This was hands down the best place that we stayed at in Italy, including some very nice, 4-star hotels. The apartment is situated in a lively, but quiet neighborhood just out of the touristy areas of central Florence, but only a 6-minute walk from them, so extremely convenient.

The apartment itself is amazing. Chiara, the host, is an architect, and restored the apartment herself, and it really shows. There are brick arches from the 12th century, stone columns and stone walls, all mixed with modern touches - wood floors, modern furniture, and accent lighting that had us thinking we might need to look at our own place. The bathroom is beautiful, and rivals that of a 4 or 5-star hotel in the fixtures and finishes, and the bedroom area with a it's curtains makes you feel like you're in a medieval fantasy movie. The courtyard makes a nice retreat for a glass of prosecco or wine.

As a host, Chiara was also the best host we had in all of Italy. She works in the shop next store, and is available most of the time. She was extremely friendly and helpful, and gave us a ton of useful tips and recommendations for the city, and even called us a cab to take us back to the airport. If you're lucky enough, you'll get to meet her adorable little dog Shorty, who might be one of the friendliest beings on the planet.

We would recommend this to anyone we know, and will hopefully stay here again very soon!