Everything about Marie's apartment in Florence is extraordinary. If you've ever remodeled a house or apartment you'll immediately appreciate the inspired, thoughtful, beautiful and efficient design and the meticulous execution. The space very comfortably accommodated our family of six adult travelers. We felt like we were very much together, but we weren't running into each other, and we all had privacy.
I emphasize again that the architecture, design, and execution are extraordinary. Construction, fixtures, appliances and everything else is high end. You can see and feel the quality and inspiration everywhere you look and touch. Fine appliances. Custom iron and glass work. Comfortable beds and fine linens. Even the lighting design and controls are beautifully done. I couldn't find a single aspect of the apartment that could be improved.
As others have noted, the highlight is the magnificent roof deck. It's small but perfectly adequate for four to six people to hang out. The view is simply breathtaking.
The location is wonderful, and Marie sent many recommendations. All we tried were excellent. The apartment is a ten minute walk (more or less) across the Arno from downtown Florence - just close enough to the galleries and historical sites, and just far enough away from them. Marie's local recommendations were wonderful.
Cleanliness was perfect. Check in and check out were very easy and flexible.
I feel very fortunate to have stayed here. I found several options that met my criteria (quality, size, and view of the Duomo) and ultimately just chose this one arbitrarily to break my decision paralysis. We could not have done better. Everyone in my party of six was thrilled. I wouldn't think of staying anywhere else in Florence.