Via delle Mantellate 2, Florence, Italy | (888) 616-5829
Historic 16th-century palazzo setting with lovely courtyard
Quiet San Lorenzo
location, away from the crowds
Air-conditioned rooms and apartments, all with en-suite bathrooms
All apartments have kitchenettes, some with terraces
Breakfast with hot and
cold options included in room rates
Conference room big enough for up to 100 guests
Free Wi-Fi throughout
Rooms are spare,
outdated, and can be noisy
Group tours can make breakfast hectic
Extra fee for using
kitchenettes in apartments
Double beds are
pushed-together twin beds and can be uncomfortable
The 101-room Hotel
Palazzo Ricasoli is a budget hotel with a mix of classic hotel rooms and
apartment-style accommodations. It's spread across two buildings -- one of which is a 16th-century Tuscan palazzo -- and there's a lovely pebbled courtyard in the center. Apartments have kitchenettes, but there's an extra fee to use them. Unfortunately, the decor is sparse and dated, which is a shame given the buildings' potential. Apartments at Rinascimento Palace on the Arno River have more character and fully equipped kitchens, for
only a slightly higher price.
Disclaimer: This content was accurate at the time the hotel was reviewed. Please check our partner sites when booking to verify that details are still correct.
Scene
Historic Tuscan palazzo setting geared toward tour groups
Housed in a 16th-century
monastery-turned-palazzo, the hotel
makes a splendid first impression. A pebbled courtyard with potted palms, scattered
tables and benches, columned arcades, and classical sculptures all make the
grounds feel special. Large classical paintings and preserved
original frescoes give the lobby and common spaces an authentic touch, though the furniture looks outdated rather than antique. The hotel is particularly popular with tour groups, which sometimes makes common areas feel noisy and hectic, particularly during breakfast.
Location
Quiet area of San Lorenzo neighborhood, within walking distance of historic sights
The hotel is just north of the
historic center of Florence. This residential corner of the San Lorenzo neighborhood is quiet but still retains a classical Florentine character. Antica Trattoria da Tito -- just across the street from the hotel, -- has excellent traditional Tuscan meals and is popular with locals and tourists alike. It's a five-minute walk from the hotel to the San Lorenzo
Basilica and a 10-minute walk from the Medici Chapel and the Accademia Gallery, home to Michelangelo’s David.
The Duomo is 15 minutes from the hotel on foot and the Uffizi Gallery and Ponte
Vecchio are a 20-minute walk away. Taxis take about
10 minutes to reach Santa Maria Novella Train Station, and 20 minutes to
Amerigo Vespucci Airport.
Rooms
Mostly spacious, but noisy and outdated rooms that lack character
The rooms and apartments
here are spacious, clean, and bright, but they don’t live up to the grandeur
suggested by their palazzo setting.
Whether they are located in the newer structure or the historic 16th-century building, most rooms and
apartments are spartan and dated, with mismatched furniture ranging from
vintage leather chairs to bamboo tables, much of it with
evident wear and tear. The art on the walls looks cheap and the pieces are small for the high-ceilinged
spaces, as are the flat-screen TVs. All rooms have safes, minibars, and air-conditioning. Double beds at this hotel, which have thin patterned comforters, are simply two twin beds shoved
together and aren’t the most comfortable. The large, tiled, en-suite bathrooms with walk-in showers are simple and have heated towel racks, though the grout in some is in need of a good cleaning.Some Two-Room
Apartments have terraces and all Two- and Three-Room Apartments have separate
bedrooms and kitchenettes with small electric burners and mini-fridges, though
there is a fee to use the kitchenette and the cleaning staff will not take care
of used dishes. Thin walls mean that guests can hear noise from neighboring rooms, and rooms facing Trattoria da Tito can be noisy late into the night.
Features
Excellent free breakfast and lovely outdoor courtyard, plus conference room and free Wi-Fi
An excellent breakfast is included in room rates and comes with plenty of hot and cold options along with hot coffee, though the large groups that
stay here can make breakfast hours exceptionally hectic. Fortunately, guests have the option of taking breakfast in their rooms. Light meals and cocktails are
available in the on-site bar throughout the day, and drinks can be taken to the tables in the lovely columned
arcade or courtyard, weather permitting. The on-site conference room can host
up to 100 people, though the space is average and doesn’t have the historic
quality of the hotel’s grounds or common areas. Free Wi-Fi is available
throughout the hotel, and the
24-hour front desk can provide concierge services and arrange laundry or dry
cleaning.
