Europe

Fabulous Florence and Five Affordable Luxury Hotels in the Centre

Florence, one of the world’s best-known Italian cities and a must for your next trip through Italy, is an excellent choice at any time of the year if you want a weekend of art and relaxation.

Finding somewhere to stay in Florence isn’t difficult—it’s finding the right location and price that’s tough. Impulse reservations may have you several kilometres from the city centre (where the heck is Empoli?) needing to get around by car or on public transport, or in a very central but very expensive hotel.

To help you find a hotel that is both cheap and central in Florence, we have picked five properties within one or two kilometres of the centre and with an excellent quality to location to price ratio. May your trip to Florence be a work of art!

Hotel Palazzo Ognissanti

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In a building that dates back to the nineteenth century, the Hotel Palazzo Ognissanti is a perfect combination of historic architecture and modern design. And thanks to its proximity to Santa Maria Novella train station and the Arno River, it’s the ideal place to start exploring the city on foot or by public transport.

All of the city’s main attractions are less than 15 minutes away on foot, making this a very convenient hotel with all the added comforts and facilities you would expect of a four-star establishment. You’ll be from breakfast espresso and pastries to the Duomo in no time.

Affordable Luxury tip: Looking to get to Florence’s far-reaching green space? Rent a Mobike (starting at €0.50/30 minutes) and follow the Arno westward to the Parco delle Cascine or eastward to the beach at Spiaggia sull’Arno. You can pick up the bikes by downloading their App and drop it off where you please within the city limits.

Hotel Palazzo Ognissanti

Florence
7.9 Good (1260 reviews)

Hotel Unicorno

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Just a three-minute walk from Piazza Santa Maria Novella you will find Hotel Unicorno, a three-star hotel offering its guests everything they need for a comfortable and enjoyable stay. (Psst… that means air conditioning at the ready for those stifling August afternoons)

With the train station so close by, getting to the hotel is easy if arriving to Florence by train, and it also makes an excellent base if you want to visit nearby Tuscan cities. Hotel Unicorno is located on a historic street packed with artisan shops in Florence’s city centre, and all the main monuments are within a pleasant few minutes’ walk.

Affordable Luxury tip: If you’re coming to Florence over the first weekend of the month, you could save a few euros by taking advantage of free admission to state museums on the Sunday. The Gli Uffizi, Galleria dell’Accademia and the Museo Archeologico are just some of the sights with open doors on first Sundays.

Hotel Unicorno

Florence
8.0 Very good (1095 reviews)

Hotel Paris

The boutique Hotel Paris is situated in the historic centre of Florence on Via dei Banchi, which dates back to 1324. The hotel itself is spread over two very prestigious Renaissance-era palaces, linked by a passageway.

In each of the two palaces are well-preserved pieces of history, you won’t be able to concentrate on the breakfast with just detailed frescoes looming above. The hotel’s 67 beautifully decorated rooms come in varying sizes, but all can accommodate up to four people. Hotel Paris is only 300 metres from the Duomo and is an excellent spot to start exploring the city each morning (that is after loading up at the breakfast buffet, included in your room rate).

Affordable Luxury tip: For a sampling of the finer tastes of Florence, wander from stall to stall at the Mercato Centrale. From sage butter gnocchi to fresh mozzarella, if you’re not wobbling on the way out of this covered market, you haven’t done it right.

Hotel Paris

Florence
8.4 Very good (2364 reviews)

Il Poeta Dante

For years, this hotel was the “home” of famous Italian actors coming to Florence to perform. Today, it still holds on to that romantic, dreamy feeling from the past.

Il Poeta Dante is located just a few metres from the Basilica di Santa Croce—right in the heart of the city—from which you can reach the Uffizi Gallery and the Ponte Vecchio in just 10 minutes on foot. In this hotel, the day starts with a lavish breakfast that will satisfy all tastes and set you up nicely for a day discovering the many wonders that Florence has to offer.

Affordable Luxury tip: Can’t be bothered with the Galleria dell’Accademia and a €12 advance ticket price? See Michelangelo’s David al fresco in the Piazza della Signoria along with sculptures by Jean de Boulogne and Benvenuto Cellini.

Hotel Il Poeta Dante

Florence
7.7 Good (31 reviews)

Residenza Borgo Albizi

Residenza Borgo Albizi is a B&B situated in the heart of Florence’s historic centre, just 300 metres from Piazza Duomo and Piazza Santa Croce. The rooms of this hotel are inside the Torre degli Albizi, a striking tower with historic charm and tastefully decorated in a welcoming, elegant style.

Residenza Borgo Albizi is as central as it gets. This means you can comfortably enjoy Florence on foot—especially at night where a lively street scene of restaurants, bars, and traditional trattorias unfolds.

Affordable Luxury tip: Some of Florence’s best meals aren’t found in the white tablecloth establishments, heck some of them don’t have seats! Hot-off-the-press panini for under €4, an espresso taken standing for €1 or a primo of fresh pasta at a café for under €10 are just some of the ways to get a taste of Tuscany without going over-budget.

Residenza D'Epoca Borgo Albizi

Florence
8.2 Very good (319 reviews)

Ideas for Things to Do in Florence from trivago magazine Italy

  • Cross the Ponte Vecchio or take a moonlit walk through the Piazza del Duomo
  • Admire the view from Piazzale Michelangelo and take a walk to Palazzo Pitti.
  • Walk hand in hand with your better half along the Arno or in the Boboli Gardens.
  • Pack a decadent picnic and stake a spot in the Giardino delle Rose in San Niccolò, looking out onto Brunelleschi’s Duomo
  • Pick up a Florentine leather-bound notebook from Bruscoli on Via Montebello

Do you have a budget luxury hotel in Florence that you would recommend? Let us know below how you would visit Tuscany on a budget.

This article was originally published on trivago magazine Italy.