Fantastic stylish modern apartment near to Santa Maria Novella Station. Highly recommended – we were delighted and miss it so much. Communication with the Owner (Paola) was simple and quick and Amalia (who looks after the apartment) was amazing.

The apartment is on the third floor (with no lift access) but this did not cause any problems for us even with very large suitcases. The location is excellent - and many of Florence's main attractions are within walking distance. The local area is safe, and access to the apartment very secure (having to go through two external gates before reaching the front door). There are several Takeaway Food Outlets nearby, and this can lead to some street noise (although it is important to stress that this caused us no problems whatsoever and is noise typical of any vibrant city).

Inside is beautifully furnished and spotlessly clean. The apartment is open plan and set over two levels. The pictures don't do this place justice. One of the key features of the apartment is how naturally bright it is due to the way it has been designed to let in daylight. While we appreciated this, it should be mentioned that some smaller windows do not have blinds. This means that the bedrooms become bright when the sun rises (although eye masks are provided).

While absolutely perfect for our needs as a couple, personally we feel there would be limited privacy for two couples staying here. Sound travels around the apartment easily, and the Second Bedroom does not have a door and leads directly onto the Master Bedroom. The Second Bedroom may be better suited for use by children, although it may be an idea to speak with the host first to obtain further information before booking as there are areas very small children could potentially fall (e.g. between the gap in the Second Bedroom floor and the Stone Church wall).

There were no issues with Power or Water Pressure. There were some difficulties connecting to the Internet, although these were resolved during our stay. Air Conditioning works very well and is certainly necessary during the Summer. The outside terrace has a good view of Florence’s rooftops and makes the apartment extra special.

The day before arriving Paola informed us that we would be required to pay an additional cleaning fee of 25EUR for each day of our stay (total 100EUR). We negotiated with Paola that we would pay 50EUR given we were only told about this charge less than 24 hours before arrival. It may be worth checking whether Daily Cleaning is a requirement before booking and, if so, what the exact cost is.

For us, however, the best thing about booking this apartment was Amalia (who looks after the apartment for Paola). She made our trip so special. Thank you Amalia for all you did. Without doubt, we will be back next year to stay in Paola’s place! See you then!