Ritz

“Give them a chance..... It's not all bad!”

I booked this hotel on one of Expedia's. 'Secret Hotels' which they said was a '4 Star Branded Hotel' , and felt that I was completely misled ( never ever going to book secret hotel with Expedia again). If you are someone who expects a good level of decor, furnishings and nicely tiled bathroom as... lisää

I booked this hotel on one of Expedia's. 'Secret Hotels' which they said was a '4 Star Branded Hotel' , and felt that I was completely misled ( never ever going to book secret hotel with Expedia again). If you are someone who expects a good level of decor, furnishings and nicely tiled bathroom as you would expect in a 4 star, you will be sorely disappointed, HOWEVER, in my case I am annoyed with Expedia for the misleading info, rather than the hotel. Actually, there were some good points! There is no getting away from the fact that cracked brown tiles with orange flowers on them went out of date several decades ago ( it probably helped the 4 star ranking back then ... but at least in the 70's they were in fashion!). The furniture was very basic, and the decor hasn't been touched in many years. Yes, if you're looking for 4 star luxury accommodation, you will not be a happy bunny!! Apparently in Italy, it's quite difficult to lose star ratings for poor decor, and so it is a genuine 4 star, but not what we'd expect in 2015 as a good example of this rating. In trying to be fair, I think you need to look at the positives ( admittedly this is difficult when you feel you've been taking part in an episode of 'Life on Mars') however there are some good things about this hotel that it's easy to overlook when you're feeling let down by the star rating. Cleanliness - I have to say that was a definite positive, and at a higher standard than I have seen in some 4 star UK hotels. Staff - amongst the nicest and most helpful ( including being apologetic about the decor) that I've come across, and the comments made in other reviews about the night porter are so wrong, I can only surmise they changed employee with the recent ownership change, or he's had a personality transplant.... positively charming is the only vibe I got from him. The breakfast was a continental layout plenty of food, and very nice in a clean breakfasting room. The location was very good, sufficiently far away from the centre so as not to be too noisy but within 10 minutes walk of many attractions. The bed was perfectly comfortable, and my internet connection was fine, though I was on the first floor so I don't know if that made a difference. The cherry on the cake for me was that my room had a balcony, was directly opposite the Piazzale Micaelangelo on the hill across the river, and I probably had the premium seat, from my balcony ( with glass of wine in hand) for watching the fireworks on their saints day.... Spectacular!! Having been so disappointed with the look of the hotel room, I spoke with the young manager at reception, who turned out to be the new owner. He explained that he'd only taken over the hotel a few weeks ago, and had plans for starting a major redevelopment after the summer season. His intention is to bring it up in decor standards to that of a proper 4 star, and has some really nice ideas for taking it forward ( possibly including a Spa) but in the meantime he has to honour bookings, and from a business point of view, I can understand that he needs to take in whatever money he can over the summer to help pay for all of this. I expect that in a year or so, you will see the cost of this hotel considerably higher than now, as it will look good, and as the saying goes 'location, location, location'! My recommendation is that if you want to book somewhere cheap, clean and well situated, and don't mind too much about the poor furnishings, then go ahead and you'll be fine, if however you are someone who wants a fluffy rug by the bed with a pile of frilled cushions on the bed, a power shower in a nice marbelled and well lit bathroom with a well stocked mini bar, then pay more and look elsewhere. It's a case of managing your own expectations, and don't be too hard on the owner if your expectations are set too high. Two tips for a visit to Florence, you will walk everywhere, so take good shoes and some compeed for the blisters. Also, buy the city sightseeing ticket €20 for one day but only €25 for 2 days, as you can go round and round 3 different routes (right up into the hills with one of them) and get on and off as much as you like, it's a great way to cram in all the history.

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