When an apartment makes sense
Apartments tend to win over hotels when you're staying five or more nights, travelling as a family or small group, or want to shop at the morning markets and cook at least some meals — a genuinely different way to experience Florence's food culture rather than eating out for every meal. For a two-night stopover, a hotel is usually simpler.
Which areas work best for apartments
Oltrarno and Santa Croce are particularly well suited: both have a strong base of small grocers and markets and enough residential character that having a "home base" adds to the experience rather than just being cheaper square footage. San Lorenzo works well too, right by the Mercato Centrale.
Practical things to check before booking
- Check-in process: many Florence apartment hosts use self-check-in with a lockbox or keypad — confirm the exact process and arrival window in advance, especially for late flights.
- Elevator and floor: historic buildings frequently have no elevator; a fourth-floor walk-up with luggage is a common complaint in reviews that could have been avoided by asking first.
- Noise: the same rule as hotels applies, doubled — apartments in nightlife-heavy streets (parts of Santa Croce, San Frediano) can be loud on weekend nights.
- Air conditioning: not guaranteed in older conversions; essential to confirm for a summer booking.
- Registration and ID: Italian law requires guest registration with ID for stays of any length — a legitimate host will ask for passport details, which is normal, not a scam.
Cost comparison
A well-located one-bedroom apartment often costs roughly the same as a mid-range hotel double for a short stay, but the economics improve fast for longer stays or groups of three or more sharing space that would otherwise mean two hotel rooms.