Historic (if faded) splendour
This hotel was recommended by VT member sue_stone, and it didn’t disappoint. It’s in an excellent location on the banks of the River Arno, almost equidistant from the station and the Leaning Tower. As soon as you enter the lobby you are surrounded by history. This hotel dates back to 1837, and has been managed continuously by the same family since then. The website claims too that there has been an inn on this site for far longer – since the 10th century in fact! The walls of the public rooms are filled with photos of famous guests who have stayed here (who include Dickens, Ruskin and Dumas) , early tourist literature and many other mementoes of the hotel’s past.
Unique Quality: We had chosen a so-called Traditional Room on the riverside, which cost €110.50 including breakfast. There are also cheaper Standard Rooms (without a river view and presumably more conventional in their décor), and dearer Best Rooms and Suites. Our room (photo 2) was very grand in its scale and had a captivating atmosphere of faded grandeur. The furniture was mostly old, huge and with large clawed feet – watch out for these as in our one night stay I managed twice to stub my toe on the bed’s toe! We had the promised view of the river, which struck me as very quiet (I had expected lots of boats and activity) but looked beautiful at night. Our bathroom was on an equally grand scale, and was equally old-fashioned, with a rather stained bath but thankfully modern plumbing and an effective shower. Another modern concession was the large TV in the bedroom, but when this was hidden behind its cabinet doors, and the door to the bathroom shut, it was easy to imagine ourselves in the world of the Victorian traveller doing the Grand Tour of Europe.
Breakfast is served in one of many lovely public rooms (photos 3 and 4) on the first floor, and consists of a buffet with juices, rolls, croissants, pastries, ham, cheeses, jams, fresh fruit, muesli etc. Coffee is ordered from the friendly waiting staff and the choice includes espresso and cappuccino as well as regular filter coffee. Take some time to wander through the other public rooms on this floor, which like those on the ground floor are filled with history.
Sign in with Facebook
