Hotel Giada - Florence

So easy to find, three minute walk from train station - just walk forward left out of the front of the station toward the square, and walk between the two big hotels on the left, down that little street, keeping left, and look in front of you as you enter the market, above the stalls for the name on the front of the 3-story yellow building. Literally across the street from the side of the Medici chapel. We were booked at Giada, which has nice rooms, but automatically upgraded we assume due to space to sister hotel in the same building, Corte de Medici Hotel, amazing treat. Would stay in either again - and recommend! The best location in Florence, a block from central market (food), two blocks from Duomo, about 3 from Accademia (David), etc., in the middle of everything!

Hotel Giada was great - the staff was exceptional and our room was very nice. The hotel was in a very convenient location, however when you walked out the front door you were in the middle of the market (which was always very crowded). I would still recommend the hotel because you couldn't hear the chaos from the room.

Ideal for exploring Firenze, central and great value brand new room.

The hotel was close to everything! We had a beautiful view of the chapel. Very clean, amazing price! I would reccommend.

The Hotel Giada is hiding behind market stalls on its street. It is across from the Chiesa San Lorenzo, but not easy to find. The room was large and comfortable, if somewhat garishly appointed. The place is clean and the breakfast is good.

The quality of the room, hotel and location was exelent, the same goes for the price. The only problem was that it sounded like someone were remodeling the room next door to ours in the middle of the night with the loudest hammering noises we had ever heard. The result was no sleep during the night, and we had to sleep rather than sightseeing during the day.. ( But I don't think it is usually like that..)

close to train and in tourist area, felt secure, free internet, but small rooms and probably needs some updates, would consider it just adequate; agree with 2 star rating

The staff here were not very good with English, fine, they don't speak it as their first language; however, one dude at the front desk we talked to tried to tell me (rudely and angrily) that the Uffizi was closed on Sundays and that he would not be able to get me a reservation to go in until it opened on Monday and then that reservation would be for Tuesday. We walked in the reservation desk on Sunday, when it WAS open, and made a reservation for later that same day. Thanks a lot, dude with no customer service skills. Also, the matresses are like rocks here. It's nice to be close to the station but I wish I'd paid more for a better place.

Enjoyed our stay here although pleased it was just for one night only. The rooms were small and very basic (cork walls) We arrived at 1pm but had to wait until 2pm to check in. All the sites were very close, whcih is the reason we chose this hotel. Breakfast was ok.

The hotel is one I would return to; cheap with large spacious rooms, and as soon as your out of the door a view of the Duomo (which incidentally is a two minute walk away). No frills such as room service, but perfect for those on a budget wanting a clean spacious hotel. The only complaint was the cleaning service; which would turn up at 5 in the evening as opposed to early morning; however the service that was provided was quick, efficient leaving the room free quickly and clean. The hotel's location to key monuments was also a plus.

I would recommend this hotel ... definitely a good value. Location was great -- close to train station and also to all the main sights. Room was clean and adequate. A few negative things we experienced: Don't expect to get into the room any sooner than 2pm exactly! We arrived at 1:30pm and had to wait the 30 minutes for the room to be ready. Location can be a bit noisy at night, since it is in a busier area of town.

Finding the Hotel Giada using only the instructions on the website and the map in the guidebook would have been very difficult. Do as I did: Buy a map at the tourist office in the railway station and have them mark the location for you. The hotel is only a 10 minute walk from there, 5 minutes from the duomo, and an important street market is right outside. The room was nice, the internet worked in the breakfast room (but not in our guest room), and the only complaint I had is that the friendly staff was so busy that it was hard to get their attention. Be aware that the desk is not staffed at night. I would stay there again, and I would not hestitate to recommend this property to others.

The location of this hotel is fantastic, and the staff were friendly and helpful. I would definitely recommend that you stay at this hotel so long as you understand the it is a budget accomodation. The rooms are large, but are very sparse. We switched rooms because our first room had walls covered in cork board - which is really very strange! The bathrooms are typical Italian-sized, but are very clean. The breakfast was really nice - cereal, breads, coffee, juices, meat, and cheese. Warning: if you are put into a room near the cafe/kitchen area, expect to wake up early in the morning!

