6 Women from Oregon and Washington

Guest: I Love Italy (Baker City, Oregon)
Date of Stay: 10/04/08 Review Submitted: 10/23/08

I and 5 of my best girlfriends just spent a fabulous 2 weeks in this apartment. The front of the apartment is on Guicciardini Street and is quite noisy (Florence never seems to sleep), the back bedrooms are much quieter. Just be sure and bring some earplugs! Mery, our host, was very helpful with any questions we had and made us feel very welcome. She gave us 3 sets of keys which was appreciated. The apartment was clean and all the beds were comfortable. The kitchen had all the comforts of home. Be prepared to buy all your own paper products (coffee filters, toilet paper, paper towels, napkins). We also bought dishwasher soap while there. We brought our own coffee and filters (cone type) with us. The location of this apartment is excellent for getting to all the major areas of the city on foot. The train station was about a 20 minute walk. The Pitti Palace was about a half block away. We flew into the Florence airport and took a taxi to the apartment (about 23 euro) and Mery called and arranged for a taxi to pick us up for our return to the airport (about 28 euro). Don't know why it cost more to leave except that it was awfully early. We had to leave for the airport at 5:45AM and the taxi was right on time. The airport was very crowded, so if you fly out around 7:30am, plan on getting to the airport 2 hours early! There is a close neighborhood grocery ran by a very friendly old man and his wife. They don't speak english but our limited Italian worked ok. There was an internet cafe and pay phone close by also. We had a bit of a search for a SIM card for our cell phone, across the bridge and past the covered market, two blocks then go left (I think) was a cell phone store (TIM). We just returned to them every time we wanted to buy more minutes. They do not speak English! Mery also recommended a nearby restaurant (4 Lions) that was very good. Great art in the Pitti Palace! If you need a 3 bedroom place, this is it! Have a great vacation.

Recommended for:Families with teenagers, tourists without a car, girls getaway.

Very happy visit to Florence!

Guest: Five adults (Virginia)
Date of Stay: 10/21/11 Review Submitted: 01/11/12

Four of us, including my elderly father, stayed in this apartment in late October, 2011. The location is absolutely perfect and the apartment was very comfortable and spacious. Mery and her husband were excellent hosts and very helpful with numerous details of our stay. There are wonderful restaurants and shops within steps of the apartment's front door, and even a decent supermarket just around the corner. And of course, it's close to most of the major tourist attractions. Our only quibble with the listing is that it says there are 2 bathrooms, but in fact there are only 1 1/2 baths. One bedroom had a large queen-sized bed and the other two bedrooms each had two twins. The kitchen was well-equipped, though we had some trouble with the burners on the stove. On the whole, a delightful visit and at a reasonable cost compared to many other apartments we considered. We would definitely recommend this place to others, especially if you have a group of 3 or more.

Recommended for:Families with teenagers, sightseeing, tourists without a car, age 55+, girls getaway, families with young children.

Large flat, excellent central location, secure, welcoming

Guest: CLP (Calgary, Alberta, Canada)
Date of Stay: 09/17/11 Review Submitted: 12/12/11

Six of us stayed in this spacious, secure flat for one week in September, 2011. It served as a very affordable base for us in a very central location, and we definitely recommend it to others. We appreciated Mery and her husband's warm welcome, and because they have the pottery shop on the main floor, at least one of them is there most times to offer their suggestions and answer any questions we had. They directed us to some terrific restaurants, a great coffee shop, and an artisal gelateria all just around the corner from us, as well as a large supermarket with lots of great take-away food around another corner. There is 1 very large bedroom at the front with 3 single beds, and at the back, 1 large bedroom with a queen-size bed, and a smaller bedroom with a double bed. We didn't use the sofa beds in the living room. Having two full bathrooms was a definitely plus for six people. The two back bedrooms share a small balcony that has a couple of chairs and a small table - ideal to sit out with a coffee or a glass of wine, but not really suitable as a gathering spot. Nice to have the elevator! Thank you Mery for a wonderful stay!

Recommended for:Families with teenagers, adventure seekers, sightseeing, tourists without a car, age 55+, girls getaway, families with young children.

