Hotel Casci - Florence, Italy     

What a delight to find this small hotel so centrally located for our three days in Florence. My daughter and I easily walked from the train station to the hotel, with excellent directions from Mr. Lombardi. The hotel is walkably close to the Duomo, markets, museums, and restaurants. Our hosts also made our reservations at the Accademia and the Uffizi, so we didn’t have to wait long in line. Our room was spacious and clean with crisp white linens and comfortable beds. We enjoyed the ample breakfast fare with local pastries, the wonderful coffee, and the helpful library of travel books and maps. A pleasant, gracious staff made us feel like family. Many of our fellow-guests shared our favorable opinion of Hotel Casci. I would definitely stay there again. The only downside was that our room could have used a little more heat, since November nights can be a little chilly.

My family and I (wife: 36; son: 15 months; me: 37) stayed at the Hotel Casci for eight nights in November, 2007. It was our first trip abroad with our son, and we were somewhat nervous about how he would adapt to the rigors of travel (and whether he would drive everyone else around us insane). Our worries were for naught -- the trip was fantastic, and our stay at Casci played a big part in making it so. The following are our thoughts on a thoroughly enjoyable stay: LOCATION: Tough to beat; the hotel is approx. 3 blocks from the Duomo. It's also just a few blocks from the Accademia & the Medici Chapels, to name a few more sites, and it's approx. a 10-minute walk from the train station and bus depots. OUR ROOM: clean, updated, with ample space; large double-bed; plenty of closet space, TV w/ remote & major international news channels in a variety of languages; the room was well-maintained and cleaned by the staff daily. Our room was very quiet, but it was to the rear of the hotel, so we can't comment on whether traffic noise is an issue. The hotel apparently has Wi-Fi in all the rooms, as well as air-conditioning. OUR BATHROOM: large, well-lit; excellent shower & bathtub with plenty of hot water; contemporary sink, toilet & bidet (if that's important to you); sufficient shelf space. STAFF: Simply Superb. For example, in the chaos of leaving, we left behind some relatively expensive prints we had purchased on our trip. We simply contacted the hotel, provided our credit card info, and they arranged to ship it here to the States. The front desk staff were friendly, always ready to help. They spoke flawless English, and appeared to be equally comfortable speaking German and French, at least. Every day the mother of the family who runs the hotel presided over breakfast, making sure you didn't need anything else. The cleaning staff was likewise friendly and hard-working. Everyone was kind and patient with our son. Our favorite staff member -- the receptionist Pierre, who was always ready to help, provide advice, make a reservation, or simply have a friendly chat. Lastly, the hotel responded quickly to all our e-mails. RECEPTION AREA: pleasant sitting area/bar with a computer available for guest use; the internet access was perfectly fast. The shelves are stocked full with an assortment of travel guides, both current and past editions, which you can borrow during your stay (we certainly did; a nice feature I have not noticed in other similar hotels we have stayed in). BREAKFAST: included with your stay. The hotel daily sets out a wide assortment of foods buffet-style: healthy cereals, hard-& soft- boiled eggs, fresh fruit, croissants, pasteries, yogurt, mini rustic pizzas, coffee & tea, fruit juices, etc. It's more than enough to start the day, and there is plenty of room in the dining area, with approx. 8-10 tables. FAMILIES: the hotel provided us with a crib in our room, which the staff turned down everyday with our son's little Mickey Mouse (awww....). The staff was accomodating in every possible way, and there were guests of all ages, from our 15-month old to the elderly. A variety of nationalities were represented as well. NEGATIVES: truthfully, none. If forced, one could complain that the elevator is a bit cramped, but that's true for almost every European hotel located in a centuries-old building; moreover, if that's your biggest problem, lucky you. Otherwise, its hard to find fault unless you were expecting a 5-star hotel for a 2/3-star price. The only types of traveler who might not like it here are (1) those looking for a loud, late-night, party atmosphere, or (2) those looking for luxury. Of course, Casci is perfectly comfortable. RECOMMENDED?: ABSOLUTELY.