I had the most wonderful two months in Alda’s apartment. First and foremost, she is a warm, generous host who clearly cares about her guests. She strikes the perfect balance between giving you privacy and making sure you have everything you need. She is always quick to respond and happy to help in any way she can. She goes above and beyond with information and recommendations, not just for Florence but for all over Tuscany, and in addition, has lots of guidebooks in the apartment itself, as well as maps and an Italian phrasebook. I felt safe, comfortable and cozy there—well taken care of. She even brought me homemade food one night!
The apartment itself was perfect for me as a solo traveler. It’s small, but doesn’t feel “tight” at all, especially with the open loft area and the ginormous glass door that lets in a ton of beautiful light during the day and leads onto the balcony with that spectacular view! One of the highlights of my Florence trip was watching all the sunrises and sunsets and starry skies from the balcony, listening to the birds singing and the church bells ringing. Truly breathtaking.
A few specific things to note:
The location is literally across the street from the train station, which made exploring easy. I could explore all of Florence on foot and lots of the Tuscany area via bus and train. You can’t really beat the location, especially if you don’t plan on driving.
You’ll appreciate the elevator up to the apartment (not always a guarantee in these older buildings)!
I found the bed to be very comfortable, and it’s quiet at night, no street noise. The temperature in the apartment was easy to adjust and I was very comfortable the whole time, even in January. FYI, there’s a part of the loft where the ceiling is a bit low; also the shower is pretty small. I very much appreciated the espresso machine in the kitchen as well as having a little electric stovetop for making eggs in the morning and pasta at night! There’s no oven, but there is a microwave, toaster, tea kettle, etc. (and a grocery store across the street). I also really appreciated having a small washing machine in the apartment! There’s no TV, but the wifi is strong and I was able to stream shows on my laptop without an issue.
This was a perfect stay for me. Thank you, Alda, for being so wonderful!