Perfect apartment - location, value and wonderful hostess

Guest: Michael (Charlotte, NC)
Date of Stay: 10/25/11 Review Submitted: 12/01/11

Mery, my apologies for the delay in writing this. My wife, her mother and her aunt stayed here for 3 days in late October. Just to be clear, we stayed in the apartment on the 3rd floor, which had 3 bedrooms and 2 full bathrooms. The entire apartment was fantastic - clean and comfortable with everything working well (including wifi), plenty of room, and an elevator that was much appreciated by my mother-in-law. We thought it was an exceptional value and bragged a bit talking to some fellow tourists at Franco's bar (about 30 meters up the street towards Ponte Vecchio) - they were all in hotels. Took taxi from and to train station - dropped off pretty close and picked up right in front (had very early train on to Venice). Recommended restaurants nearby: Gusta Pizza and Casalinga (also, Marione across the river and a little North). Cannot say enough good things about Mery. Very pleasant hostess and takes a lot of pride in her apartments as well as her very nice ceramic shop. We will definitely stay here again every time we come back to Florence.

Recommended for:Families with teenagers, adventure seekers, sightseeing, tourists without a car, age 55+, people with disabilities, girls getaway, families with young children, romantic getaway.

great stay in Florence

Guest: Pat (California, USA)
Date of Stay: 10/14/11 Review Submitted: 11/06/11

My husband and I stayed in Mery and Salvatore's apartment for 5 nights in mid October 2011. The apartment was clean, comfortable and had everything we needed. The location was great. We walked everywhere. On arrival and departure we took the city bus from the train station to get to the apartment. Mery was very easy to work with and made the process of renting easy. She was always available to assist us if needed. I would highly recommend Mery and Salvatore's apartment. We hope to return some day.

Recommended for:

Fireza Apartment!

Guest: Travel Bug (Santa Monica, CA/USA)
Date of Stay: 09/19/11 Review Submitted: 10/31/11

This apartment was beautiful! My mother and I were very happy with the location! It was a simple 15 minute walk from the main train station and in the more "local" less touristy part of the city. We enjoyed that since a lot of mornings we were getting up early to tour the city or go on tours to wine country etc. The apartment was large and spacious with 1 and 1/2 bathrooms. It was actually very big for just my mother and I to be staying. The kitchen was fully stocked with pots/pans/refrigerator/washer/dryer to be able to cook and do laundry at your own delight. Towels to shower with were provided, as were linen for the beds. It was clean and just above the owners beautiful ceramic store. There is good lighting and plenty of delicious restaurants/cafes within minutes of walking. If on a budget you can definitely find plenty of reasonable priced meals/coffee and if enjoying a stay without concern of money it is easy to find finer dining as well. The apartment was more then reasonable priced and both my mother and I are looking forward to returning and staying here and would HIGHLY recommend it to out friends!

Recommended for:Families with teenagers, adventure seekers, sightseeing, tourists without a car, age 55+, people with disabilities, girls getaway, families with young children, romantic getaway.

Comfortable apartment, great location, accommodating hosts!

Guest: Jim (New Jersey)
Date of Stay: 08/11/11 Review Submitted: 09/12/11

My family of five (age 16 and up) stayed at Machiavelli I° for 10 days in mid August 2011. We found the accommodations extremely comfortable and the location was excellent. The apartment is a very short walk to Ponte Vecchio and to the Uffizi. We also walked to the train station (about a 20 minute walk) for a number of day trips to ViaReggio, Pisa, Venice, and Asti. The apartment itself was clean, had ample space for our whole family as well as a sitting area off the kitchen which we used on a daily basis. We had some hot days while we there, but the ceiling fans (four of them) kept the air moving through the apartment. The internet connection was dependable and there is a small elevator that was a huge help in getting our bags to the apartment. We also used the kitchen to make a meal in the apartment and washed several loads of clothes during our stay. The street was closed to traffic and was quiet when we were there. Mery and her husband Salvatore were wonderful hosts. They helped us with reservations for the cab ride to the airport, recommendations for local restaurants, acted as translator when we had to call my wife’s Italian cousins, and they even helped us with storage of our luggage when we took a three day excursion to Rome during our stay. I can’t say enough about their hospitality. I would absolutely recommend this apartment to my friends and family.

