Nice Hotel

It was in the best location. I recommend a taxi to and from the train station, but once your there you are so close to the heart of the city, and Ponte Vecchio. They do have an elevator it is the tiniest one I have ever seen but it works - you may have to send your luggage up seperatly. The common family room had Internet access, the breakfast was wonderful. Very reasonable price. We had a room that slept 4 which is sometimes hard to find in Italy.

Our favorite place

This is a little late, but my 17 year old daughter and I stayed there last March. We very much enjoyed our stay. The staff was helpful and courteous, the room simple and clean with high ceilings and a true old world feel. We walked everywhere and could drop back for a rest after lunch. Their dinner recommendation were superb. We would definitely stay again.

Great location...good price

Good hotel at a great location with a good price. The hotel and rooms feel old, but what do you expect in Florence. The location is great.

The hotel is in the heart of Florence. It's a good 10-15 minute walk from the train station. It's definitely "do able", but you would have to drag your bags through town and carry your bags up a flight of stairs before getting to the hotel elevator.

Excellent location, comfortable stay all around.

Very good value for 138/145 euros (cash/cc) per nite for a queen bed w/ private shower/bath in mid-Sept. Comfortable, clean, quiet. Hotel is on a quaint, quiet cobblestone street, yet only steps from the heart of tourist area of Florence. Would definitely come back again.

Pensione Alessandra, Florence

We had an overall pleasant stay in this hotel and the city of Florence was so awesome! A nice change from Rome for me. The staff was helpful. The breakfast buffet was pretty decent. Slight problem were the towels which were changed immediately. The 25-30 steps to the lift was not a huge problem but we had known about that before arriving there. Packing light is the best! Buses & taxis are some forms of transport there. Sometimes I think Florence's shopping district is even better than Milan's- go to La Rinascente & Cipressi. You got to have Gelati! It was the best there compared to other italian cities. Go to La Borsa (eaterie)! The location was great- near everything you could imagine ex. Uffizi, Academia, etc. We will return someday! This was a memorable honeymoon for us =).

Friendly staff, great location

The Alessandra is a shock to the system when you arrive as you have to drag your bags up 30 stairs before you get to the (very small) elevator. But once there you will find the staff helpful and friendly. The lower costs was a refreshing change after the rest of Italy's high-priced hotels. But lower prices does not mean shabby at all. We had room 16Bis which had a new bathroom, TV, safe, aircon but no heating. The location is only 2 mins from the Arno and Ponte Vecchio, 5 mins from the Uffizi and 15 mins walk to the Cathedral. Its about a 7 Euro taxi fare from the train station. We would stay there again.

Mse@prodigy.net

After checkout, a member of our party fell in the dimly lit stairwell while trying to carry our bags down the stairs. A previously read review about this place stated a simliar accident happened to them. If you stay there, be sure to turn on the small white light switches on each floor as you climb up or down. This was a serious injury and we had to return early to the States for surgery. The pensione is conveniently located and fairly priced, but if we went again we would only stay in a 3 star or better hotel. Florence is a town where there is always lots of construction. Unfortunately there was lots of it nearby making our stay here uncomfortable. We went during the winter and our room alternated between too cold or too hot.

So, so handy

We were extremely pleased we had chosen the Alessandra. It is run by a family, mother and son, who were both helpful and pleasant. The breakfast was great. But above all,

the location is absolutely excellent, right in the heart of the old city and just a few minutes' walk from the Ponte Vecchio and the Uffizi Gallery. And it's very reasonably priced!

Great little hotel at a great location

We stayed here two nights. Wonderful stay, quiet, with a view of the Arno. Just a few minutes walk from most florentine sites. The staff was very friendly, and accomodating...they let us hang out and shower at the common bathroom the night AFTER we had checked out.

At $160, we thought it was somewhat an indulgence for the upgrade on the room, but the view of the Arno was worth it.

Good value in a busy city

My friend and I just stayed at the Alessandra for six nights. It is literally a 5 minute walk from the Ponte Vecchio and Uffizi, housed in a 15th century palace. If you like atmosphere, this is for you! However, being city-centre also means noise outside at night from passers by. I used earplugs every night.

Signor Gennarini greeted us warmly, and made arrangements for tix for the major sights. He also helped us with train arrangements to visit Assisi.

The rooms are large and well-kept - historical not clinical. Bathroom was modern. Everything well-maintained. For breakfast there was a great spread ranging from continental to breakfast cereals - and great coffee.

Beds were changed every day. All the staff were wonderful.

The only thing we would have liked would have been a garden or terrace to sit outside.

The price for Florence was incredibly reasonable - about 145 euros a night [for 2].