I had trouble finding the hotel because of the carts in the market, but eventually found it. I stayed in a single person room for 2 nights. I could not hear the street noise in my room, but could clearly hear any noise within the hotel. I used ear plugs to during the night to sleep. The breakfast was okay considering that it was free. The room was very clean and well kept. There was also a mini fridge in my room. The staff was not very warm and welcoming, she just took me straight to my room and didn't tell me anything about the hotel.

Neighborhood is a little noisy with a big marketplace stretching many blocks. Location is excellent. Rooms are clean. Management was not friendly, they made us feel unwelcome in their hotel.

A friend and I stayed here on our 2 day trip to Florence. The hotel is literally in the heart of the San Lorenzo market and all the major sites are just a walk away. It is also very short walk to the SMN station. I loved this hotel. We didn't stay on the first floor by the lobby but on the second in another part of the hotel that was under a different name. Our room was huge with a little balcony and a mini fridge. We got in early and left our bags in the lobby and when we checked out they let us leave our bags there again while we went to the Duomo. If I ever have the chance to go back to Florence, I am definitely going to try to stay at this hotel again.

We spent 3 days in there. good location to florence SMN and nearby sightseeings.

The hotel is in the perfect position for all that Florence has to offer. Central to most of the major sights of historical interest. The hotel was a bargain and provided clean, comfortable accomodation, with a reasonable continental breakfast.

I ws pleasently surprised by how great this little hotel was, for SUCH a cheap price too! - The location. Key, across from the Basillica and the outdoor market (which could NOT be heard from hotel) - Price. No way to beat it - Bed. small but comfortable - Breakfast. Complete and more than edible - Clean. - Staff. Half were great, half not so much

We spent an enjoyable three nights at this hotel.Excellent breakfast.Staff Polite without being pushy or gushy.

My husband and I stayed at the Hotel Giada in Florence for 4 nights from 10/8/08 – 10/12/08. To sum it up… we got what we paid for. We bought our stay through hotels.com for about $120 a night with all fees and taxes. That’s a cheaper hotel in Florence. Be careful most hotels don’t have a private bathroom. Our room did have a private bathroom. What we liked: •FREE Internet on the 3rd floor from approx. 10am – 11am •Breakfast included in price (no fruit though) •Large room for Europe •Real hairdryer. •Friendly/Helpful receptionist that spoke pretty good English. •Extra pillows and blankets in the cabinet •Close to Duomo and Piazza Della Signoria •Hotel doors never lock. You can get in with your key at anytime. •Has a lift •Can use the microwave if need What we didn’t like: •Incredibly NOISY. The windows were single paned and kept no sound or cool air out. The hotel is located on the street of the Lorenzo Market so there is tons of noise starting at 4:00am in the morning when they roll out the stations to 2:00am in the morning when everyone finally goes home from hanging out. I think the rooms on the South & East sides of the hotel are the noisiest. •Dirty tile floors and God knows what else. •Never changed our sheets or towels •Uncomfortable hard beds. •TV was old and didn’t always work. Only English channel was MTV •Inside an Old building •Very small stall shower •Not a pretty area •Reception was only open from 11am – 7pm •No soap dish, shelf or towel rack in the bathroom •Could smell people smoking in other parts of the hotel

Good, clean hotel with friendly staff in fantastic central location

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What really ruins this hotel is the surly, unhelpful and at times ignorant staff. The receptionist does the minimum to be helpful - and no more. And the breakfast staff, are miserable, ignorant, and clearly should find a less public job!! The room was 'adequate', but a family of 4 found the tiny en-suit very difficult to manage in - standing room only! (not to mention no lock on the bathroom door!). The hotel is situated in front of the market place, so the street cleaning goes onto 11.30pm and the market stalls go back out at 4am the next morning!! Okay if you don't plan to sleep much.

