My wife and I are retired university professors and over the years have stayed in apartments many times, including places like Paris, London, Dublin, New Delhi, Uganda, and China. Our lengths of stay in those apartments were between one week and 10 months, so we have extensive experience with rentals. Without doubt, the Halfway Suite in Florence is the best apartment we have ever stayed in.
Our stay at Halfway Suite lasted five weeks. If there was a problem or challenge with this suite we would have found out in that time – but everything was absolutely perfect! All of the positive things we read in the other reviews were confirmed, and many were exceeded. The suite itself is extremely well appointed, and has every item needed for a comfortable stay. But especially noteworthy and important is the host, Paolo – he was comprehensive in his introduction to the suite and Florence, and he was very accessible and attentive to our needs. When we needed help or guidance, Paolo made sure it was quickly taken care of – thanks Paolo!!!!
First, the Suite: The kitchen is well done, and the cooking, eating, and cleaning items provided were extensive, comprehensive, and of high quality. We have never had a rental kitchen with more dishes, plates, utensils, etc. The living room was spacious, and the two couches were very comfortable. The office area was large and was comfortable for both of us to use with our computers at the same time. The bedroom was well-sized, the bed was extremely comfortable, and several pillow variations were available (softness, density, etc.). I have back problems and I slept well on this bed the entire stay (I am 6’ 1” tall, this bed was comfortable for me). The main bathroom was large and clean (the toilet is tall enough, by my estimation, to be ADA-compliant in the USA). The shower is very large by European standards, and the shower head was easily high enough for a man my height, with many inches to spare for taller people. We appreciated the second, half bathroom. The water tank is large and easily provided for our needs. Having the high-quality clothes washer/dryer was essential to someone staying as long as we did, and it handled our needs well.
Second, the location: As situated, this suite is QUIET. We can honestly say that there was no street noise at all. Located on an interior courtyard, and away from the entryway, no street noise reaches the suite. The road immediately in front of the entry has extremely low traffic flow, and virtually no tourist foot traffic (we never saw a single tour group on our road). There are many high-quality restaurants within 2-5 minutes’ walk, as well as a large grocery store, ATM’s, bus stops, etc. The Duomo and Santa Croce are easy strolls (every significant place felt nearby, in fact). The location could not have been better.
Take our word on it – stay at Halfway Suite in Florence!!