Wow. I really don’t want to write a review for this place because my wife and I will be going back often and I’d hate for it to be booked. But since the place is so unique it would be selfish of us not to pile on to the already great reviews. Here’s a shortlist of highlights:
-Best views of Florence. Period. Unobstructed views of the Arno (the side with the Duomo, Palazzo Vecchio, etc.) and the Altrarno (Pitti Palace). From what we could tell five or six floors up, it’s the only apartment of its kind. What you read about the big hike with your luggage is also accurate, but this is a small price to pay for having the best view of both parts of the city.
-Perfect location – kind of goes along with the above but right around the corner from the Ponte Vecchio, Pitti Palace and right in the center of the city.
-Ridiculous value – for the reasons above, the size of the apartment (while the rooms themselves aren’t incredibly spacious except for the living room, collectively it comes with a lot of space) and also because you’re only a few streets away from some very moderately priced restaurants. A quick example: a cappuccino on whatever street the Pitti is on will set you back 3.80 Euro. Three streets away from the hustle, you can grab one for 1.30 Euro.
-Fede – He’s the man. Met us promptly at 4 and sat down and gave us a personal orientation of the apartment, surrounding area and the local knowledge you just aren’t going to get from a hotel concierge more interested in having you visit his friend’s restaurant in exchange for a kickback.
As always, nothing is perfect, and here are 4 reasons you may not want to book here:
-You had a hip replacement last week (the five story climb will leave even the fittest among us a bit winded but on the other hand it will offset the gelato you’ll be eating).
-You are used to being waited by staff in a hotel
-You prefer modern décor to old world charm (the apartment is full of the latter)
-You’re an idiot
Thanks again for the amazing week, Fede, and we look forward to seeing you soon. Aiming to book for a month this winter when we can use that awesome fireplace.
Neil and Audrey