we stayed here for a weekend until our villa in chianti was available. this was a small charming hotel down a small street. staff was helpful. room was small but clean. one of the best features was the rooftop patio with view of duomo-nice place to enjoy a glass of wine. hotel was convenient located also. very safe location.

My wife and I had a three night stay at the Brunelleschi in September 2006. I booked our trip via expedia to include return flights to Florence from London Gatwick with Meridiana. Total cost of the trip was around £750, the hotel and associated taxes making up £450 of this.

Anyone choosing the Brunelleschi on the basis of its location will not be disappointed. The Piazza del Duomo is no more than three minutes walk away; Piazza della Republica and major shops, also three minutes; Piazza della Signoria and the Uffizi, five to ten minutes. Perfectly located for all the major sites. Florence is a very walkable city.

I was quite satisfied with our room, despite not making any special requests. The room was on the third floor, and it didn’t have a view. I would strongly suspect other (more demanding) contributors would not have been happy with it; the Brunelleschi is made up a set of older buildings of varying shapes, consequently the rooms have unusual layouts. For example, our room was not square. If this something that is likely to bother you, look elsewhere.

On entering our room you stepped into a sizeable lobby area/hallway including large wardrobes incorporating a key-code operated room safe. One door off the lobby lead to the bedroom, the other the bathroom.

The bedroom, bathroom, and room lobby all had high ceilings, aiding the feeling of space. All the furniture was light oak. The bedroom was perfectly adequate, the bed very comfortable. Due to the off-square shape of the room, one bedside table was smaller than the other, and there wasn’t a great deal of space on one side of the bed. We had a tall window with blackout curtains, a TV, armchair, foot-stool, desk, telephone and mini-bar. CNN was available alongside a host of Italian channels. Mini-bar rates were very reasonable (€6 for a half bottle of white, I recall).

The bathroom was well equipped, and spacious. Surfaces were finished in marble, with a potent shower (no bath for us, but I wouldn’t expect one in Italy) bidet and dual sinks. I didn’t hear any noises from the plumbing in the other rooms.

The hotel breakfast was served in the first floor restaurant and was a typical top-notch Italian experience; lots of lovely meats, fruits, pastries, breads and cheeses. Service was sufficiently attentive, and pleasant. Some guests appeared to feel quite disappointed if they had to sit in one of the side rooms off the main breakfast area, though this didn’t bother me. Breakfast was included in our rate.

The hotel has a nice bar - off reception. The air-conditioning is strong and makes a nice space to escape from the heat. Our barman made a reasonably priced gin tonico, to our specification.

The hotel has a roof terrace, where you can enjoy views of the Duomo, and the surrounding hills.

Desk staff were perfectly pleasant, and spoke English.

If you do choose to stay at the Brunelleschi expect when you go out for the day to occasionally find tour groups of Segway riders in the square outside. Being one of the oldest buildings in Florence the hotel is a major stop on the historic city tour!

Overall I would very happily stay at this hotel again - I think it offers good value for money considering its location.

We both had a "special" birthday this year and we when we booked asked the hotel for a nice room with a view of the Duomo. When we arrived we found they had given us the Duomo Suite which was wonderful. We had stopped at the hotel previously and on both occasions have nothing but the highest praise for the staff. All in all the best short break we have ever had.

Alan and Christine, Worcester UK

Beautiful Florence and this hotel is the right place from which to see it all. Within walking distance to most attractions and the railway and all transport. Rooms are comfortable and a good size as are the bathrooms. The staff are very pleasant and helpful
The building has the elegance of age, the dining room is in the 6th century tower.
Should I go back to Florence, this would be my choise to stay.