Sani Tourist House - Florence, Italy     

My husband and I and our 16 year old daughter stayed in this B&B for two nights in March 07 and I would definitely stay there again and recommend it to others. The B&B consists of a single floor in a multi-floor building which you access by taking the very small elevator (room for two or only one with luggage) or the very wide staircase. I used the staircase as much or more than the elevator. It is tucked away in a side area only a half block from a major shopping street so it was quiet but very convenient. The building was part of an old - I can't think of the word- an old important family residence. A palace sort of place. Built in the 1400's. The front door when you enter the building has some of the old hardward on it, with heavy metal cross bar to latch it, etc. The window in our room had wooden shutters rather than curtains and overlooked a narrow alley (no cars, only pedestrians) and also provided a nice view of the old church's bell tower on the other side of this alley. It rang its bells in the morning. You can certainly see the history in the building, and I mean that in a good way. Dante's house was right in this same little area within 50 feet or so. The owner had pushed aside a large wardrobe to fit my daughter's twin bed into the room and we still had room to move around. For breakfast we were given vouchers to take to a little coffee shop close by. The coffee shop treated us like royalty. One thing that you do need to know is that the owner, Remo, wants to be paid in cash but you don't have to pay until the night before you leave. I get the feeling he doesn't stay at the B&B all day but comes back for the evening. You will make arrangements with him to meet on the night before you leave so that you can pay him. He was a nice guy and told us a bit of the history of Florence. Not pushy, but answered all our questions very fully. Oh, another thing you need to know. We had a hard time finding the B&B because I expected there to be a sign out front. There is no sign. Go to the area where you expect it to be and then look at the name plate beside the door. It lists all the residents of the building. Sani Tourist house is listed on this metal plate. It is just around the corner from the Dante House and there is also a photo shop that can tell you where it is. When I was looking for B&B's in Florence I thought I wanted to be right by Duomo. What a relief that I didn't select one of those that are on that piazza! We were very close to Duomo yet didn't have all the activity in front that those B&B's had.

We spent four days at Sani Tourist House in October 2007, and found the accommodation to be excellent. It had all that we required - clean, comfortable, quiet, and very convenient, For those who travel with large amounts of baggage, or who have trouble with stairs, there is a small elevator. Located next door to Dante’s House, it is within easy walking distance of all the attractions in medieval Florence. Vouchers were given for an Italian breakfast at a pleasant nearby bakery. The owner, Remo, could not have been more gracious or helpful. In our case, he went far out of his way to help us retrieve a lost jacket and send it to our home.