Location, location, location! If you like being in the middle of the action, the Hotel Giada, in the heart of the San Lorenzo Market, could be your perfect stop. Unpretentious, but with everything you need, this hotel provided a window on the world of setting up the San Lorenzo Market each morning, and tearing it down each night. Fascinating. Very close to everything, including the Mercato Centrale, Duomo, Medici Chapel, etc., plus lots of inexpensive eating possibilities. Would definitely stay here again.

great location, room was ok - bathroom was poor and there was noise from inside building (but not from street)

Great location, bang in the centre, walking distance to all sites of interest. Helpful staff,nice room with air con that works properly, and very reasonably priced.

Room was sufficiently large and confortable - The staff was curtious, spoke good english and provided outstanding service.

We stayed for 5 nights and were quite pleased with our experience. The staff were competent and helpful, our room was clean and quiet, and the location was very close to the major attractions in Florence. The bathroom was small by American standards, but spotlessly clean. We were initially concerned about noise since our room's window overlooked the market from the first floor, and since some reviews we read mentioned it, but there were modern double-paned windows installed that blocked the sound and an air-conditioning unit so we could keep the windows closed at night. The only catch was that the unit's condensation tank was not big enough to go an entire night without being emptied, so someone had to get up in the middle of the night to keep the room comfortable. Florence was experiencing unusually high temperatures while we were there, so this may not have been representative. Breakfast was plentiful and included tea, coffee, cereal, juice, yogurt, croissants, cold meat and cheese, and packaged toasts. Staff attentively refilled items that ran out. Travelers with laptops should note that the in-room safe is not large enough for a 15" PowerBook. We had to hide mine in the closet. Also, the WiFi available in the hotel is indeed free, but I couldn't get it to work on my laptop. Our room had a small fridge, which was nice since the hotel is very close to the market, so we self-catered a few meals. The staff graciously lent us a knife to cut up the wedge of cheese we bought. It should be noted that although we reserved a 2-person room we were actually given a 3-person room, whose posted rate was significantly higher than what we actually paid. This was great for us, since the room was spacious with very high ceilings, but probably not representative of a typical 2-person room in the hotel. However, most of the above review is not specific to our room size.

the best thing about it is its location, which saved us time to go around since we only stayed in florence for 1 day. But anyway, florence is not big, I guess most of the other hotel are within walking distance. the hotel condition is OK, but the air conditioner is just too noisy and the facility looks bit old. Considering the price, it is still value for money.

Wow!! Were we pleased that our hotel was right in the middle of all the Florence excitement! We were able to walk out the door right into the market area where leather goods and cashmere scarves were sold. 2 Blocks to the Dumo and a short walk from the train station. Lots of restaurants right by the hotel and close to every historical site in Florence. We traveled with our children and they loved the location of Hotel Giada. The beds were a little hard, but after walking all day... it really didn't matter! A definite value for your money!

If you are looking for a no-nonsense, practical, clean hotel in the heart of town, this placel is for you. It is within easy walking distance of the station with luggage and there is a taxi rank close by. Most of all you are just a short stroll from the Duomo and the other main tourist attractions as well as some great food places. Our room looked out over the market - not too noisy but great to hear the sounds of town washing over you as you siesta - and the dome of San Lorenzo. You can pay a lot more for a lot less in this town and in not so convenient a location. Staff are helpful and friendly but do them a favour and learn some Italian before you go. We'd definitely stay here again.

very near to station and all the main attractions in florence . bathroom - exhaust not working and very small apart from it very convenient location, mind that if you are going at night you may be scared of the sorroundings.

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I selected this hotel because the advertisement indicated it was 400 meters from the Santa Maria Novella train station. It was more like 4000 meters as it took us 15 minutes to walk to it. Other than this it was clean. The street market was outside the front door where they sold many things. The air conditioning system worked well. It had a remote control to operate it which was cool. Also we could walk to most of the museums and sites that we wanted to see. The Continental Breakfast was very good which included the usual breads, coffee, but also included Yogurt, cereal, meat, cheese, fruit, and juice.

