Pitti Palace Hotel is a three stars hotel in a dream location, right at the foot of Ponte Vecchio and the Vasari Corridor, few yards from the Uffizi Gallery, Palazzo Vecchio, Pitti Palace.
The hotel is in one of the districts most evocative of medieval Florence, and is few minutes' walk to all main sites.
The hotel is within the walls of the Torre dei Rossi (Rossi Tower), which dates back to 1200. From the tower you can see the Ponte Vecchio's stone buttresses jutting out over the Arno river. With its 7 floors, the tower is one of Florence's tallest buildings, and its guest comes into intimate contact with genuine Florentine atmosphere, past and present.
Hotel facilities include museums, shows, restaurants, travel and car rental reservations, cocktail lounge, laundry service, room service.
The hotel's sixth floor is an amazing showcase of that marvellous jewel which is Florence: the breakfast room offers spectacular views of the city, and the guest can relax in the café lounge, at the bar or out on two spacious terraces, where breakfast is served in the summer, while enjoying breathtaking views of Florence's skyline and landmarks and of the Tuscan landscape, characterized by the gently rolling hills of Renaissance paintings. At your feet, the cut stone of Florentine palaces gleams in the sunset, to create the color of an unforgettable moment.
The 72 rooms have large windows, absorbing the special atmosphere of the Oltrarno, the other side of the river.
Rooms have en-suite bathroom with bathtub, air conditioning, sound-proofing, satellite TV, fridge, direct dial telephone, wall safe for valuables, hair dryer.
Some typical guests' reviews:
"This hotel is ideally situated for visiting the major tourist sites and is located within minutes of several very good restaurants. The buffet breakfast was excellent and plentiful and was available on the terrace or inside, both offering wonderful views over the city. The hotel was very clean and the staff attentive. We were pleased with our choice of hotel and would certainly stay there again when we return to Florence."
"Perfect location at the foot of ponte vecchio with nearby parking, allowing all sightseeing by walking."
"The hotel is in the best location, right at Ponte Vecchio. Good for the car, which you can park nearby. The hotel management is very professional. And the breakfast terrace has views over Florence landmarks. A very good relationship between price and quality."
"Excellent location right near the Ponte Vecchio. You never have to worry about getting lost. There is some noise from the loads of tourists on the bridge which could bother you if you are a light sleeper, but we had no problems. A very pleasant place to stay."
"A very comfortable hotel in a centre location (hence the noise level if open windows). Excellent breakfast buffet with views included! They have done a great job in providing additional quiet areas for guests. 2 seconds to Ponte Vecchio. Another plus - a fruit shop and deli just around the corner! Friendly staff, will definitely stay there again on next visit."
"Comfortable."
"Though the room is smaller by American standards it was perfectly adequate for my needs. The staff was completely knowledgeable and ready to help with any needs. I loved the location, and will be coming back to stay at the Pitti Palace. The breakfasts were exceptional."
"The single rooms are very small. However, they were very clean and well equipped (even a minibar). I was delighted with the reception, friendliness and helpfulness of the staff, and the restaurant facilities were great. The price was very reasonable. Thank you for a very enjoyable stay."
"Ideal location right at end of Ponte Vecchio bridge. Great view over Florence from terrace on top floor. Terrace used for breakfasts and then bar at night. Hotel modern inside and very effective aircon which was a blessing as very hot in Florence during August. Definitely recommend."

