Hotel Santa Maria Novella

Great hotel, great location, can’t go wrong!

We really enjoyed our stay at the hotel. It is perfectly located just outside the main city centre in Florence within walking distance of all the attractions and plenty of restaurants. The hotel staff was very friendly and they even helped track down our lost luggage at the airport. We were upgraded to a room with a view over the plaza which was gorgeous. The room was well equipped and very cute, my wife and I really enjoyed our stay. Complimentary breakfast was very complete with coffee, pastries, cold cuts, even eggs and bacon which aren’t typically found in European hotels. We would definitely stay there again and would recommend it. The proximity to the train station made it a very convenient location but because it was on the plaza it was very quiet and safe.

The best place to stay in Florence

Out of all the hotels we’ve stayed in Europe, we liked this hotel the most. It’s centrally located, close to the train station and other attractions. The rooms are large and beautifully decorated. The free included breakfast was absolutely amazing, where the staff served fresh squeezed juices and home-made dishes. What we liked the most was the service. The service at the restaurant was very professional and accomodating. The hotel receptionists were very friendly and eager to help. One suggestion is if you arrive at night, the hotel sign is very small and kind of hard to find. It’s located next to other large hotels, so ask for directions if you get lost ;-) Overall, great experience and if we ever make our way back to Florence, "Santa Maria Novella" is where we would stay!

Beautiful Old Hotel in FLorence

My husband and I spent 3 nights. The hotel is a short walk from the SMN train station. We arrived around 1PM and our room was not ready. They gladly took our bags and we went out to explore the city. When we returned, we were given the key. While the room was lovely, it was very dark and faced an alley. I went to the desk and asked for a room with more light. They moved us to a room that faced the Piazza. The breakfast area is beautiful and the buffet more than adequate. The location was great. We walked everywhere. Most of the staff were wonderful. While the hotel is not inexpensive, it was well worth the money.

Would love to return

Near the train station, but you would never know it. It is in the piazza santa maria novella so is very quiet. The breakfast was amazing, the rooms, comfy and clean. The only small complaint is that we could not control the thermostat ourselves so we would need to try and shut it off and then open the window, but then it would come back on by itself. I guess the front desk controls it.

Great Hotel and Staff

Great hotel with a wonderful staff. Centrally located and 5 minutes walking distance from the Florence’s train station. Rooms have that old european charm and elegance. Fantastic buffet breakfast every morning. The staff are most helpful and made us feel welcomed. Next time that we are in Florence we will definitely choose this hotel for our stay.

Traveler's tip on dining

There is a Trattoria right around the corner from the hotel. The service is somewhat slow, however the food was authentic and delicious.

Outstanding hotel

This is a wonderful small hotel with outstanding service ... Everything about our stay was great!

Terrific hotel!

Hotel Santa Maria Novella is a terrific small hotel located in a beautiful square facing the church. While it is within walking distance of the train station, the hotel and surrounding areas are quiet and clean. The hotel staff is very pleasant and helpful. I recommend the hotel highly!

Great location for walking Florence

We arrived by train so this hotel was extremely convenient to get to from the station, just a short walk. The view of the Santa Maria Novella and the city was breathtaking from the roof terrace. The room was very elegant, clean and comfortable. It was a bit confusing finding your way inside the hotel because the elevators and different levels create a sort of maze. I would not recommend this hotel if you are driving as there is no parking and some construction blocking the roads in front of the hotel. I would definately stay here again in a heartbeat! Perfect location.

Great little hotel, hard to find, but worth the search

Great, clean hotel with lots of character. Was a little hard to find and then only had a very small sign on outside. Loved the bathrooms! Small bar was a little pricey, but a nice place to hang out. Breakfast was plentiful and service was good. Had variety of newspapers every day. Could have used better lighting in the bedrooms, but beds were comfy and rooms were spacious. We’d stay there again! We’ll look for Insider Choice Hotels in other places, right on!!!!

will go back.

Five minute walk from SMN station. Our room overlooked square and SMN church - worth a visit for the Massacio and Giotto. Laundry service excellent, attentive staff, very clean. Loved it. A Rick Steve’s recommended trattoria just around the corner, safe neighborhood.

Lovely hotel, but some concerns

We stayed here for 3 nights. The hotel is gorgeous; the buffet breakfast had more choices than most of the other hotels we stayed at. The rooms are large, spacious, fabulous bathrooms, , electric kettle for tea/coffee etc. Also, for 6 euros, you have the option of having the buffet breakfast served in your room. However, my room, which overlooked a wall to an adjoining building, was quite dark, even with every light on. My friend’s room, which overlooked the piazza was lovely though. Also, I heard a lot of noise from the pipes when the water was running. Overall however, it’s a lovely hotel with many wonderful features, especially for the price. There is ongoing construction next door, so make sure to ask for a room away from the construction. The front desk staff were well versed in English and French, and were helpful for the most part when asked for information. Other things to consider: my friends room was near the elevator; mine was as far away as I could be and still be in the hotel. To get to my room, I had to walk quite a way down corridors, up and down stairs, etc. It was not a problem for me, but travelers with special needs might want to keep this in mind and ask for a room close to the elevator bank. The location of the hotel is great - near the main train station, and not far from the Duomo and other major attractions. Note: there is a 24 hour pharmacy located in the train station.

