Machiavelli Palace Hotel Florence

Overall, I should say that I had a good stay at this place. First of all, it is located about 3-5 minutes from Florence's train station. This was very convenient to me as I traveled between cities by train. So, arriving from Venice or leaving for Pisa the following day and Rome the day after (quite early in the morning) was not at all issue. I could easily walk from the station despite having 2 travel bags with wheels. However, such close proximity to the station and its location on a fairly busy street could be an issue at night sometimes, as you may hear a lot of noise from the street compromising on your sleep. It does get quieter later at night and remains so until early morning. The most important reason as to why I gave lesser points on amenities and room comfort is because the sound-proofing in the facility is poor. I could literally hear every word that was spoken in my neighbor's room (not that I intended it) and as they were awake after I had gone to bed, it was too much of a hindrance for me, as I could not go to sleep for quite some time. The second drawback is that there was a constant malodor prevailing in the bathroom despite the bathroom being clean. I am not sure if it was because of a common ventilator duct traversing the floors above and below. The shower area is quite small. I am an average person and for someone who is big, this could definitely be an issue. If you drop your soap, you could find it very difficult to pick it up from the floor. However, these were not major issues to me on the whole. My bed was comfortable. The room was clean. Mine had a balcony attached to it with a table and few chairs. I could sit on the balcony late in the evening and relax. This would be great if you traveled as a couple. There is a restaurant/pizzeria right across the street (Trattoria, I believe) with very affordable prices and does not charge for COVER (this is a common concept when you dine in Italy, more so in Venice). This could be convenient when you return in the evening tired from sight-seeing. Or you could order food for take-out and have it with your partner on the balcony! Staff was very friendly and helpful. They were always happy to provide useful suggestions and directions. My room was tidied every day and it could not have been kept better. The complimentary breakfast that they provide is extremely good. This came in handy as I was mostly seeing places. After a good breakfast, I could postpone my meal until early in the evening concentrating more on sight-seeing and worrying little about where or when I would eat next. If I needed, I could grab a quick bite and go on. For the price you pay for this hotel, I think this is definitely worth it. If I ever get back to Florence, I won't mind staying here again.

I needed a place close to my daughter's apartment so I choose this location whiich was perfect. I had a single and very typical small, small room. I am lucky I am not a typical larger american because the shower was exactly 24"x24". All and all a good value, good central location, morning breakfast was good. It was good, not great just good and that was all I was looking for.

Location of hotel is great and only a short walk from the central train station and easy walk to sights. Clean and tidy enough. Breakfasts adequate. Would stay again.

Nice and clean hotel which is 5 minutes walking distance to the central train station, and 10 minutes walk to the Domus & Shopping area. Very centralized locatIon. There is a lift; so no need to drag your bags up the stairs to the high floors. Rooms have sufficient amenities like refrigerator & safe. Reception provides good enough service; such as calling a cab that arrives within 5 minutes. However the price is a little on the high side for single bedroom.

Book this hotel for it's excellent location. The train station is just 250m to 300m away. The facilities are adequate and functional, after all you are there just to sleep before moving on to the next day's programme. But the reception staff's attitude is horrendous. When we reached the train station from Pisa, it was pouring. I walked to the hotel to borrow umbrellas so that the others in my party need not walk in the pouring rain with their luggages. Their reply - We don't lend umbrellas to our clients. We are not asking for the sky for crying out loud!

Very pleasant hotel in a fantastic location, just minutes from the train station, San Lorenzo and the other main sights in Florence. Staff very friendly and helpful and buffet breakfast of high quality. Ideal for a short break to this magnificent city.

Buffet breakfast the same all throughout. Wifi available only through costly purchase of card; still it didn't work! Only a few TV channels available and only CNN as the sole English channel. Funny smell in the bathrooms (I requested a bigger room since I was given a small one at the back). Fortunately, the new room had a terrace with a magnificent view of the Duomo and another church, which made up for the rest. On the whole, fantastic location--near the train station, the central market and historical landmarks!

This hotel is close to the main railway station yet within easy walking of the main sights. The single room I had was small, and the showe was clearly intended for someone half my size, but let out onto a rooftop patio at least twice the size of the room with a spectacular view over the Basillica and cathedral. Just the ticket after a hard day sightseeing - and really helped make it a pleasurable experience.

Very good location, super close to train station. Good breakfast, great coffee machine! Only down side was the drain smell in our room!

Excellent hotel and staff, we would definitely stay there again.

Great price and good breakfast

Beds are hard, but the location is very central. Desk staff very helpful.

very conveniently located very close to the train station and also to the market hall, very acceptable breakfast buffet, beds were comfortable

Assistance and service provided during our stay was excellent

Easy walking distance to the rest of Florence - but that's not hard! Several restaurants and cafes in the street and round the corner. There's a supermarket turn right outside and right again, on the left, much bigger inside than it looks from outside. Some staff were a bit offhand, not acknowledging that they were letting a queue build up at reception, and there were not enough serving the breakfast to keep the tables cleared and bring fresh supplies.

Great hotel. Friendly staff who were extremely helpful with advice about where to eat etc. Good location being a few minutes from the train station and San Lorenzo. Extremely clean and offering great value for money.

One of the best hotels for service. First room had a bad smell, we were moved promptly to room 208 which was large and great facilities. We forgot a ring at the hotel after checkout, staff were able to locate and hold until our return. Highly recommended!

well situated, good price and positive service experience. We were moved from our first room into a larger brigher room with a great view of Duomo. The first room bath had a large rust hole which leaked to the room below when I ran a bath!!. Breakfast was very adequate. The only real negative was an extremely hard, uncomfortable bed. Still good spot for the money

Excellent location only 5 mins from train station and not far from restuarants. The receptionist wasn't that helpful. The room itself was good, bathroom was tiny but functional.

We had a 6 day city break and found this hotel really good value for money. Location is excellent being just across the road from the main bus station. Breakfast is basic continental with cereal, ham, cheese, bread - the usual things - all on a self-service buffet, so you can eat as much or as little as you like. Our room was lovely and we were lucky enough to have a terrace to sit out on. OK it wasn't warm, being December, but it was pleasant enough to enjoy a quick glass of wine before putting a coat on. TV was awful. The only English-speaking station being CNN - need I say more? The hotel is decorated in classic Italian style and there are some lovely murals in the public areas. I'd recommend it to anyone - indeed, I have to a good friend. We were very impressed.