C-Hotels Club

The c-hotels Club's facade is a pleasant -- if unremarkable -- combination of green shutters and typical Florentine villa-style touches. Stepping inside, the 2014 renovations are very much in evidence, with a fresh and smartly styled reception area with tasteful contemporary furnishings, white wainscoting, periwinkle walls and blue upholstered chairs, a fireplace, and a jumble of black-and-white photographs, all of which give the feel of a private living room. The look wouldn't be out of place in an Art Deco beach house, a bit surprising for Florence. But unlike many more stuffy and old-fashioned hotels in the area, the ambience is modern and bright, with a boutique-meets-functional vibe. The lobby is small, and there's little else in the way of public space; the tiny elevator that can feel slightly claustrophobic. 

The hotel is situated in a busy and often congested street, just around the corner from the Santa Maria Novella central train station and the Sita terminal, a local bus company that connects Florence with many destinations in Tuscany. While the immediate area suffers from all the usual hubbub typical to a transport hub, the more serene and picturesque areas of the city are a short walk away. The famous domed Duomo cathedral and its piazza is 10 minutes away on foot while the beautiful old bridge of Ponte Vecchio takes just a few minutes more. Florence's small Amerigo Vespucci Airport is about 20 minutes away by car, while the more popular Pisa International Airport is about an hour by car or just a little longer by train.

Also having benefitted from the 2014 revamp, the hotel's 62 rooms are all fresh and modern with wood floors, pale white and gray striped wallpaper, dark, streamlined, wood-veneer furniture, and black-and-white framed photos of Italy. Standard amenities include minibars, kettles, and flat-screen TVs. Bathrooms, like the bedrooms, are clean but small, with either teensy walk-in showers or shower/tub combos. Despite the hotel's busy location, extra soundproofing means little or no noise from the hectic streets below reaches the rooms.  

There's little in the way of facilities at the c-hotels Club Florence; in fact, the only common space beside the lobby is the breakfast lounge area, located along the corridor between the lobby and the elevator. The tables are a bit packed together and there's not much privacy, but the continental buffet breakfast is decent enough and comes included in the room rate. Wi-Fi is free throughout the hotel and private parking can also be arranged nearby for a fee.