Florence is exhausting. There, I said it. You spend six hours standing on cobblestones hard enough to shatter a kneecap, your brain is melting from trying to distinguish one High Renaissance fresco from another, and the humidity in the Arno Valley can feel like wearing a damp wool sweater in a sauna. By the time 6:00 PM rolls around, the last thing you want is a sterile, four-star hotel lobby that smells like industrial lemon cleaner and looks like every other Marriott in the Western hemisphere. You want a home. Or, at least, the Italian fantasy of a home—high ceilings, creaky parquet floors, and a nonna who might actually scold you if you don't eat enough schiacciata at breakfast.
Choosing the right bed and breakfasts in Florence is basically a high-stakes game of "Real or Rubbish." Because the city is so small—you can walk across the historic center in thirty minutes if you don't get stuck behind a tour group—the density of accommodation is staggering. Every Palazzo with a spare bedroom and a Nespresso machine calls itself a B&B these days. But there’s a massive difference between a windowless room near the train station and a three-room gem tucked inside a 16th-century tower.
Honestly, I’ve seen people book places based on a single photo of a croissant, only to realize their "scenic view" is a brick wall and a dumpster. To get it right, you have to look past the staged linens.
Why the Oltrarno is the Only Neighborhood That Still Matters
If you stay near the Duomo, you’re living in a museum. It’s beautiful, sure. But it’s also noisy, expensive, and smells vaguely of horse manure from the carriages. If you want the authentic bed and breakfast experience, you cross the Ponte Vecchio and head into the Oltrarno. This is the "other side" of the river. It’s where the woodworkers still have shops and the bars serve wine in tumblers instead of overpriced crystal.
Take a place like AdAstra. It’s located in the Torrigiani Garden, which is one of the largest private gardens in Europe. It isn't just a room; it’s an ancestral family mansion. You’re surrounded by overgrown greenery and crumbling statues. It feels like you’ve accidentally stumbled into a Sofia Coppola movie. The rooms are filled with a weird, brilliant mix of mid-century modern furniture and original Baroque frescoes. It’s jarring. It’s cool. It’s exactly what a Florence B&B should be.
Then there’s SoprArno Suites. Every room has a different theme. One might be dedicated to old-school carpentry, another to vintage travel. It’s located on Via Maggio, which is historically the street where the Florentine aristocracy built their "second" palaces. Staying here puts you right in the heartbeat of Santo Spirito. You wake up, walk outside, and you're ten steps away from some of the best coffee in the city. No tourist buses. No guys trying to sell you plastic boomerangs. Just real life.
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The Reality of "Historical Charm"
We need to talk about the trade-offs.
When a listing says "historical charm," they often mean the elevator was installed during the Eisenhower administration and fits exactly one person and a small backpack. If you have three heavy suitcases, you’re going to have a bad time. Many of the best bed and breakfasts in Florence are located on the third or fourth floor of buildings that were constructed before the concept of "accessibility" existed.
Also, air conditioning.
In Florence, AC is not a human right; it’s a luxury. In August, the city turns into a furnace. If you’re booking a budget B&B, check the fine print. Some places have "centralized" cooling that they only turn on during specific hours. Others have those portable units that roar like a jet engine and barely lower the temperature by two degrees. If you’re a light sleeper, this matters more than the thread count of the sheets.
What to look for in a listing:
- Floor level: Is there a lift? If not, how many stairs? Italian "first floor" is actually the second floor.
- Breakfast specifics: Is it a buffet or a voucher for a cafe next door? A lot of B&Bs are moving to the voucher system, which is fine, but it’s not the "homemade cake" experience people expect.
- Noise proofing: Look for mentions of "double glazing" or "soundproof windows," especially if the room faces a piazza.
Finding Value Near Santa Maria Novella
Usually, I tell people to avoid the area around the main train station (Santa Maria Novella). It’s often sketchy and loud. However, there are exceptions that prove the rule. Casa Howard is one of them. It’s technically a "Guest House," but it functions like a high-end B&B. It’s quirky. The rooms have themes like "The Library" or "The Hidden Room."
