Hotel and Residence Palazzo Ricasoli, Florence

After spending five nights at the Residence Palazzo Ricasoli in April 2007, I would give the place a mixed review. On the positive side, staff was friendly and accommodating. Our suite for a family of four was a decent size and contained two bathrooms. The beds contained firm mattresses and were comfortable. The hotel's courtyard is very pretty, and when within its walls, you feel as if you are away from the city. There were several negative aspects to this hotel. First, the hotel is located about a good 15 minute walk from the major attractions. The railroad station was also a long walk away. While the bathrooms were kept clean, the floors in the bedrooms and living rooms always felt gritty. Perhaps this is why the hotel provides slippers for the guests. You will also need to bring your own shampoo; otherwise you will be using the bath gel they provide to wash your hair with. Perhaps the most negative thing of all was that the air conditioning was not turned on even though the temperatures were in the high seventies to low eighties during our stay. So we were left with the choice of sleeping with the windows open and being subjected to the street noise and a tour group of shouting teenage girls that were staying at the hotel, or shutting the windows and sweltering. The hotel needs to go by the temperature when deciding when to turn on the airconditioning, not by the month of the year. All things considered, if I were to go to Florence again I would choose other accommodations.