I had some initial apprehension about reserving this apartment. It looked too nice for the price. And then when I looked online for it’s location, it came up as a postal business. I feared I’d been scammed, but decided to take the risk anyway.
I emailed Roberto, and he explained where the apartment was. When we arrived, he was there to greet us, show us the apartment, and highlight some good tips on where to go.
Before I go on, let me first tell you that some online guides are telling you that the Santa Maria Novella district is unsafe and should be avoided. This was not our experience at all; we found the neighborhood to be identical to just about every other street we walked down in Florence. At no time did we ever feel unsafe or concerned. And the whole city is easily accessible from his apartment—everything is a short walk away!
Back to Roberto’s place. It’s up a couple flights of stairs, so if you struggle with stairs, it might not be the best for you. That said, most of Florence is walking and stairs...
The apartment itself is very nice! It’s comfortable and very spacious. The bedroom was both the most comfortable and quietest room we had our entire time in Italy. There is a washing machine in the apartment as well, which was perfect for freshening up our travel clothes (no dryer—hang those shirts outside the window for that perfect air dry feel!).
Overall, we loved staying here; it helped make Florence one of our favorite cities to visit!