for me, as it was incredibly hot (no AC in that area), and no place to properly sit and work. The next day, I spoke politely to Luciano, asking about the WIFI issue. He proceeded to speak in a very loud tone, kept interrupting me. He almost yelled, stating that "WIFI is a gift". I asked what he meant, and he said that WIFI was not guaranteed but could be provided. I showed him the listing, which clearly states "free WIFI", and he said that it is not guaranteed in all the areas. I again told him that I booked this according to what I saw on the site. He stated that I should have emailed him privately to request a room with WIFI, like others have emailed him asking for a cot for a baby and other specific requests. I told him that there was no reason for me to privately email him about a WIFI request, if it is stated in the listing that it is provided. He continued to speak loudly, which was quite embarrassing, as there were people eating breakfast in the adjoining room. He then said that he would switch me to another room. Thankfully this room had better WIFI status. I recognize and understand that this is an older building (and it is really a lovely building in a lovely area), but my issue is the listing should not indicate that something will be provided if it is not. POSITIVES: great location, good WIFI, water/coffee available (for a nominal price, honour system), an elevator in the building that is handy for luggage, ability to store luggage (Luciano definitely became nicer for the 2nd day/night of my stay). There was a simple breakfast offered as well. Overall, I can see that Luciano is a proud owner of his B&B, and he should be, but the interaction I had with him was uncomfortable and abrasive. I contacted the B&B website I booked off of, and they stated they would be in contact with Luciano to ensure that the listing should not say "free wifi" if it is not available in all of the rooms, and/or should stipulate that only some rooms have "free wifi". I think most solo travelers get the rooms in hotels and other such places, so I am sure those traveling in as a couple or larger group may have a better stay (if wifi is something you hoping for!).

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