SCovey

I would appreciate anyone recommending a hotel in Florence that is centrally located, double room with bath and not over $125 night.

I have searched guidebooks, friends brochures and this website and still cannot find what I am looking for.

I will be arriving by train from Venice, if that would help anyone - but I don't believe I want to stay near the station.

I was reviewing Hotel San Giovanni - good location, but I am weary because it is only a one star hotel.

Please help. Thanks in advance.

Regards,
SCovey

Jerry Bank

In article ,
[email protected] says...
    >
    > I would appreciate anyone recommending a hotel in Florence that is
    > centrally located, double room with bath and not over $125 night.
    >
    > I have searched guidebooks, friends brochures and this website and still
    > cannot find what I am looking for.
    >
    > I will be arriving by train from Venice, if that would help anyone - but
    > I don't believe I want to stay near the station.
    >
    > I was reviewing Hotel San Giovanni - good location, but I am weary
    > because it is only a one star hotel.
    >
    > Please help. Thanks in advance.
    >
    > Regards,
    > SCovey
    >
    > --
    > scovey
    >
    >
    > Posted via http://britishexpats.com
    >
While in Spain I used the book Hello Spain for hotel tips. I covers
places in the 50 to 100 dollar range. Of three places mentioned, two
were quite nice, and the third a bit small. But that might have been
because it was in Seville, which I understand is more expensive.

They also have Hello Italy.

Do a Google search.

--
Jerry Bank
Trenton, New Jersey
Music is the language of the gods.

agranger

Try looking on Karen Brown's web site. My wife always buys the Karen Brown book for the country we are going to and we have had wonderful success.

We stayed at Mario's in Florence. It was simple but clean, well maintained and well run. I tend to like the smaller hotels that immerse you in the culture and Mario's definately fit this description. It is just a few blocks north of the train station (an easy walk, even with luggage) down a narrow street. There are several good restaurants in the area and a stunning gellato shop nearby.

http://karenbrownusa.com/italyinns/detail.lasso?RecID=4482

Take a cheaper room in Florence and splurge for a nice boutique hotel in rome. We stayed at the Romantiq Hotel Baroco on the Piazza Barbarini and loved it.

Aaron

Ken Blake

In news:[email protected], SCovey wrote:

    > I would appreciate anyone recommending a hotel in Florence that
is
    > centrally located, double room with bath and not over $125
night.
    > I have searched guidebooks, friends brochures and this website
and
    > still cannot find what I am looking for.


This past April we stayed at the Casci, a block or two north of
the Duomo. I can't remember the exact price, but it's in your
price range. It wasn't super-deluxe, but it was very comfortable,
with an excellent breakfast included, and run by very nice
helpful people. And the location is ideal. It was recommended to
me by someone else here, and I too recommend it highly.

--
Ken Blake
Please reply to the newsgroup

SCovey

I too thought the Casci seemed ideal - rated very well by other travelers. However, a friend of mine that has that has been to Florence a number of times insists I will not be happy with its location. She says stay near the Arno for the best location / atmosphere. The hotel she is recommending to me is a little out of my price range at $189/night.

She says if Casci is near the open air market to definetly avoid it. What was your opinion of the location / atmosphere?

Thanks,
SCovey

Judith Umbria

"SCovey" wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
    > Originally posted by Ken Blake
    > > In news:[email protected]"]news:545943.103595-
    > > [email protected][/url], SCovey wrote:
    > >
    > > > I would appreciate anyone recommending a hotel in Florence
    > > that
    > > is
    > > > centrally located, double room with bath and not over $125
    > > night.
    > > > I have searched guidebooks, friends brochures and this
    > > website
    > > and
    > > > still cannot find what I am looking for.
    > >
    > >
    > > This past April we stayed at the Casci, a block or two north of
    > > the Duomo. I can't remember the exact price, but it's in your
    > > price range. It wasn't super-deluxe, but it was very comfortable,
    > > with an excellent breakfast included, and run by very nice
    > > helpful people. And the location is ideal. It was recommended to
    > > me by someone else here, and I too recommend it highly.
    > >
    > > --
    > > Ken Blake
    > > Please reply to the newsgroup
    > I too thought the Casci seemed ideal - rated very well by other
    > travelers. However, a friend of mine that has that has been to Florence
    > a number of times insists I will not be happy with its location. She
    > says stay near the Arno for the best location / atmosphere. The hotel
    > she is recommending to me is a little out of my price range at
    > $189/night.
    > She says if Casci is near the open air market to definetly avoid it.
    > What was your opinion of the location / atmosphere?
    > Thanks,
    > SCovey

