We LOVED our stay in Florence. Ezio was an amazingly thoughtful host. Check-in was incredibly easy, as Ezio sent us perfect instructions and even a video on how to open the lock box. We were provided restaurant recommendations upon our arrival and were able to reach out at any time with questions about the city or the apartment. The apartment itself is very spacious, with comfortable furnishings and all the amenities one could need. Small things like some very comfortable chairs and an inviting sofa made it really nice to hang out in the living room. We have had some disastrous shower experiences while traveling in Europe, but that was not the case at Ezio’s. The shower was quite hot and relaxing. The overall decor is quite funky, but grew on us and eventually felt much nicer than a generic rental. This could just be my more conventional taste
The surrounding neighborhood was a huge plus. There were many shops and restaurants around that were less touristy and more authentic than we encountered elsewhere. We happily over ate at one of Ezio’s recommendations, discovered two great gelato options within a few blocks, and ate our favorite meal of the trip only a 10 minutes walk away. The street is by no means deserted, but did seem to be on the residential side of the city. Still, everything we were looking for (including the major tourist sites) was at most a 20 minute walk away. If you have any tolerance at all for walking, the location was more than fine.
If there was any downfall at all, it would be the stairs. The apartment is up two steep, older flights which can be a bit scary. This in no way reflects on our host and I doubt this is uncommon in any older European city. It was only a pain for us when we brought our suitcases up upon arrival and down to depart. Otherwise, we took our time and held the rail. Just an FYI for older guests and those with children.
Mentioning departure - that also couldn’t have been any easier. We were able to leave glasses in the sink, trash in the barrel and Ezio told us not to fuss. He was even kind enough to call a cab for us when we mentioned that we were sorely missing Uber’s services (doesn’t exist in Florence!) Overall, a terrific experience and amazing host.