Hotel Gioia - Florence, Italy 

I stayed here twice recently and had very positive experiences. Perhaps the best thing about the hotel is its location -- walking distance (10 minutes) from the train station, and just 2 blocks from the Duomo, the Accademia, and all of central Florence. The staff were also very friendly, and the hotel offers free WiFi (with your own laptop) in the lobby! The rooms are absolutely fine, if perhaps a little small. (And the bathrooms were tiny.) The price was great (I paid 100 Euros per night for a single with King bed), and in some sense you get what you are paying for since the rooms are a bit small and the view is not great. I thought the breakfast was also a bit meager: no meat or cheeses, just coffee, yogurt, and cereal. So if you want to splurge for an elegant Florence experience, this is not the place to do it. But this is a perfectly nice, clean, friendly hotel that served as an excellent base for exploring Florence. I highly recommend it.

Excellent location close to all the major Florence sight-seeing locations. The hotel is basic and very clean with good service. Its not extravagant but is perfect if you just need a clean bed and bathroom for a weekend visit.