I stayed at Carmine's for two nights last month. He was a very kind host, agreeing to meet me for an early morning check-in. I was also very pleased that he accommodated a small modification of my reservation with no hassle.

If you want a place in Florence in the center of it all, Carmine's is a great option. My room was across from the Central Market (all manner of meats and produce,) and a quick walk to Firenze SMN. For sightseeing, the Duomo is less that 15 minutes away on foot, and from there the Palazzo Vecchio is another 5 minutes.

The flip side to such a great location is noise. The neighborhood is pretty lively at night and the market opens early every morning, so be prepared to keep to their schedule or bring earplugs. In addition, despite the fact that Carmine took great care to provide me with vaporizers and sprays, I had a problem with mosquitoes. I'm guessing this is just part of Florence in the summertime.