From the moment Lisa greeted us as we entered the beautiful apartment, we felt more like her guests than her customers. Lisa escorted us around the entire place and gave all the practical information that made us feel confident and at home. She had compiled a book with instructions about everything house-related and lots of helpful tips about local places to eat and shop. Gracious and welcoming, Lisa left us a bottle of red wine, some spaghetti and sauce, dessert wine and biscotti as well as an Easter Bread, all delicious!
Lisa kept in touch with us via email throughout the week, never intrusive but clearly available if we needed her. She volunteered to call the cabs for us for each of our party's two separate departures, and they came right on time.
The apartment is as spacious and beautiful as it appears in the pictures and even more comfortable than the elegance might indicate. The beds and pillows, about which I am very picky, were all comfortable, and the towels were to die for! Each bedroom had plenty of storage space, and the bathrooms had shelves enough for all. The wi-fi was reliable and speedy.
The sheltered terrace quickly became a favorite spot even when the weather was breezy or cooler, and the heart-shaped cushions made the lovely patio furniture even more comfortable. Dishes, flatware, glasses, and cookware abound, and the kitchen, though small, is workable and efficient.
The location could not be improved. Seriously, the apartment is within an easy walk of every major artistic and historical place of interest, and the train station from which almost all Tuscany tours depart is a quick and easy 10 minutes away. Shoppers will be ecstatic about proximity to Tornabuoni's high-end shops, but plenty of small, local artisan shops and eateries are also close by.
Quiet and private while you are in it, the apartment puts you right in the bustling and exciting heart of Florence the minute you walk out of the imposing door. My sister and I, in our early sixties, and my two daughter, in their late twenties, were all equally happy with all that was available to us within an easy radius of this home-away-from-home. We hated leaving the apartment as much as we hated leaving Florence, and we hope to return to both soon. You cannot go wrong with Lisa and Via della Vigna Nuova 1!