I have mixed feelings about this stay.
Giulio, the host, is a wonderful communicator. He was sending me messages from the beginning of my booking, confirming my stay, time of check-in etc.
There are a few difficulties with this location. For travelers arriving in Florence at the Santa Maria Novella train station, you really have no option but to walk to this location which is about 2.5 km from the train station, past the Ponte Vecchio, into the other part of Florence. This might seem like a close distance, but you will be pulling your luggage on beautiful Florentine cobblestone the whole way on a slight gradient "up".
There is no self-check-in; you will have to coordinate to meet someone, so if you are lost or your timing changes, it is a bit of an imposition on everyone to modify check-in time.
However, I did notice there was a paid parking within a block of this location, so travelers who are driving won't have the same concern about accessibility that those arriving by train might.
There are *significant* stairs up to this unit from the entry level. I have traveled extensively throughout Italy and thought I was well versed on what "stairs" means, but this was a very, very difficult location to access because of the sheer volume and gradient of the stairs. I was almost hesitant to leave in the morning or come back in the evening thinking of the stairs I'd have to deal with.
This location is also in a residential area of Florence. While you can quickly access the tourist spots, the location should be noted.
Lastly, the host had graciously left a map of Florence, but there was no information about the unit itself. For example, I did not know how to turn on the lights in the building hallways for when I was coming and going (I tried one key, but I rang someone's doorbell instead!). No information was provided about WIFI directly to me (but it's framed by the entrance).
While everything could be figured out, none of that information was directly explained or provided by the host either by way of an introductory check-in email to the tenant or by way of a book left in the unit for us.
The unit itself was very pretty, clean and well maintained. The bed was very comfortable, the sheets were clean and complimentary toiletries were provided (shampoo/soap). Water pressure was adequate, and water temperature was good.
It is also a large unit that can accommodate about 4 guests.
Overall this was a good AirBnB, the host was an excellent communicator to confirm the booking. It is just not a location I will stay at again due to my preference of accessibility to the unit.