This hotel had a perfect location, however it did live up or down to its 2 star rating. If you are looking for a place to serve as home base while you spend most of your time sightseeing , this is a good value alternative.

The hotel was perfect for what I wanted to do, a short walk from the train station, above the market, which have some great buys, close to the Medici Chapels, and a beautiful walk to a all museums. Breakfast was served every morning and the room was clean everyday with fresh clean towels.

I wasn't to sure what this hotel would be like, the reviews were a little mixed. I stayed in a small single basic clean room, this much I expected from a 2* hotel. However every time I wanted to go into the bathroom I had to squeeze past the large wardrobe. The hotel is in a great central position and on a street with a great market, but you should be aware that the market is packed up every night and wheeled away... in the morning I was awoken by the market being wheeled back into position. Also I was very surprised to find the only power socket in the bathroom and had to balance my laptop on the sink to charge it up.

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The hotel was in easy walking distance of the Duomo,Uffizi, Accadamia,etc. There were great, reasonable restaurants in the area as well. The hotel was clean & comfortable. The breakfast was very good. We enjoyed the fact that the street market was outside the door although others might not. It closed down @7pm so did not disturb nights. We would stay there again.

Right in the hear of florence, staff helpful and very friendly. Rooms clean, well decorated and quiet. Would definately return here!

Close to SMN train station, the Duomo, Accademia, San Lorenzo flea market & mercado, and bus to Fiesole. For nightlife & other sites, it would have been nicer to be closer to the Ponte Vecchio, Santa Croce Palazzo and the Uffizi Gallery. But for the price & the convenience of using the train, it was worth it. The staff was awesome & breakfast was good enough. A bit tough to find with all the flea market stands blocking the entrance. Go directly under the hotel sign, press the button & they will buzz you in. When they check you in they give you an actual key to your room door & a security device that gets you to the initial doors of the hotel. I had the room immediately near the breakfast room & stairway... and can be quite noisy at times (I believe it's due to NO carpet to dampen the noise). But I can sleep through anything & maybe you can request to be located towards the rear or upper floors of the hotel. I was a solo traveler & they gave me a double bed and the room was very spacey & huge (for European standards).

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The hotel was very clean, pleasant service, excellent breakfast. Very easy to find location, and easy walking distance to everything. The noise from the market subsided by 10:00 pm and no noise during the night. I would stay at this hotel again. Only problem was that I reserved and paid for a double room, but there was only a single room available.

Hotel Giada is a great small hotel with excellent service and accomodations.The hote is centrally located, and offers excellent access to all of the museums and historic sites of Florence.The room was clean and very comfortable, and the personal service/meals were outstanding.I will definitely stay at the Hotel Giada again when I return to Florence.

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The hotel was excellent in all areas. The only area we had trouble was getting the manager to give us good advice on restaurants and shopping. We just used our tourbook and had an excellent experience.

the hotel is located in the touristic area. In front of the hotel is a market where they sell a lot of touristic articles. Leather, toys, sjawls etc. etc. The hotel is clean, the room was very big, the bathroom with shower was very good. good shower! breakfast was okay, nothing exciting. so a good hotel but a bit boring.

Assuming that the hotel was listed under the hotels.com umbrella was a very bad mistake. The hotel was dirty, unkept and the location was very noisy and made it hard to sleep. I do not recommend this hotel.

We couldn't believe the standard of Hotel Giada for the price we paid. The entrance is a bit unconventional, but the staff couldn't have been more helpful and, because it's a family run hotel, the same staff are always around. The room was a lot bigger than we expected and was extremely clean and well appointed. It seemed newly decorated. The location was excellent, and, despite being in a busy area, the hotel was very quiet and, as the room had air conditioning, we didn't need to have the window open anyway. We can't recommend this hotel highly enough.