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The benefit of staying in this pocket is convenience. If you’re planning day trips to Lucca, Pisa, or Siena, being five minutes from the platforms is a godsend. You can roll out of bed, grab a cornetto, and be on a high-speed train before the crowds at the Uffizi have even finished their first espresso.
But don't just pick the cheapest spot on Booking.com near the station. There are streets like Via della Scala that are lovely, and then there are streets two blocks over that feel like a different, much grittier city. Research the specific block.
The "Boutique" Label is a Trap
Lately, every landlord with a bucket of grey paint and some IKEA furniture is slapping the word "Boutique" on their B&B. It’s a marketing buzzword that has lost all meaning. A true boutique bed and breakfast in Florence should offer something you can’t get at a Hilton.
Think about Velona’s Jungle Luxury Suites. The family that runs it has been in the antique business for generations. The decor is wild—lots of animal prints, lush fabrics, and genuine mid-century pieces. It’s family-run, which means when you ask for a restaurant recommendation, they don't give you a printed list of tourist traps. They tell you where they actually ate dinner last Tuesday. That’s the "E" in E-E-A-T—experience. You’re paying for their local knowledge as much as the bed.
Breakfast: The Great Italian Misunderstanding
Don't expect eggs, bacon, and hash browns.
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Italian breakfast is a sugar-fueled sprint. You’re going to see cakes. Lots of cakes. Ciambella, crostata with apricot jam, maybe some yogurt if you’re lucky. If you stay at a place like Locanda di Firenze, you’ll get a more traditional spread, but generally, the B&B breakfast is about coffee and carbs.
If you need protein to survive the day, look for B&Bs that cater specifically to international crowds or those that mention "savory options" like pecorino cheese and prosciutto. Otherwise, you’ll be starving by 11:00 AM.
Hidden Costs and the "City Tax"
People always forget the tassa di soggiorno. It’s a city tax that isn't included in your online booking price. In Florence, for a B&B, it usually ranges from €4 to €7 per person, per night, depending on the "star" rating of the establishment. You usually have to pay this in cash upon checkout.
Also, watch out for late check-in fees. Since many bed and breakfasts don't have a 24-hour front desk, if your flight is delayed and you arrive at 10:00 PM, you might be hit with a €30 or €50 "inconvenience fee." It’s annoying, but these are small operations, often run by one or two people who actually want to go home and sleep.
How to Book Like a Pro
- Check the official website. Often, B&Bs in Florence will offer a better rate (or at least a free bottle of wine) if you book directly rather than through Expedia or Booking.
- Use Google Maps Street View. Look at the entrance. Is it on a massive, busy road? Is it next to a nightclub? A "vibrant neighborhood" is often code for "you’ll hear teenagers screaming until 3:00 AM."
- Ask about the "ZTL." If you are crazy enough to drive in Florence, you need to know that the historic center is a Restricted Traffic Zone (ZTL). If you drive past the cameras without your B&B registering your plate, you’ll get a massive fine in the mail six months later.
Florence is a city that rewards the patient. It rewards the people who look into the side streets of San Frediano or the quiet corners near Sant'Ambrogio. If you pick the right bed and breakfast, you aren't just a visitor; you're a temporary resident of the Renaissance.
Actionable Steps for Your Trip
- Verify the AC Status: If traveling between June and September, send a direct message asking if the AC is guest-controlled or on a timer.
- Map Your Morning: Use a tool like Google Maps to check the walking distance from your B&B to the Piazza della Signoria. If it’s more than 20 minutes, you’re likely outside the primary ring, which is fine, but you'll need to account for more transit time.
- Cash is King: Keep at least €50 in small bills specifically for the city tax and incidental tips, as B&B owners often prefer cash for the tax portion to simplify their accounting.
- Download "Citymapper": It handles Florence’s bus system much better than Google Maps does, especially for the small electric buses (the "C" lines) that navigate the tiny streets of the center.
- Book Your Museums Early: Even the best B&B host can't magically get you into the Uffizi if you haven't booked weeks in advance during peak season. Do it the moment you confirm your room.
- Request a "Quiet Room": When booking, always add a note asking for a room that does not face the street. In Italian buildings, internal courtyard rooms are significantly quieter, even if they lack a "view."