Hotel Il Bargellino Florence

We spent 2 nights Il Bargellino in June 2004. The hotel is a bit run down, but our room was clean and comfortable. The owners were very friendly and helpful - they gave us directions on how to get to some of the sites, and made reservations for us to visit the Uffizi Museum.

The hotel is not conveniently located; its a good 20 minute walk to the centre of the city. However, the rooms are reasonably priced, and overall, it is good value for money.

Are all the reviews below real?! I had a different experience.

After reading the good reviews, I made reservations and very much looked forward to my first time in Florence. Il Bargellino turned out to be horrid. Upon arrival there was no one around and we waited for about 15 minutes before Pino showed up. He was abrupt as he hurriedly showed us to our rooms. We stayed in the double room downstairs while my sister stayed stayed in Room 8 upstairs. Our room was very large but was SO noisy being next to the reception area. We could hear people opening and closing the door all night. Room 8 upstairs had a horrible little bathroom and since it was next to the owner's living quarters, they could hear the owners watching television through the walls.

While the walk to city attractions isn't too far (Florence isn't a really large city anyway), please be aware that it IS tucked away from the main sites. For us, the obvious unfriendliness and the location of the hotel were huge turnoffs for us and we ended up switching hotels. For only $25 more, we moved to a 3 star hotel a block from the Campanile and was infinitely happier.

Recommended hotel, clean and very good value. Very handy for top attractions in Florence. The spacious roof terrace is very very nice, on a warm spring or autumn day. Its a delight on an afternoon with a bottle of cool wine and food bought locally. Have been her twice now and will do so again

We stayed at Il Bargellino last July and have booked a room there again for this summer. The hotel was a wonderful respite after days of sightseeing. We spent hours on the lovely roof-top patio socializing with American-born owner Carmel and her Italian husband Pino who are kind and tremendously helpful. Il Bargellino is just five minutes walk from the train station, and 10 from the Duomo. The rooms are decorated with amazing one-of-a-kind antiques. I can't wait to return!

IL Bargellino is a sweet, charming little hotel located just 10 minutes from S. M. Novella train station. It is owned and operated by Pino (an Italian) and Carmel (his American-born wife) and they?ll do everything possible to make your Florence vacation the best you?ve ever had. When I stayed with them on my first visit to Florence recently, I was just amazed at the way they looked after me?Carmel set up appointments for me with her hairdresser, went shoe-shopping with me at her favorite places, turned me on to the little trattorias where the local people go to eat and steered me to the best pizza I?ve ever had in my life. I LOVE to walk and I?d leave IL Bargellino every morning at 7:00am for my excursions into the city. So, when I?d drag myself back to the hotel in the afternoons exhausted, Carmel would make us both some really strong coffee and I?d sit and chat with her while I got my energy back & she putzed around the kitchen. My room was clean, adorably furnished and even though it faced the street, there was very little noise from traffic. I?ve already told Carmel that I want the very same room when I return in September. This place is a gem and you can find them at -----------. (Try to get there before Rick Steves discovers the place and you?ll then have to wait months for a reservation!)

My wife and I spent a few nights at Il Bargellino March of 2004. We felt right at home. Carmen (the owner orignally from Boston) assisted us at every turn. Making reservations at the museums and suggesting good restaurants, etc she made our short stay efficient and enjoyable.

We would stay at Il Bargellino again.

We spent a week in Florence May 2003, staying at Il Bargellino, the most wonderful respite after being a tourist all day! And about mid-week, we had been touring so hard that we spent the afternoon relaxing on the gorgeous terrace (onto which our room opened). The hosts Carmel and Pino were most gracious and helpful, too, when we asked for assistance, recommending services and great food! When we return to Florence, this is where we'll stay.

I spent about a week last September at Hotel IL Bargellino in Florence where I made friends and was treated better than I've ever been treated (I make 2-3 trips to Italy per year). Carmel and Pino, the hotel's owners, are just wonderful people. I had originally planned to go to Rome, but the owner of Planet 29 where I had made my reservation emailed me a week before my departure that she had overbooked the hotel and that my room was no longer available. I called Carmel in a panic because I remembered having read some very nice comments about her hotel on the web. She said, "Sure, no problem. Stay with us. We have a nice room for you." The room was very sweet, the hotel is superbly located just a few blocks from the Santa Maria Novella train station.

There are loads of great little trattorias in the neighborhood. My very first night there, I was invited to a dinner party under the stars on IL Bargellino's lovely terrace. Pino grilled meats for everyone on the barbeque and Carmel made the pasta. The whole time I was there I never felt like I was in a hotel--it was more like staying with friends. On future trips to Florence I wouldn't think of staying anyplace other than IL Bargellino.

I stayed here for 10 days last year. I arrived exhausted, confused and more than a bit nervous about being on my own. Carmel and Pino (the owners) took me under their wing and made me feel at home. They fed me twice--wonderful open-air dinners on the terrace. Lots of wonderful stories, flowing red wine and excellent food. The room and bath was spotless. Carmel is from Boston and met Pino ("love at first ciao") while studying in Florence. You will love her, Pino, and the hotel too.

We just returned from four nights at Il Bargellino in Florence. We couldn't have been happier with our room, which opened onto the hotel's gorgeous rooftop terrace... a wonderful oasis from the craziness of Florence in the summer.

The room itself was huge, clean and very comfortable.

The hotel is well located, walking distance from the train and bus station. It is about a fifteen minute walk from the main downtown area.

We had great luck with two of the restaurants near the hotel, Gratella and Trattoria Guelfa... some of the best food of the trip.

Il Bargellino's staff was wonderful and Carmen, the owner, was so very helpful.

I highly recommend this hotel and would definitely stay here again!