Hotel Balestri

Location: perfect. Close to everything, yet just removed enough to get a close breeze from the Arno. Lovely view from the river side rooms. Service: spotty. We pulled up in a cab and the three people at the front desk simply watched us as we tried too wrangle a child and three large suitcases from the cab and up the steps into the lobby (no ramp). Same exact thing happened as we were leaving. No bell boy service to speak of. Concierge: do not follow their restaurant recs. We were directed to a tourist trap place on the river which I suspect give a kickback to the hotel. Do more research and you will have a much better experience. Rooms: we stayed in a family suite, which was perfect for two adults and a teen. Ample room. Very comfortable beds. It comes with slippers and bathrobe, which are lovely. The bathrooms need an update, as the lack of hooks and wobbly shower shelves are simply gharish. The towel heater was nice. The shower doors do not close and water continuously trickles to the floor. The hair dryer overheated. Rooms service- prompt , thorough and daily. The outside of the doors is one decorative knocker but it is difficult to figure out how to hang the do not disturb sign on it. The staff starts cleaning at ten giving you a nice wake up call when they walk in . Decor: I truly have no idea what on earth is up with the very large and numerous statues of Goofy in the hotel, but the whole hotel looks like it was decorated by a disney adult who hired an interior decorator to make the hideous statues look OK. Ill placed decorative art that does nothing for the space. The lobby needs an update, as there are aging mirrors and prominent signs of wear and tear. Breakfast- plenty of options of fruits, yogurt, eggs, bacon pastries and cold cuts. The wait staff was friendly and lovely. Overall a positive review due to location, breakfast staff, and spacious but aggresively average room.

Fabulous hotel in a great location with exceptional staff. We had a great time staying here. Although our room was small it was very comfortable and the views were amazing. Great breakfast as well. Will stay again next time in Florence. And a special shout out to their luxurious towels.