Recommended for:Families with teenagers, sightseeing, tourists without a car, age 55+, girls getaway, families with young children, romantic getaway.

Location, location, location!

Guest: Dani (Scottsdale, AZ)
Date of Stay: 07/20/11 Review Submitted: 08/17/11

If you like being in the heart of the action, walking distance to all major sites, grocery store and the train station then this is your apartment! It is literally on the Ponte Vecchio! My husband and two teenagers stayed here for 5 days and thoroughly enjoyed it. The kitchen is clean with new appliances. Two of the bedrooms have a nice walk out balcony. I recommend checking with Mery and her husband for a restaurant recommendation/reservation. They called ahead for us and we were treated like locals and had the best meal. Trattoria ZaZa is another great restaurant with maybe the best meat plate and Ribolitta soup in town!

Recommended for:Families with teenagers, pet owners, adventure seekers, sightseeing, tourists without a car, age 55+, people with disabilities, girls getaway, families with young children, romantic getaway.

What a Disappointment!

Guest: Virgie (South Hills, PA)
Date of Stay: 06/12/11 Review Submitted: 07/28/11

We have rented from VRBO in Italy often. Our family of 4 rented apartment #145257 for 9 nights in June 2011. Although the apartment reviews were positive, staying in this apartment was not a pleasant experience! Other than the location, this apartment was a huge disappointment. We inquired before booking if the apartment had air conditioning, as we know how hot it becomes in Florence. The owner emailed us that there were “ceiling fans in each room and an air conditioning machine in the living area”. There are no ceiling fans and no air conditioning “machine” in the apartment. She also wrote that the apartment would be quiet. The noise at night on both sides of the apartment is incredibly loud. The front bedrooms are affected by the noise from the street and the back bedroom from restaurants and other apartments. Sleep is very difficult in this apartment due to heat, noise, and mosquitoes bites from keeping the windows open. The apartment does not have 2 bathrooms, but 1.5 bathrooms. One bathroom has a shower, toilet and sink. The other has a toilet and sink. The bathrooms are not updated and paint is peeling from the walls. The apartment is sparsely furnished and there is no place to sit and relax after sightseeing. There is no natural lighting in the living area, which makes the apartment dark. Although the kitchen is very small, it was well equipped and the wireless worked fine. The kitchen was not cleaned very well. Many of the reviews for this apartment were added by the owner for anonymous guests. This apartment is not a good choice for summers in Florence. In the future we will only rent apartments that have numerous photos of the apartment and not trust reviews added by the owner. I would not recommend renting this apartment. We learned an expensive lesson.

Owner response:This family is right ,this apartment doesn't have ceiling fan or air conditioning, as you can read in the description and amenities but when they ask me in their request I wrote yes because in the same building I have other apartments and I was thinking to stop for them one that supplies their request...but after that I forget to stop the right apartment for them..when we realize this we talk together and I offer them to change floor but they refuse the offer.As they wrote the apartment has a great location that means really ponte vecchio area and so million of people every day ...it is summer and peopel walk until late hours so if you want to sleep you need to rent an apartment out of the city.From june 24 the street is a limited area traffic so no more motorbike and cars and perhaps more quiet! I have done a mistake in 5 years ,I'm again mum with a boy of 4 months a ceramic shop ,many apartments , perhaps I can do a mistake after 35 great review it is time of a bad review and if you meet me you can real see that I will be there on the ground floor in my ceramic shop every where for anything or question this is my work ..The think that kill me in this review is that I have added reviews by my self ...hope that this can help you to the best choice of your vacation in florence,thank you

Recommended for:

Excellent apartment

Guest: Shami (Pennsylvania, US)
Date of Stay: 05/14/11 Review Submitted: 05/23/11

We stayed at Mery's apartment for 2 days last week (May 2011). The location is excellent, just a couple of blocks away from the famous Ponte Vecchio, and close to the bus stop. The apartment was very well maintained. The kitchen was very well equipped, and the two baths plus the washing machine/dishwasher was everything we asked for. The owners were a pleasure to deal with. Their ceramics store at the ground level looks awesome. It remains pretty quiet even with the busy street downstairs. And don't forget to check out the Bakery in front of the apartment.

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, sightseeing, tourists without a car, girls getaway, families with young children.