If you go to Florence and want to have a cool and elegant place, close to the center, with all the amenities AND 3 terraces ( yes 3!) to enjoy your breakfast in the morning sun, enjoy a cool evening with a glass of chianti under the stars or just relax....Rafael's place is THE place to choose. And more important, Rafael is the best host you can even dream of !
Before booking, Rafael was very reactive to answer our questions very precisely. But as we booked last minute, his apartment could not be available until 9 pm...not a problem, Rafael offered us to meet him at his restaurant ( 3 mns walk from the apartment)...this was very convenient as our plane landed at 7.30 pm -so we did not have to think of choosing where to have dinner : and Rafael's restaurant is very good value for money - excellent pizzas and pastas, nice Negronis and glasses of wine....everything to have a simple but good dinner !
Then, the apartment is even nicer than the description : it is nicely and fully furbished, with a modern and cosy style .( Just to be noted : there is a couple of stairs as the flat is on the second floor a very old building- not an issue at all unless if you have difficulties walking or climbing ) .
The fridge was fully loaded with water, milk, orange juice...and a bottle of wine ! and there were croissants for the morning as well...all this makes you feel welcome and makes you feel at home. Beyond the apartment, you have those 3 incredible terraces where you can really relax, eat, read....between your walks around Firenze!
To be noted as well that there are enough restaurants around to have breakfast, lunch, dinner if you wish, but the apartment is so cool that we really enjoyed having some quick lunch or a cup of coffeee/tea on our terraces. :)
During our stay, Rafael was always available, proactively asking if everything was right and offering to book the taxi for us when we asked how to do to book a taxi !
When we went to Sienna, he recommended that we go to another village, so as to make the most of our trip and made sure we were back safe ;)
In a nutshell, Rafael is probably the best host in the world in one of the most beautiful cities of the world. Thank you for making our stay such a fantastic experience!