Hotel Bavaria - Florence, Italy     

We stayed for 3 nights and were disappointed not to have an ensuite room. The bathroom that we shared was used by several people (from 5 or 6 rooms!) .....some using the shower facility and some the toilet, as they had partial en suites in their rooms. There was also a lovely open, common area where people could congregate with fellow residents. Our bedroom, which had a sink, was fairly basic (no TV, or phone) and we made the mistake of leaving the window open as we slept. The next day we found that we were badly bitten by mosquitoes, which left us with welts on our skin, that have lasted over 2 weeks. Breakfast was fairly good and the staff seemed helpful. To get to our room it was about 83 concrete steps (yes, we counted them!) from the main floor, so this hotel is not for the faint hearted or frail, especially if you have to carry your own luggage. The location was good for us, close to the Duomo and the main train station.

Best price thru Venere. Came by car and got lost looking for it. Finally found a great garage to park at that was only 1 block away. Still had trouble finding it while standing right in front of it. It was a Sunday and the doors were closed. "The street names don't always match the plaques on the buildings - on one side its Via del Corso, and on the other, it's Abruzzi. If it's helpful, the door is directly across from a wedding dress store, and if the door is closed you have to get buzzed up." Once inside, you have to climb a few flights of stairs, no elevator. Owners very nice and helpful. Our room was very large, perfect for us and two teenagers. We had a bathroom in our room which was old but fine. Lighting was not so great. No TV, but who needs it on a great vacation. We played cards and laughed a lot. Beautiful courtyard. There was an early evening thunderstorm which was fun to watch. Continental breakfast was good. Very short walk to Duomo. Fantastic! This is a very quaint, clean, quiet, and friendly place to stay.