Soggiorno Battistero

“View!”

The highlight of this bed and breakfast was undoubtedly the breathtaking view of the Florence Cathedral's dome. Whether it was the golden hues of sunrise or the magical city lights at night, the view was a constant reminder of Florence's beauty

“Amazing Duomo views”

We were greeted by a member of staff who looked a little stressed as they managed a few hotels and had a busy day. We didn’t have to wait too long to be let in but be patient if the bell doesn’t get answered immediately. One family was so impatient and kept ringing the bell and it just echoes thr… more

We were greeted by a member of staff who looked a little stressed as they managed a few hotels and had a busy day. We didn’t have to wait too long to be let in but be patient if the bell doesn’t get answered immediately. One family was so impatient and kept ringing the bell and it just echoes through the hotel. Despite him being so busy he was very welcoming and gave us some water and lots of helpful information. 𝐋𝐎𝐂𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍 The location is brilliant and we stayed in room 1 overlooking the Baptistry and you could see the cathedral and Duomo from the windows – the view is just amazing! We couldn’t have been closer and bearing this in mind, the hotel represents great value for money. I spent a while looking at hotels with a Duomo view and this struck an excellent balance between position and price and exceeded expectations. Unsurprisingly, it is noisy at night and so take earplugs. We stayed for 3 nights which was perfect and on night 2 we had neighbours and we could hear quite a bit of noise from them but again, the earplugs worked a treat. 𝐑𝐎𝐎𝐌 When we first got into our room, I was a little disappointed as it wasn’t quite what I had remembered. However, I think the website photos are a little brighter maybe and the room is presented slightly differently to look a little more modern. The bedspread was fully pulled over and looked really old-fashioned and so we took it off and it instantly looked better. The room is a little bit older in style and slightly rough around the edges and could do with a refrub but there are two big windows which let in lots of light and a big mirror between them to make it even brighter. We used to throw open the windows whilst getting ready and listen to the couple singing opera each night followed by the guitarist. If you love people watching you’ll love it here! There was a place to get coffee in the hall outside but I had no idea how to use the machine although my husband managed. There was a fridge in the room and a complicated safe which was free. It was a big room which surprised me as usually such central hotels have just about enough room to get around the bed. There was air con and a very comfortable bed. The bathroom could do with a little update but it was clean. The shower was a little small but it was fine. There is a useful storage cabinet above the sink but be careful not to hit your head! There is body wash/shampoo combined, conditioner and hand soap; it would be nice to see these provided in a more sustainable way. The hairdryer is attached to the wall with a very short lead which was a little odd and made drying my hair a little less comfortable. 𝐁𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐊𝐅𝐀𝐒𝐓 Breakfast was average but I don’t think the breakfast room helped although we loved Mr Gill who remembered our order and was always smiling. The breakfast room is situated in the centre of the building with hardly any natural light and felt a bit depressing. They’ve made efforts to modernise it with the tables and chairs but I sat facing a wall most days. There was no music and it felt a little library-like and so not a place you want to spend any time in really. On the top floor is a large reception area filled with light which I don’t imagine gets used often. It would have been so much better to switch these around and put the breakfast room upstairs. There is a fairly large terrace and you can just about see the Duomo. There is also an honesty bar which was reasonably priced. 𝐎𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐀𝐋𝐋 This is not a luxury property but it’s clean, comfortable and with the best location at a very good price. I really wanted a view of the Duomo complex and wow, did I get this and I didn’t hammer my wallet in doing so. So many nearby places charge way over the odds but this hotel, although not cheap, is very reasonable and I would recommend it to anyone wanting a great view.

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“Good and Bad”

Unfortunately, we got off to a bad start with a late arrival. Had there not been two guests already staying there who helped us reach the emergency number, we would have been on the street! We were supposed to have two rooms, but had only one the first night. We were so glad to be inside we took wh… more

Unfortunately, we got off to a bad start with a late arrival. Had there not been two guests already staying there who helped us reach the emergency number, we would have been on the street! We were supposed to have two rooms, but had only one the first night. We were so glad to be inside we took what we could get! We had prepaid, and got nothing back for the room we did not get the first night. We did not see anyone in reception until the next afternoon and then had to wait even longer to get the key to the second room. It was at another property. You should be agile to stay at this property. It is very old and housed an old orphanage for the church hundreds of years ago. The the floors are uneven stone. There are stairs in odd places. Our room was two steps down from the hall. I think we had the worst room in the hotel, #6, at least I hope so. The bath was 4 stairs up with no hand rail. The "bidet" was a hose next to the commode. There was no closet, and the hanging area was over the refrigerator. It did not accommodate long attire. The room was dark because of the heavy wooden shutters. I opened them one day, but the sun was so hot I had to close them again. I saw a picture of this room on the website, and it was hardly recognizable. The shutters were open and it looked so different! The other room we had was lovely with a view of the Duomo. The closet for that room was an antique wardrobe. Nice! The bath and the room were on the same level. The breakfast room is two steps down from the hall and is not air conditioned, so it was quite warm. We missed breakfast the first day because we slept so late. There was still continental type food available, just no coffee, juice or hot food. On the days we were on time, the eggs were gone by the time we got there. I did not see any refills. The AC in the room worked great. There was a coffee pot in each room that heated water really quickly. The location can't be beat if you can deal with the other things.

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