The Cerratani is a brilliant place to base yourself in Florence for a few days. It’s in a fantastic location, and it ticks all the other boxes nicely.

Accor’s central reservations booked us in for 2 nights on a flexible rate at 195e ($235) per night, room only. They were great with information about the hotel, particularly when it came to distances from the train station and main attractions. The hotel too was good in responding to my emails about tours. Although there was some inconsistencies in some of the replies, they booked us in for a walking tour of the city and offered sound advice for getting out to Pisa.

The location is the best feature of the Cerratani, just about 5-10 minutes walk to everything. From the train station, just go out the centre exit (past the ticket office) and you’ll see a big church to your half left (or it’ll be to your right if you go out the exit to the left of the platforms). Walk past the church on the left (north or shady side) and you’ll see the hotel on the left a few minutes later. If you hit the Duomo another 5 minutes on the same road, you’ve gone too far. We used the Duomo as the centre point of a clock face to navigate, with the Statue of David at the Accademia at 9 o’clock, the Uffizi at 3 o’clock, the Ponte Vecchio at 4 o’clock, and the hotel and train station at 6 o’clock. The streets around are just heaving with shops, gelato stands and restaurants, and there’s a reputable ATM in a bank vestibule about 2 minutes towards the Duomo.

The service at reception was friendly and helpful, giving us a map of the city, albeit a little thick with advertisements over some of the street names. Internet in the rooms wasn’t free, which would usually set me off on a rant, but to be fair, it was only 7e ($9) for the entire stay. And there was also a computer downstairs with free internet access and even a printer. We didn’t eat at the hotel, so I can’t comment on that, but as I said, there’s plenty of dining options nearby to suit all tastes and budgets. But it probably is worth noting that the room service menu is very sparse, and far from enticing.

Despite a tiny lift (with the one on the right a bit dodgy and in need of maintenance), the room was quite spacious. The bedroom and bathroom came off a small entry, which gives you a little extra privacy. The bed was comfortable, and the room itself was quiet, making for a good night’s sleep. The bathroom was on the pokey side, with an over tub shower, but perfectly fine and well cleaned. And as for the TV, a Fox movie channel and Fox television channel represented the English language options nicely.

We’ll probably opt for an apartment the next time we come to Florence, but if you’re in town for less than a week, the Cerratani Firenze is a fantastic little bolt hole.