General price range per room
Single & double rooms: 90 - 220 euros

Website: Hotel Pitti Palace in Florence

Aprile Hotel is a three stars hotel just around the corner from the central rail station, within sight of the campanile of S.Maria Novella Church, 10 minutes' walk to the Duomo and all major attractions.
Lovingly converted from a 15th century Medici palace, the Aprile Hotel is a building officially listed by the Fine Arts Commission as part of the historic heritage.
Some of the rooms are lovely, with frescoes, high vaulted ceilings and furniture in the Florentine Renaissance style.
Amenities include lounge, bar, breakfast room and quiet courtyard garden where tables and chairs are set out among the greenery. Snacks are available during the day, and you will find a number of restaurants in the immediate neighbourhood.
Spotlessly-kept and furnished in individual style, all 30 rooms have en-suite bathroom, telephone, minibar. Those at the front are double glazed.
Some typical guests' reviews:
"I would recommend the Aprile; the hotel is extremely well-located and easy to walk to from the train station. Very pleasant and competent staff. We would stay again."
"I thought this hotel was very charming. The courtyard was so pretty and peaceful, a nice place to relax before or after sightseeing. The room was facing the garden and that really made my stay. My room was small but I thought they had made the best use of the space. The bathroom was new with enough counterspace, good shower head, great water pressure and a hairdryer that worked well. I would definately stay here again, should I be so lucky to be back in Florence again. The staff was also was nice without being intrusive and they all spoke english very well."
"We loved Hotel Aprile. Easy walk from train station and walked all over Firenze from here. Nice courtyard for breakfast. Our only complaint was noise from the busy street below."
"Fabulous historic hotel in busy Florence historic center. The room was both charming and immense, that’s bigger than huge. - Only King sized bed we found in all of Italy - but the bed sagged on one side. The room was big. The domed ceiling appeared to be up to 30 feet high. This was an authentic feature that added to the experience. Unfortunately, it also added to the echo. Note to owners, put up some tapestries, or paintings on the walls. The room, lobby, breakfast area, and outdoor courtyard were reason enough to stay there. What pushed the property over the edge were the discretionary courtesies provided by the front desk staff. A month before our arrival, they got in touch with the ticket office at the Uffizi and Piti Palace. This avoided waiting a half day in line just from this courtesy. We spoke with other tourists at the Uffizi who’s hotel was "unable to reach the ticket office". Ours succeeded based on a single email request. Thank you Aprile. They also helped us find a very nearby laundry mat. Might not sound like much here, but when your on the road and can have everything cleaned for the price of two items of hotel dry cleaning, your very happy. In general, the front desk people made the stay a success with their attitude. Joyce, Barbara, and the night guy were a joy. The in-hotel Lecture on Florence from Alexandra was a special treat. After our first day of touring the Uffizi we knew that we were both overwhelmed and under prepared for the centuries of art at our fingertips. Hotel April was able to arrange a couple of hours with a private tour guide for our next day."
"My friend and I stayed at the Hotel Aprile for 3 nights and were very pleased with our choice. Our first night, we were in a large room at the front. It was very spacious, featured a beautiful, old armoire, and had a very clean and modern bathroom. However, it was very noisy (motorbikes whizzing by and dogs barking all night). We asked to move to a courtyard room at the rear - the hotel staff were very accommodating, and we were very comfortable in the new room. It was smaller, but with a very pleasant decor and plenty of room to move. From our window we had a partial view of Santa Maria Novella. I loved the public areas of the hotel because they really gave you a sense of what the palace must have looked like originally ... I only wished the hotel had some printed information on the building's history. The breakfast room was bright and comfortable, and though the selection was limited, the continental breakfast was good. It was nice that the hotel provided packaged crackers and pieces of fruit - they saved us a few times from having to buy morning/afternoon snacks. The location of the hotel is good - walking distance to the train station, steps from Santa Maria Novella (which was one of my favorite places we visited while in Florence), and only a few doors down from the Santa Maria Novella pharmacy, which is fantasic (readers of Rick Steve's Florence guide can learn more). I would recommend this hotel to anyone who is visiting Florence, and I would definitely stay there again on a return trip."
"We really enjoyed our stay and the staff at the hotel was excellent and very accomodating."
"Charming hotel with very clean, new and spacy bathroom."
"This was a very good hotel. All staff were most helpful, friendly and welcoming. It was in an excellant position for site seeing and very clean and well looked after. Would highly recommend."
"Very spacious rooms, and a wonderful location. My only disappointment was the breakfast: our other hotels in Italy offered, in additional to breads and yogurt, cereal and hard boiled eggs."
"Thank you to the welcoming desk and other staff at Aprile. With their assistance, heartily feasted at a nearby & reasonably priced trattoria. The next day, we wasted no time getting to & into museums. As most arrivals by train, the hotel is easy and convenient to find on foot. Our room might have been a little noisy for some folks being at street level, but we enjoyed the spaciousness, comfortable beds, and sparkling modern bath. Breakfast was first rate. We had a wonderful nite at Aprile and more. You exceeded our expectations. Thank you so much."
"Good facilities, very pleasant staff, and excellent location. Rooms VERY large by European standards. (A little noisy!)"
"We loved staying in Hotel Aprile. The low-ceiling, narrow hallways had such an old-world feel, and the receptionist was incredibly accommodating, no matter what language one spoke. The internet corner was especially convenient. I can say the shower temperature fluctuated a bit, and our room just happened to overlook a busy street which had motorscooter traffic throughout the night, but this seemed minor compared to how well we enjoyed the layout of the room, with two bathrooms to accommodate my husband and my getting ready at the same time, also their bar area and antique furnishings gave a very cozy, comfortable atmosphere to the hotel. We would gladly stay at Hotel Aprile again, and recommend it to all our friends traveling to Florence!"
"As is shown on the lots of guide books, the room and breakfast room had the fresco, that was marvellous. The staff were really nice and helpful even with the language problem. The breakfast menu were also nice and we had a very good time in this hotel. We would really like to thank all the staff at Aprile."
"A charming old building and our room was tastefully decorated."
"We adore the Aprile and have stayed there a number of times, in summer, winter and spring, and always to our complete satisfaction. We recommend it to all who want such accomodations in Florence; indeed, I did so just this morning. As well, we were very happy with the newfound ability to make reservations with such ease through your firm. Thank you for asking!"

General price range per room
Single, double, triple & quadruple rooms: 90 - 250 euros

Website: Hotel Aprile in Florence