The Best Budget Hotels in Florence

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by Nicky Swallow, The Daily Telegraph, October 21, 2016

An insider's guide to the top budget hotels in Florence, including the best for frescoed interiors, rooftop bars, individually decorated bedrooms and informal vibes, in central locations near Piazza San Marco, the Duomo, Piazza Santa Croce and the Artemio Franchi stadium.

Antica Dimora Johlea Florence, Tuscany, Italy

7 Telegraph expert rating

Antica Dimora Johlea is located towards the top of ancient Via San Gallo, a short stroll from Piazza San Marco. A dim entrance hall and tiny squeeze of a lift lead up to this bright, elegant apartment on the top floor of a solid palazzo. The atmosphere is very much that of a gracious and comfortable private house filled with antiques, pictures and Oriental rugs; the soft classical background music sets a very civilised tone. The six bedrooms are each different from the next, but all have a vibrant colour scheme, four-poster beds hung with fine linens and silks, colourful rugs laid on wood floors, and a pleasant mix of period and traditional furniture and knick-knacks. Read expert review From £90per night Check availabilityRates provided byBooking.com

Palazzo Galletti Florence, Tuscany, Italy

7 Telegraph expert rating

Palazzo Galetti is located strategically between the Duomo and Santa Croce. On the smart side of bohemian, this eleven-room charmer occupies the imposing first-floor ‘piano nobile’ of a sixteenth-century townhouse. Reception is there if you need it, but the place feels more like a home than a hotel. The Cerere suite – one of four suites, and often reserved for honeymooners – has spectacular top-to-toe frescoes of Arcadian scenes, but several other rooms have original decorative details on walls or ceiling. Most of the rooms also have cute little balconies overlooking the quiet central courtyard. Breakfast is served in a delightful little scullery area dating back to 1550, with an original marble basin and fireplace. Read expert review From £85per nightCheck availabilityRates provided byBooking.com

Hotel Davanzati Florence, Tuscany, Italy

7 Telegraph expert rating

Hotel Davanzati is set on an ancient street in a pedestrian area next door to Palazzo Davanzati, one of Florence’s most interesting small museums. The look here is homely and traditional within the context of a building with a long history (Giorgio Vasari is said to have slept in what is now Room 304). Think low beamed ceilings, fresco fragments and chunks of exposed original brickwork. The 27 bedrooms are functional rather than stylish, but perfectly comfortable. Eaten round two communal tables, buffet breakfast is of the traditional Italian variety (pastries, fruit, cereal, yoghurt), but with the welcome addition of homemade cakes and boiled eggs. Read expert review From £103 per night 

Le Stanze di Santa Croce Florence, Tuscany, Italy

8 Telegraph expert rating

The b&b stands on a narrow street just off Piazza Santa Croce, away from the tourists crowding the square but within a short stroll of the many bars and restaurants in the area. Mariangela Catalani’s narrow, pink-hued townhouse always has fresh flowers in the windows and is a homely refuge from the crowds and heat of Florence. Very much present for guests, her style is welcoming and informal, and the modern, bright interiors are full of personal touches. The four bedrooms – named after the elements – are individually decorated in bold, bright colours with a mix of old and new furniture, and plenty of individual touches. And although the eating options are limited to breakfast, it’s a jolly good one. Read expert review From £112per night Check availability Rates provided byBooking.com

Casa Schlatter Florence, Tuscany, Italy

7 Telegraph expert rating

The hotel is a short walk from the Artemio Franchi stadium, home to the Fiorentina team. This modern suburb may be lacking in character, but it’s virtually tourist-free, well-supplied with restaurants, bars and shops, and is a 10-minute bus ride (or 15-minute walk) north west of the Duomo. When the owner’s great grandfather, Swiss painter Carlo Adolfo Schlatter, built this creeper-clad villa in the late 1890s, it stood in open countryside and, in spite of being swallowed up by suburban sprawl, the place still has a rural feel to it. Once in the hallway with its polished wood floors, retro wallpaper and lovely portraits of the artist and his wife, modern Florence vanishes and all is calm and quiet. Read expert review From £82per night Check availability Rates provided byBooking.com

Palazzo Guadagni Florence, Tuscany, Italy

8 Telegraph expert rating

Slap bang on gorgeous piazza Santo Spirito, Palazzo Guadagni is in the Oltrarno, the laid-back residential and museum district south of the Arno. It’s hard to beat the Palazzo Guadagni for old-fashioned charm, as well as a Room-With-A-View ambience. The décor in public spaces is quaint but comfortable. The 14 bedrooms in the main hotel are located on the top floor (there’s a lift) and some have direct access to the roof terrace. The buffet breakfast, served in the flower-filled roof terrace room, is a generous spread with plenty of fresh fruit and juices, and good pastries. Read expert review From £120per night Check availability Rates provided byBooking.com

The best hotels in Florence

Floroom 1 Florence, Tuscany, Italy

7 Telegraph expert rating

Floroom 1, in the funky Oltrarno district, overlooks cute little Piazza della Passera, which has a couple of good restaurants and one of Florence’s best artisanal ice-cream shops. Both Floroom 1 and it’s sister b&b are done out in a cool contemporary idiom that plays off against the historic setting and ancient exposed ceiling beams. The dominant colour palette is black and white, enhanced – especially in Floroom 1 – by large B&W photos of Florentine landmarks, some of which act as bed headboards. Sure, you’ll recognise the occasional Ikea piece, but they’ve been placed by someone with real design flair. Smart, modern and luminous, the rooms at Floroom 2 come with a little more design verve. Read expert review From £106per night Check availability Rates provided byBooking.com

All prices cited are starting rates for double rooms, based on two people sharing, in low season. These prices are subject to change in high season and during popular holidays and events.

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This article was written by Nicky Swallow from The Daily Telegraph and was legally licensed through the NewsCred publisher network.