Prior to arriving, I wasn't sure what to expect of this property and why it was placed in the "specialty lodging" category on Tripadvisor. I was impressed with the positive comments and decided to split our week in Florence between the Palazzo Vecchietti and the Four Seasons.

Palazzo Vecchietti is a "specialty lodging" because it is not really a hotel; don't expect a doorman, spa, steam sauna, restaurant or a steady flow of visitors. Instead, it is much like an apartment stay with 24 hour concierge and front desk support. Charms of this establishment are: location, service, discretion and very comfortable lodging.

Size of our room is very large: comparable to a very large NYC one bedroom apartment; we also had the plus of a patio looking over the surrounding tile rooftops. The neutral tone of the living area and chrome fixtures in the bathroom gave the entire stay a comfortable, soothing feeling. There is a nice kitchen with compact refrigerator and electric stove top; however, no microwave oven. Plus is the Nespresso coffee machine.

Palazzo Vecchietti has its own brand of shampoo and bath foam, and they are very gentle and smells of citrus. Furthermore, tooth paste and tooth brush came nicely wrapped in his and hers cloth bags. The only down side is the lack of body lotion. Shower and tub are of the same unit, and with very strong water pressure. Bed linens are crisp and pressed, as the bath towels are thick and fluffy.

Palazzo Vecchietti is located within very easy walking distance of all major museums, shopping, and restaurants. Dolce and Gabbana is next door as well as Salvatore Ferrgamo and Tiffany, just a stroll away; Deutsche Bank is around the corner when your wallets need replenishing. I like the fact that service here is very discrete; the entrance is very simple and there is no crowds of tourists. In fact, I did not see anyone aside from the staff during my stay. Highlight was the team of Leonardo, Lucas and Valentina, who had seamlessly secured many tickets and appointments to the major museums.

As pointed out by others in the forum, noise can be a factor. I can hear the vibration of live music from nearby restaurants even with the windows closed. Street fights and ambulance siren are clearly audible with the windows cracked open. Also, the wall corners, counter tops are showing signs of wear and tear. Unless your room comes with breakfast, I would skip this option.

Overall, it was a very pleasant stay. The staff is eager to serve and can arrange virtually anything, even at very short notice. This is the perfect place for discrete stay in Florence.

I just returned from 3 days at the Palazzo Vecchietti in Florence not knowing what to expect before I went there I was amazed at the quality of the restoration of this historic building as well as the quality of the furnishings and the service. With only 12 rooms and 2 apartments it has the feel of a private house not a hotel and for a few days stay the fact that it does not have the facilities (pool, gym, restaurants etc) of a large 5 star hotel did not matter. The fantastic location means that most of the heritage and restaurants that you want to visit are within a few minutes walk. I would also like to thank Paolo and Luca the two managers we met who were both excellent hosts providing great friendly advice and help getting some medicine left at another hotel brought over to the Palazzo very efficiently.

The moment we walked in and was warmly greeted by our host.
Such outstanding service and eager to
Please at all times and for whatever ask or need.
Wonderful with restuarant recomendations.
Our suite was superb with fully equiped kitchen and beautiful dressing room. Bathroom and products were great indeed.
Highly recommend if staying in Florence.

My partner and I spent two great nights at Palazzo Vecchietti, and we had an absolutely wonderful time at this unique and charming hotel in downtown Florence.

First off, the location is absolutely amazing. It is right next to the Piazza delle Reppublica, and very central to all the sites in Florence. Pretty much everything is within walking distance, which of course I would encourage considering the charm of the streets of Florence.

We entered the lobby, and we were treated like invited guests by the concierge. I feel that over the course of our stay, the staff definitely went above and beyond to make us feel welcomed and accommodated. We actually had left one of our passport in our previous hotel a hundred miles away, and the concierge dealt with all the language issues and communication with the hotel to get our passport sent overnight to us in Florence. That was a great assistance, and certainly not a service that would be so seamlessly provided by just any hotel.

The room, as you can see in the pictures I enclosed, was actually absolutely gorgeous and extremely well-apportioned. Because of our status within the Preferred Hotels group, we were upgraded to the suite (I don't know how many levels of an upgrade that is from standard, to be honest). There was a huge walk-in closet, as well as the kitchenette. A lot of times with hotels where there's a kitchenette, it's kind of obvious and takes up a lot of space, but the kitchenette at Palazzo Vecchietti was put away in a closet, so you don't have to look at a dirty sink while you slept. There was a shower room as well as a bathtub in the main bathroom. The shower was a rainfall shower, which I could only describe as luxurious.

In addition, I definitely feel that there is an exclusivity factor with staying at the Palazzo Vecchietti. You would think that since the hotel takes up most of a city block that there would be huge signs for the Palazzo, but it's actually quite the opposite. There is a discreet entrance leading down somewhat of a cave to get to the lobby. It's almost as if you disappear into the Florentine walls and you're at an amazing home-away-from-home.

Ultimately, I would definitely recommend staying at the Palazzo free unmemorable stay in Florence. Of course the price is high, but you can stay in a lot of hotels where the prices are very high but you don't get the quality and location that Palazzo Vecchietti provides. This is not hotel at which you don't know why you're paying a high price and you're mad about it after-the-fact.