I think I am the original recommender of Casci, since I have used it since
1970s. Your friend hasn't a clue where it is. It is NOT near the market
but it is just a block and a half from the Duomo.
The hotel is up from the street, can't recall if it is one flight or two up,
and some of the nicest rooms are at the back. It is not a trafficky street,
anyway.
The Arno side hotels are ALL on trafficky streets. That being said, I do
stay sometimes at Scilla because it has parking, but it is a small park
distance off the Arno. It means that you have to cross the bridge that is
north of Ponte Vecchio and walk a few blocks further to the hotel. If you
don't have a car to park, then Casci is by far the better location. After a
late dinner you can get "home" in five minutes, or you can run back for a
change of shoes or a nap in the same time. The location is just about
impossible to beat.
If you don't care about location, go to Google and search on hotel Florence
and you will find a couple of discounters with a variety of hotels.
If you want to go really down market there is a pensione called "Casa Mia" I
believe, near SMN and the train station which is dirt cheap, specializes in
Americans and safe if not luxurious. Some friends of mine were sent there
from the tourist office at the station. I think it was $42 for two with
bath.
The station area is not unsafe in Florence as (arguably) the Rome station
area is often said to be.

Gerald

On Thu, 31 Oct 2002 05:29:08 +0000, SCovey
wrote:


    >I too thought the Casci seemed ideal - rated very well by other
    >travelers. However, a friend of mine that has that has been to Florence
    >a number of times insists I will not be happy with its location.

Location looks fine to me. Anywhere close to centro storico is great.
She
    >says stay near the Arno for the best location / atmosphere. The hotel
    >she is recommending to me is a little out of my price range at
    >$189/night.

I stay on the Arno in a €800-1000 room, with a balcony overlooking the
Arno, but I do not find the atmosphere to be that much superior to
anyplace else in central Florence.(I stay in the Grand, with Starwood
points)

Do not stay on the South bank unless you are very close to Centro
Storico.
    >She says if Casci is near the open air market to definetly avoid it.
    >What was your opinion of the location / atmosphere?

I'd take the open air market over the motor bikes any day.(South bank)
The market is not that noisy. There are no hawkers there, and it
closes up at night.

I don't recall exactally where the market is, but I would not mind
being on the same street with it.
    >Thanks,
    >SCovey

Ken Blake

In news:[email protected], SCovey wrote:
    > Originally posted by Ken Blake
    >> In
news:[email protected]"]news:545943.103595-
    >> [email protected][/url], SCovey wrote:
    >>> I would appreciate anyone recommending a hotel in Florence
    >> that
    >> is
    >>> centrally located, double room with bath and not over $125
    >> night.
    >>> I have searched guidebooks, friends brochures and this
    >> website
    >> and
    >>> still cannot find what I am looking for.
    >> This past April we stayed at the Casci, a block or two north
of
    >> the Duomo. I can't remember the exact price, but it's in your
    >> price range. It wasn't super-deluxe, but it was very
comfortable,
    >> with an excellent breakfast included, and run by very nice
    >> helpful people. And the location is ideal. It was recommended
to
    >> me by someone else here, and I too recommend it highly.
    >> --
    >> Ken Blake
    >> Please reply to the newsgroup
    > I too thought the Casci seemed ideal - rated very well by other
    > travelers. However, a friend of mine that has that has been to
    > Florence a number of times insists I will not be happy with its
    > location. She says stay near the Arno for the best location /
    > atmosphere. The hotel she is recommending to me is a little out
of my
    > price range at $189/night.
    > She says if Casci is near the open air market to definetly
avoid it.
    > What was your opinion of the location / atmosphere?


It is not near the market at all. It is on the Via Cavour, a
commercial street that's just fine. I think the location is near
ideal. It's steps from the Duomo, and very close to almost
everything the typical tourist wants to see.

--
Ken Blake
Please reply to the newsgroup

Ken Blake

In news:[email protected], Judith Umbria
wrote:

    > "SCovey" wrote in message
    > news:[email protected]...

    >> I too thought the Casci seemed ideal - rated very well by
other
    >> travelers. However, a friend of mine that has that has been
to
    >> Florence a number of times insists I will not be happy with
its
    >> location. She says stay near the Arno for the best location /
    >> atmosphere. The hotel she is recommending to me is a little
out of
    >> my price range at $189/night.
    >> She says if Casci is near the open air market to definetly
avoid it.
    >> What was your opinion of the location / atmosphere?
    >> Thanks,
    >> SCovey
    > I think I am the original recommender of Casci, since I have
used it
    > since 1970s.


I don't remember for sure, but yes, you may have been the person
whose recommendation I followed to book there.


    > Your friend hasn't a clue where it is. It is NOT near
    > the market but it is just a block and a half from the Duomo.
    > The hotel is up from the street, can't recall if it is one
flight or
    > two up,


I think it's one flight up, but I hasten to add that there's an
elevator.


    > and some of the nicest rooms are at the back.

Yes, our room was at the back. I almost always ask for rooms at
the back in any hotel in Italy, since they are likely to be the
quietest.

--
Ken Blake
Please reply to the newsgroup

SCovey

With the response as overwhelming as it is to Casci how could I not stay there? I have already been in contact with the Lombardi's and they have quoted me $116 US / night - not bad. However, they did say that March was very busy?!?!?!? I thought mid March would still be the low season.

Regardless, thank you all for your help.
SCovey