Grand Hotel Mediterraneo - Florence, Italy     

Rooms are really tiny. Air con was leaking in the first room given. A technician came and checked, language problem as he didn't speak English. He (I think) wanted us to off the aircon for the night! After much furstration and lots of hand gestering, we finally got a change of room. Another tiny room with an even tinnier bathroom. Abit of a walk from city center, but still alright. We gave up halfway though, because the sun was just too unbearable. A cab ride from Santa Croce cost abt e$10. If walking, just follow the river and you will find your way back to the hotel. Breakfast is pretty standard. Barman at level 1 is unfriendly and stuck up and so is the staff at reception. okay place to rest your head but I don't think I'll ever return for another stay.

We stayed at this hotel as part of a Monograms tour. The hotel is in a good location, right on the Arno river and only about 10-15 minutes walk to the downtown area. The hotel itself is fine, not fancy, but comfortable with a good breakfast, helpful staff, and a good-sized, clean room. Only negative was the shower, which was not a standalone unit but was just a curtained off area in the bathroom. We had some flooding issues until we figured out how to use it correctly... There is both a supermarket and an internet cafe within a few blocks of the hotel - ask the front desk for details. We saved a fortune by purchasing bottled water and soda at the supermarket instead of while we were walking around, and the internet cafe came in handy for checking e-mail.