Grand Hotel Majestic - Florence, Italy 

"A weekend of culture"
Posted: Mon, Nov 23 2009
Perfect for a weekend of culture and sightseeing. Near enough to the major sights to walk comfortably. Hotel was very comfortable and food was good, although the breakfast was a bit variable.

DO NOT BOOK
Posted: Mon, Dec 01 2008
BED BUGS!!!! The first room we were given was infested with bed bugs. The room was filthy with stains and damaged furniture. The air conditioning was off and the room was exceptionally noisy when the unscreened windows were opened. The hotel desk does not speak English. The second room was slightly cleaner with damaged furniture. Noisy since the windows needed to be opened. The hotel hallways smelled from what I guess was sewage at the bottom of the elevator shafts. The entire hotel was poorly maintained with cracked and dirty paint, stained carpets and beds that were held together by boards under the mattress. The breakfast was poor and amounted to a croisant, burnt coffee and cereal. A terrible experience and the worst hotel I have stayed in twenty years. Several times when we left or returned there was no one at the front desk acting as security.

Very Enjoyable Stay!
Posted: Wed, Jul 09 2008
My girlfriend and I booked this hotel well before any of these bad reviews were posted and were very concerned about the place. Entirely Without Reason!! We really enjoyed our stay there and would definitely stay there again. The hotel was in good condition, our room was very clean, we used the airconditioning 24/7 (we arrived during the recent heatwave, 35-39 degrees!) and it worked well. The hotel is a very short walk from the railway station and was suprisingly quiet! In fact it was lovely to wake up to the distant toll of church bells. Our room overlooked the lovely roof garden & we could see the roof of the San Lorenzo chapel and the Duomo. The hotel is perfectly placed to visit the plethora of attractions of Florence - everywhere is in very easy walking distance. I must take issue with a few things in previous reviews. The staff were as friendly and helpful as all Italians are. Like all people if you are polite they will respond in kind! Italians are animated and vocal in conversation - this could be why one reviewer believed the hotel staff were arguing outside their room. The staff only worked on the corridors after 8am on vacant rooms. You really should be out of bed by then - go enjoy Florence! The buffet breakfast was excellent. The staff coped well when the place was full. We saw only one homeless person (well behaved too) near the hotel through the week - hardly a problem. Italy is a country of many smokers - there is bound to be one crafty smoker among the hotel staff. Italians cannot smoke in restaurants or bars anymore so this is not a problem. I don't smoke but I think a little more tolerance & appreciation of the fact that you are in a different country with a whole different culture is needed. Relax & enjoy.