Our favorite hotel in Florence
By A Yahoo! Contributor, 3/17/10
We have stayed in five different hotels in Florence over the past 10 years, and our favorite by far is the Silla. This past New Years (2010) was our fourth stay at the Silla, which has become like a second home to us. The staff is very personable and helpful, the breakfast buffet suits us very well, and the support staff are quite gracious. We have only stayed in rooms 31, 32, & 33, which vary in size (31 is the largest), where the river views are wonderful. Even if it’s raining you can gaze out the window at the panorama across the river. The public areas are small, but our goal in travelling is not to sit in hotel lobbies. While the location is not in the city core, you are still within walking distance, and the nearest bus stop is not far. But for us the location is virtually ideal because of what you find close by in the San Nicolo area:
• Food: two of our favorite restaurants: I Tarocchi (pizza!) and Osteria Antica Mescita
• Museums: the newly re-opened Bardini Museum and Casa Siviero
• Churches: tiny San Nicolo is just around the corner, but straight across the Arno is Santa Croce
• And if you need essentials, on the same block are a drug store, a grocery store, and a tabaccheria (for bus tickets).
The location is ideal for early morning walks, up to San Miniato al Monte, or to Fort Belvedere, or across to the other side of the river.
If you are into nightclubbing (we are not), there are a couple down the street.
If you like to engage in people watching, Piazza Demidoff (with park benches) is directly in front of the hotel.
Suggestion when booking: ask about available specials.
But it’s the location and the people that keep us going back.