I stayed at this apartment for about a month while traveling/working & studying remotely. Overall, I had a pleasant stay but would likely not return to this unit.
The location is just outside the main city center area, and it was an easy 20-30 minute walk or 10 minute bike ride to anywhere I wanted to go. The T1 tram stops a block away which was incredibly helpful for transfer to the train station and airport. I highly recommend utilizing this public transportation option.
The neighborhood was definitely residential, quiet, and safe. I got the sense this was a gentrifying area and that’s something to be mindful of if you’re looking to respect local communities. The unit itself has several locks on the outer and inner doors and I always felt safe.
When I arrived the apartment was freshly clean and everything was as described. Much of the furniture was cheap and uncomfortable but everything worked just fine - it’s just not exactly cozy or personal. The washing machine was a great asset, and the cleaning staff was kind enough to leave extra linens for my long stay. The kitchen could use a few more basic items but I was able to cook small meals just fine.
I think the biggest frustration was the communication. “Edoardo E Michela” clearly outsource the management of the property to a local third party, whom they referred to as their “friend” or “concierge” throughout different messages. They appeared to be unavailable to conduct check in themselves, so they asked this person to communicate with me via a separate messaging app instead. It was kind of weird to keep up the farce of it being owned by a couple when it was clear this is a large property management company. That’s fine as a business model, but it felt weird that they were pretending otherwise. The concierge was unkind and unwelcoming - he seemed annoyed with me that the taxi dropped me off on the wrong end of the block, and then promptly smirked at my luggage and insisted that I carry my big suitcase myself up the stairs. I had no expectations of help with my luggage, but a man a full foot taller than me, laughing at me while watching me struggle to carry my bag made me extremely uncomfortable as a woman traveling alone. He rushed me through signing additional paperwork and mentioned that the door sticks but never bothered to show me how to operate the series of locks. I figured it out eventually….Whoever “Edoardo E Michela” are, they never made an attempt to ask how check in went.
A last issue I had was with the Wifi. The listing says there is no wifi, but after booking they messaged me to confirm that I would pay for the internet bill for my month. When pressed, they said that the internet connection wasn’t that strong. Since I needed to be able to work from home, I decided to order a hotspot to ensure I had accurate service. When I asked them if they could help coordinate the delivery of it, I never received a response. I was able to figure it out with a prior Airbnb host before arriving in Florence. Upon check-in, I asked them not to charge me for the weak wifi since I had my own. he seemed annoyed but agreed to not charge me extra and removed the modem from the unit.
Overall, I think this unit was overpriced for the location, furniture, and rude service. I would have been better off for the price and accommodation just renting from a local landlord or arranging a sublet, as it is not worth the Airbnb service charges.