Lorella's location is perfect for exploring Florence - extremely central to all the markets, eateries, and sightseeing spots. Her apartment is spacious and great for either eating in (full kitchen with refrigerator) or relaxing for a bit in between sightseeing. There's a really cute open foyer too where you can enjoy your breakfast at a little cafe table set up there.
Loved that there was a healthy-option eatery with smoothies/salads right across the street called Shake Cafe, to give you a break from the delicious (but heavy) foods you're normally eating in Italy. There was also an awesome coffee/bar/cafe called Chiascuro a few meters down the street that we went to every morning for espresso and snacks (their food was delicious!)
Her hospitality was wonderful, welcoming us with a bottle of wine on arrival; she also has a small basket of simple packaged breads/pastries for breakfast, which is a nice touch. Communication was pretty good, aside from a little hiccup on check-in; there are a couple steps involved in entering the building and obtaining the keys to the apartment, but she laid it out pretty clearly with pictures and videos. Additionally, when our light bulb went out, she responded promptly to my text and had someone come fix it.
Some things to note that didn't bother us terribly much, but is something to consider:
- You will hear the church bells and early morning traffic/bustle, as the apartment is on a relatively trafficked street. Ear plugs should do the trick though
- You need to go up a narrow and somewhat wobbly spiral stairway to get to the bedroom
- Apartment is on the 4th floor and there's no elevator. Definitely helps work off all the delicious food you're eating, but keep this in mind if you're physically unable to do the climb
- Bathroom is a bit small (though maybe that's just in comparison to U.S. standards) and the shower pressure wasn't great
Overall, we would definitely recommend her spot for exploring Florence, mostly for the awesome location and large space :) Thanks Lorella!