We are glad we weren't deterred by the dark, musty smelling entrance as a gem awaited us up three flights of stairs. Alessio, one of the owners of Hotel Cestelli welcomed us and couldn't have been more helpful helping us plan our time in Florence. With just eight rooms this hotel occupies one floor of the building it's in. We chose a room with a shared bathroom to keep cost down (70 Euros per night) and were pleasantly surprised by our very large room with wonderful period furniture. The shared bathroom was equally spacious and we appeared to be the only ones using it. We used the sink, mirror and towels in our room for basic grooming. The location of this hotel is fantastic - less than a block from the Arno River and only a 5-10 minute walk to the Uffizi museum, the designer shops and the Duomo. Exceptional value!

Hotel Cestelli is the perfect hotel to stay while in Florence. The location is fantastic- only 10 minutes walk from train station and within 5 minutes walk to all the sights. The rooms are absolutely gorgeous- exactly as the photos suggest, very modern, clean and spacious. Our host, Alessio was so nice and friendly. He went above and beyond to make us feel at home and gave us fantastic local restaurant recommendations, suggestions for seeing the sights and exploring the local areas, providing maps and lots of local information which was invaluable. Be sure to listen to his suggestions as they made our stay in Florence amazing- he knows his stuff! I highly recommend staying here. We will definitely stay here again when we return to Florence.

We had an overall lovely experience at this hotel. My husband and I were traveling with his mother. The owners could not have been kinder and more helpful. The location was superb and the hotel itself was beautiful and peaceful.

We would happily return in the fall or spring as there is no A/C. We were comfortable in late August because the weather was fairly cool during our time there. FYI, there is no WiFi.

We were very pleased with this hotel and felt welcomed into Alessio and Asumi's home.

As other reviewers have written, Alesso and Asumi and warm and inviting hosts. Alesso recommended some off the beaten path spots in Florence and they wound up being our favorite! We arrived early and even though we weren't able to check in, they held onto our luggage for us that day and when we returned, had placed our luggage in the room for us.

The room was spic and span and quiet. We weren't able to secure a room with an attached bathroom, but had no wait whatsoever for the shared bath and it was also very clean. I've seen other reviewers complain about "rules", but they were really just common sense requests to keep common bathrooms clean for others, etc.

This is a budget, no frills hotel, so if you are expecting the Ritz, you will be disappointed. This is not a corporate hotel with a giant staff (and the price to match). You are staying in an antique building run by a lovely couple. It's more like visiting someone's home. If that's your vibe, this is your place. If you are accustomed to luxury hotels, then I would recommend another location.

Considering the convenient location and charming service (a rarity in Italy overall), the price was incredible. I would definitely stay here again and I'm happy to recommend this as your Florence home base.