Florence is definitely a beautiful city, but with those characteristic old buildings and thick walls the convenience we are used to in the US comes missing. Most Hotels and Bed and Breakfasts you will stay at are going to be in old buildings, with steep and narrow stairs and, of course, no elevator. The summers in Florence are brutally warm many of those old building don't have air conditioning and, many others have 'private bathrooms' that require you to exit your room to access. Why am I saying all this? Simply because I have noticed I had to compromise something to get something else; I had to forfeit the AC if I didm't want to do 5 flights of stairs etc. That, until I found La Gabbia del Grillo apartments.
This place has everything you need and more. There are no stairs to climb with heavy luggages. There are no bathrooms with their own zip code, you get your own. It has fast speed WiFi. It has working Air Conditioning which is a must in the summer and, best for last, they even have washing machines! Plural, because if one in the apartment is not enough you can use the one in the building and, lo and behold, a drier!!
My wife and I truly loved this place. It was literally 2 minutes walking distance from the duomo. The washer and drier was amazing because we could have clean clothes regularly and the AC made the hot summer night more tolerable.
Aside from the facility, Vieri and Alain were terrific hosts who were easy to reach and very helpful.
I can't say enough good things about this place. It will definitely be the first place I'll check for availability next time I'm in Florence and I would suggest you do the same, you'll thank me later.