La Gioconda - Florence, Italy 

Do Not Stay Here!
Posted: Mon, Dec 24 2007
I do not recommend this hotel to anyone. I spent 6 weeks in Europe this summer and this hotel was by far the biggest disappointment. The only thing that this hotel has going for it is the location. The room is extremely minimal and not up to par. I would under no circumstances rate this a 3 star hotel- I agree with other reviews that it is more like a hostel. I wish I knew before I made my reservation. The mattress was absolutelty horrible – springs creeked every time you moved and there was a huge dip in the middle of the bed – the mattress is probably older than I am! I literally had to request additional pillows to run lengthwise on the mattress to make it firmer so that I could sleep. The bathroom is very small and the water leaks out into the room. Also, the maids did not clean our room 2 out of the 3 days that we were there and we were not given clean towels. In addition, the one day that they did come they turned off our airconditioner – and it was over 90F! I paid way too much for the crappy room and then they had the audacity to turn off my airconditioning! Also, beware of the stairs – there is no elevator. We were of course on the top floor and got to haul our bag up close to 90 stairs! The staff is very rude – we asked the concierge to look into tickets for the Galleria Dell’Accadeimia to see the David – and he didn’t bother to do it so we didn’t get to go. I guess he is just paid to sit on his butt all day and be rude to customers. Lastly, the “breakfast” is a complete joke. You get a corssiant, a packaged biscuit, and some NASTY red juice – I have no idea what it was. We oke up early to go to breakfast and were very upset to see what we got – we only went once! Overall, this a HORRIBLE HOTEL and I would not recommend it to anyone. You are paying way too much for what you get – look elsewhere. HOPE THIS HELPS EVERYONE! HAVE FUN IN FLORENCE - MINUS THE HOTEL, I LOVED IT!

Not a 3-star
Posted: Thu, Dec 20 2007
This hotel was the worst place we stayed in during out trip to Italy. I will say that the location was great. But for the price and the three star rating, this hotel was a huge dissapointment. The rooms really need to updated. The carpets are old and the lighting is terrible. We had a lightbulb that had burned out, we requested it be replaced or they provided us with a new bulb two times, it never happened. I would NEVER stay here again, there are much better places to stay.

Other reviews a little harsh I think
Posted: Sun, Dec 09 2007
The hotel is OK but certainly nothing special. Rooms are clean enough but they are dark and can be a little cold at night in winter. Florence is an amazing place so if you just need somewhere to sleep then this is a great, reasonably priced place as the location is simply superb. Especially if you are arriving by train. Ask for a room on a lower floor as it is a long hike with bags to the top floor (no elevator). Oh, and the breakfast is a joke!

Very disappointing hotel
Posted: Sun, Dec 02 2007
Good points: great location, so handy for main part of Florence, all the attractions and restaurants. Staff on the night shift were very friendly, eager to please and liked to chat. Bad points: room not dissimilar to a prison cell. Tiny, unrecognisable from any photos we have seen on the website. It was in the back of the hotel and was barely big enough for two people. The hallway and all the corridors smell of musty food or something equally distasteful. We were on the top floor (five flights of winding stairs) and with no lift, I do not know how most people get their cases up the stairs. I am a sportsman and over 6 foot 3, so managed... barely!!! General tip: if you are here for a short time, this hotel will suffice, but for a special occasion, do not bother, you will be disappointed. Not really reflective of the price - more like a no frills experience.