Our second stop of our Europe trip back in May was a short train ride from Rome to Florence. Our trip to Italy was only six days before we headed to Spain for my friend’s wedding, so we definitely wished we had more time to explore some of our favorite spots, like Florence. Regardless, we made the most of our two days in Florence, which you can check out in my Italy vlog. To continue my travel review series, I wanted to share my thoughts of Hotel Ville sull’Arno.
Image from the Hotel Ville sull’Arno website
First Impressions:
Italy had a taxi strike the day we traveled from Rome to Florence, so that added an additional challenge. Luckily, there were plenty of Uber drivers in Rome to get us to the train station, but once we got to Florence, we realized that options are quite limited when taxis are not in service. Somehow we matched with one of the few Uber drivers and after a 15-minute (very expensive) ride to Hotel Ville sull’Arno, we checked in at the quaint lobby. It is important to note that Hotel Ville sull’Arno is about a 10 minute drive to the historic city center, so keep that in mind if you are looking into this hotel. There is a shuttle to and from old town, but the timing is not always ideal. If there happens to be a taxi strike while you’re in Italy, be prepared to get crafty when it comes to getting around. We didn’t have time to try it out, but public transportation is an option as well as private car services if you need to get to the train station or airport at a specific time. Anyway – enough with the taxi situation, back to the hotel review.
Upon check-in our room was not ready so the concierge directed us to the bar where we were provided a drink on the house. Even before getting to our room, we could tell that the hotel was definitely an upgrade from Hotel Barberini in Rome. The Tuscan influence was beautiful and the hotel itself was spacious and quieter than our stay in Rome (which is more our vibe).
Our room:
Once again, I forgot to take pictures of our room before we unpacked, but I do have a complete room tour in my vlog. I’ll include some photos from the website below, but overall, we were very pleased. The room itself was oddly shaped, but it was large and the bed was comfy. Also, we had a hot tub on our deck that unfortunately, we did not get a chance to use.
Photo from Hotels.com
Amenities
The pool opened up for the season a few weeks before our arrival, and I was very much looking forward to some relaxing time on a lounge chair after being on the go. In addition to the pool, there is an onsite restaurant, bar, and spa. The hotel is also located along the river and next to a large park, so there are plenty of options for scenic walks.
I took advantage of the room service one of the evenings and ordered a club sandwich. It was quite delicious!
Overall thoughts:
We were very pleased with our stay at Hotel Ville sull’Arno. Although, I do wish we did a little more research before booking this hotel as we would have preferred to stay in the city center. A majority of the restaurants and touristy sights we had on our to-do list were in old town, so being within walking distance would have been a plus. Regardless, if you are looking for a beautiful hotel outside of the Florence hustle and bustle, I recommend Hotel Ville sull’Arno.
If you’re thinking about booking a vacation, I highly recommend our go-to travel agent, Lisa with Lisa’s Dream Destinations. Working with a Professional Travel Agent can save you both time and money and in turn, reduce stress that comes along with travel planning. Plus, Lisa is 100% free for clients.She gets paid through the hotels and accommodations directly. Contact Lisa today: Destinationsbylisa@gmail.com.
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xoxo Olivia
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