Hotel Review

Name: Santa Maria Novella Hotel

Location: Florence, Italy

Address: Piazza Santa Maria Novella 1

Phone: +39 055 271 840

Website: http://www.whythebesthotels.com/hsmn/en/florence-hotel.php

Reviewed By: Kindah Mardam Bey

If you plan of visiting Florence with an ideal of what Italy should look like and what the ideal place to stay might be then the Santa Maria Novella Hotel might just be the most ideal place for a traveler to stay. I have a tendency towards a little more adventurous options, but can see the comfort in having an expectation of what a city will have to offer and then having those expectations met. Plenty of fellow North Americans stayed at the Santa Maria Novella Hotel which lead me to believe that a level of comfort was to be had where travelers from a similar background could congregate and share stories of their daily adventures.

The Santa Maria Novella Hotel, is for all intensive purposes, exactly what you would imagine a distinguished hotel in Florence to look like. A historical décor that blends the feeling of Victoriana and Renaissance with just a hint of modern conveniences to keep the modern day traveler in comfort. I was told by one of the staff members of the hotel that the location had originally been a castle that had been given a second life by becoming a hotel in the 1800s where businessmen and artists could congregate. Over the decades this opulent hotel seems to have kept its luster without fading into the background of other more modern establishments. The restoration was put into the competent hands of Mrs. Marianna Gagliardi who also put together the stunning décor together for the Hotel L’Orologio situated precisely kiddie-corner to the Santa Maria Novella Hotel.

The Santa Maria Novella is a part of the “Why The Best Hotels” chain of boutique hotels nestled across Florence. Anywhere that travelers congregate one of the following list of hotels exists: Hotel Santa Maria  Novella, Grand Hotel Villa Cora, Hotel Balestri, Hotel Rosso23, Hotel Universo and the L’Orologio. You can check out all of the hotels websites from this direct location: www.whythebesthotels.com

 Set in the Santa Maria Novella Piazza (square), this hotel is centrally located. It looks west of the city but you can make your way across Florence from the Santa Maria Novella to the Santa Croce in fifteen minutes if you decide not to stop at the Duomo, the Uffizi Gallery or find a perfectly situated gelateria first. I had the most astounding view of The Santa  Maria Basilica, which is one of the oldest in the Florence. Literally within walking distance of the train station (I tested this theory with two heavy suitcases), the S anta Maria Novella Hotel is an ideal location for when you approach the city, stay for your duration and commence your departure.

Truly an enjoyable breakfast experience – not much for hot items, which I found was not a necessity. A variety of beverages, fruits, breads, cheeses, prosciutto, cereals, etc., were all of a very high quality and fresh.

Here is what the Santa Maria Novella Hotel has to offer above all other hotels – exceptionally friendly staff. The people who worked in the Santa Maria Novella Hotel gave the establishment the warmth and friendly feeling that you were stepping into your front living room and were being welcomed by family. The staff was incredibly efficient but seemed to have an added asset of making the customers feel welcomed.

Of three hundred and sixteen customer reviews on Booking.com the Santa Maria Novella Hotel had a ranking of 9.1 out of ten, a rating of “Superb.” I must agree whole-heartedly with the customer reviews on Booking.com, The Santa Maria Novella Hotel in Florence was simply superb.

(This hotel is featured at the end of the video)

With the grateful assistance of:

Written by :

Kindah