Traveler's tip on dining

At the recommendation of some other guests, we had dinner one night at Ciro & Sons (a family owned trattoria) on Via del Giglio, which we thought was fantastic. They serve everything from pizza to steak. The only problem is that it is closed on Sundays! Reservations will be helpful to avoid a long wait at dinner time.

Beautiful rooms

This hotel has a beautiful interior with character. The layout of the room was a bit awkward but still very comfortable and made it enjoyable to spend time relaxing in the room. The bathroom was very spacious. The breakfast buffet was good. The construction around the piazza was an eyesore but was not noisy while we were there and would not discourage me from staying there again. The hotel’s location is only a short walk from the SMN train station (if you know where you’re going!) and given how compact Florence is, we were able to walk to all the sights we wanted to see. Apart from the man who checked us in and seemed annoyed that we had arrived, I found the front desk staff to be helpful though on occasion we did observe them avoiding going the extra mile when other guests asked questions. If you anticipate relying heavily on recommendations and assistance from hotel staff, you may want to take your chances with a different hotel. The rate per night was reasonable for what you get with this hotel.

Traveler's tip

There is no sign outside the hotel so it may be difficult to find. Unless you are in a taxi whose driver knows the hotel, you will have to ask people which building on the piazza is the hotel.

Impressive

The service at this hotel was outstanding - the location was fantastic - and the room was very nice. I would highly recommend this hotel to anyone visiting Florence and looking to walk to all the sights!

Charming, comfortable, & convenient

Great value for pricey Florence. Very close to the train station and just a short walk to all the tourist sights. Lovely full buffet breakfast included. Beautiful modern bathroom and charming room decor.

Nicest hotel w/ most helpful staff in Italy!

We stayed in this hotel for 2 days after a 10 day cruise on a very upscale cruise line. We loved the hotel and the staff. Excellent, comfortable, clean and beautiful rooms. Don’t miss breakfast!

Traveler's tip on getting the most out of your stay

If you have to leave before breakfast is served, the hotel will prepare a box breakfast for you to take away.

Excellent Choice

We were very pleased with this hotel. The location near the train station was good for us. The hotel was within walking distance to most all tourist attractions. The buffet breakfast was quite good. The hotel was very well maintained, the staff was very pleasant and accomodating. The hotel is small enough to have a feel of not being a "tourist" hotel. The price was appropriate for the accomodations. I would highly recommend this hotel.

Comments

We had to go through an argument at the lobby in order to get a good room. The room they gave upon arrival was tiny with a tiny bathroom. After the argument they gave us a new room and all was fine!

Nice boutique hotel

The hotel was small but nicely appointed and the staff was friendly and knowledgeable. Our room was very small but with lovely furnishings and a good bathroom with a great showerhead. The samll room was compensated by having 2 cozy sitting rooms on the main level, a lovely restaurant with a terrific breakfast buffet. Nice exercise room on lower level, suana was out of order. Good location.

Traveler's tip on local attractions

Walking distance from train station and many attractions.

Great little hotel

Everything was great and wonderful. However, the full buffet breakfast wasn’t up to our U.S. standard, as selection was very limited. Location is across the street from rail station, 5 minutes walk to expensive brands shopping and 10 minutes walk to Duomo. No taxi needed during our 3 days stay at all.

Traveler's tip on shopping

It is very easy to take the train to go to Prada outlet or Gucci outlet or D&G outlet, (all open everyday from 10am to 7pm at least,) and train ticket only costs $2.5 to $4.5 Euro per person. Just ask the ticketing at train station, and they’ll tell you which stop to get off. The train is every 20 minutes (during traffic period) to 1 hour, both outbound and inbound.

Perfect Location

Right by the train station, shopping, sight-seeing. The staff was wonderful and spoke perfect English and were very informative. The room was very spacious for Italy and was a very relaxing sanctuary each night.

Really first class

One of the best hotels of our Italian trip. A short walk (one US block) from the train station. Two 60 year olds were able to walk from the hotel to every attraction on our agenda.

One of the Best

Hotel Santa Maria Novella is one of the best hotels you can find in Florance, from all aspects; quality, location, prices (if you’re lucky). It’s at Piazza maria santa novella near the train station but the hotel has no big or clear sign which is strange, so it’s difficult to find.

Nice clasic hotel

Great breakfast Good location

Very nice hotel close to everything.

The hotel is a nice place to stay close to everything in town.

What a gem!

This hotel is wonderful. It is in mint condition and the decor and atmosphere really embody the spirit of Florence.

We were traveling with our children and asked for connecting rooms. We were given two lovely rooms that connected through a living room and hallway. Just perfect!