Loggiato dei Serviti - Florence, Italy     

Well somehow this site continues to surprise! Having read some reviews I was worried about our stay here, booked by my mother for a celebration large family trip - worried about the tramps in the square, the breakfast, lack of room service... having just come back I cannot see why I would stay anywhere in Florence again. The location could not be bettered - surely the only in an unspoilt Brunelleschi square, and opposite the lovely and touching swaddled babies reliefs of the Hospidales. Perhaps there has been a clean up but we noticed only a few beggars on a couple of occasions. And in what sense is two minutes walk to the Duomo off centre? The rest of the centre is a mix of old and newer but this square is the real deal, spacious and gracious, and round the corner from San Marco (surely the best value museum at 5 euro and shorter queues than anywhere, if not the best overall). Our room was large and airy with an over the top canopy bed, absorbing view over the courtyard of the art school (you can see paintings awaiting finishing and apparnetly sometimes see sculptors at work) - the rooms at the back are quieter than our house in London and we all slept well including the baby (no mosquitos, because of the time of year). The breakfast was fine, good coffee and warm brioches the best bits - the small bar was always open and a good place to sit and chat before and after family meals out, the two barmen both charming and eager to please, in a good way. Outside our room was a living room style hall area with antique comfy chairs and books. Overall this place is elegant, eclectic, friendly, relaxed, helpful - it has that something that five star places can often miss, a kind of integrity and individuality, a home from home with extra sparkle. Perhaps it is extra special in winter, when the square is not full, and where the decor seems cosy not heavy. I'd say ask for one of the larger back rooms (ours was 25) or a suite and give this a try.

We - British father, French mother and 25-year-old son - stayed in the main building in a 3rd floor suite for 6 nights with a full view of the Duomo from each bed, and 75 yards from the perspex roof over the Accademia's David, for which we paid 250 euros per night including breakfast. The rooms were large, quiet and comfortable, as was one bathroom, the other being small, with a door badly in need of redecoration. The beds/mattresses were unexceptional. The season made air conditioning unnecessary, although mosquitoes at night were still a problem - the plug-in protectors were ineffective and we were bitten most nights (we slept with the windows open). The hotel has been offering wireless internet and a terminal in the lobby for the last month or so, both of which must be paid for. The additional charge is petty, and wastes time for both hotel staff and customers. We urged them to abandon it and include it in the room rate. In the end it was academic since neither functioned properly during our stay. The hotel may be slightly off center, but the center is so small that nothing that matters tourist-wise is further than a 20-minute walk. Perhaps the most impressive feature of the hotel is the discrete lighting over the nameplate under the arcade when glimpsed across the square at night. It doesn't look like a regular hotel, and this class is reflected in the subdued decoration of the interior, in particular the staircases. It still feels ancient & monastic. There were drunks in the south corner (we were never accosted or bothered by them), and a cloud of urine vapor. Just 24 hours after the garbage truck had passed, the square, including the steps up to the hotel, would be covered once again in litter (as everywhere in Florence), as if a bag of litter, in particular cigarette ends, had exploded over it. This together with the huge blue garbage bins and the scooters that would sometimes short-cut across the square (as everywhere in Florence) spoiled its overall appearance. A week before our arrival, we asked the hotel to make us Uffizi reservations (incidentally this avoids the 18 euros or so charged by internet agencies). It took a second email, and over 48 hours, before the hotel acknowledged the request, but they did make the booking. On the other hand, on our last evening, they failed to book a cab as they'd promised for the next morning, with the result that we only just made our flight. The breakfast is the standard unmemorable fare - prepacked, presliced, poured-from-a-carton whatever, with no attempt at anything specifically Florentine, Italian or homemade, apart from bought-in rolls and croissants. However, they did do a cappucino if asked. On our last day we had to leave before breakfast service was started - 7.15 am - and we were not offered any replacement even though our room rate included breakfast for that day. As standard in Italy, there were no coffee/tea facilities in the room. At 6.15 am we asked the night porter for hot water and Nescafe, only to discover that the espresso machine was already on - and he was able to make us a cappucino instead. We had the impression that the hotel has never thought of offering this routinely to its many guests leaving on early flights. We were impressed by the expertise and helpfulness of one of the front desk staff, Gianni Lorenzini, and by one of the breakfast staff. None of the others stood out. Enoteca Pinchiorri: Visitors tempted to try this 3-star restaurant - a 10 minute walk - should be warned that it takes a particular personality to feel relaxed in the company of fawning suited staff - more formal than in any such restaurant we know of - a curious conception of value, and a formidable wallet: one cupful of fresh pasta with 4 teaspoons of creamy mozzarella and two thin slices of sausage, totalling an apparent ingredient value under 5 euros, with nothing distinctive in either taste or texture, is priced at 90 euros. The cheapest menu with the cheapest wine, plus service, costs at least 325 euros per person, and you are unlikely to be able to enjoy yourself unless you are prepared to spend twice that. There is little that is recognizably Italian about the menu, and what is Italian - pasta and risotto - is no better, and far less generous, than in higher-end restaurants charging a quarter of the price.