We stayed at Sergio’s San Lorenzo home for three weeks in September 2022. Being so close to the San Lorenzo parish of the Medici’s was amazing. I have to say I cannot imagine a better location. The apartment is no more than a15 minute walk (usually less) to all the main sights in Florence in all directions. You can get to shops, restaurants, gelato, espresso and major sights quickly and easily. Even the supermarket where we stocked up on food and detergent was less than 5 minutes away. If you want to walk Florence, there is no better location.
We arrived in Florence a day late due to the airline and Sergio graciously picked us up there and drove to the home. Not sure how many hosts would do that. It was hot while we were there and we needed a few things and Sergio always attended to what we needed i.e.: fan for the biggest part of the home. The a/c in the bedrooms worked great but the a/c in the entry way/long room with dining table & couch TV area was just too big for the a/c. The floor fan made all the difference.
The one thing you need to keep in mind is that the unit is on the 4th floor and there is no elevator. That means 63 steps up and down each day. That was not a problem for us, but if you have a problem walking or taking the stairs, this might not be the place for you. However, given that it is centrally located so you can walk everywhere, I think it’s fair to say that if you don’t plan to walk a lot while you are here, then why stay here?
The apartment has a refrigerator, washing machine, drying rack, dishwasher and gas stove. You can easily make breakfast in the morning or even lunch. We generally ate dinner out since we were sightseeing all day. Keep in mind that you are in Italy and not the US so electricity is different and things - like the stove and the washing machine - are on a small scale. That’s true wherever you stay in Italy.
There were just two of us on the trip and while it is technically a two bedroom, the second bedroom is a loft at the top of a fairly steep stairway. Once you are up there it is fine, but it could be a challenge getting up and down especially at night. The mattress for the main bedroom is a bit thin and while we slept fine, it is not the plush comfortable mattress you might have at home or get in a hotel.
Sergio assumed we would only use 1 bedroom since we are a couple so he left 3 sheet sets - one for every 10 days during our stay since Sergio informed us he would come to take away the old sheets every 10 days. When I asked him for more sheets as we use both beds it was a bit of a back & forth, perhaps in part due to language. I assumed Sergio didn’t want us to wash the sheets (the washing machine is small) which is why he told us he would come to take away the old ones. We would’ve washed the sheets if that was not in direct contradiction to being told that every 10 days Sergio will come to get the dirty sheets. In the end Sergio dropped off more sheets which we appreciated as he told us he lives outside of the city.
In the end we really enjoyed the location and it was great having a home base with laundry and a kitchen in an ideal, central location.
Thanks so much, Terri & Paul