Looking for a reasonably-priced boutique hotel in the heart of Florence? I found one called Hotel River.
Florence is a beautiful city in Italy’s Tuscany region with stunning architecture and great food. But it is missing one thing: a wide selection of chain hotels. There is a Hilton…outside of town. There’s also a Four Seasons…for over $1200/night. The St. Regis was sold out. So we had to go outside of our “comfort zone” and find an independent hotel or smaller chain.
Note, this is NOT a sponsored post. My friend John discovered it on a recent trip to Italy with his girlfriend. When business took us Florence earlier this month, we decided to stay there again. I should also note that it is very difficult to please John, so this was quite a find for the 135EUR/night we paid.
We checked in around 8pm and were assigned the last room in the hotel, right down the hall from the lobby. I like the lobby style. Very hip and modern…maybe it will go out of style in a few years…but it’s smart without being overly minimalist.
Hotel River Guest Room
The room is small and the bathroom tiny. I’ll count that as a strike. But the room is comfortable and the air worked well on a very warm Tuscan evening.
A mini-bar included a few drinks and snacks.
The bathroom included a bidet and toilet facing each other as well as a small shower. No bathtub.
Hotel River Fitness + Spa
The hotel features a small fitness on the 4th floor as well as a spa on the basement level. Inside the fitness center, a converted guest room, is an exercise bike, treadmill, rowing machine, and limited free weights.
The spa contains a sauna and steam room but is only open daily from noon to 7pm. Since checkout time is 11am, I never had the chance to use it.
Hotel River Breakfast
Breakfast is included for all guests and quite enjoyable. A buffet on the basement level offered fresh fruits, cold cuts and breads. Coffee, eggs, and fresh orange juice were available upon request.
We ate breakfast on the patio, which was very nice in the shade.
Hotel River Bar
The hotel bar is adjacent to the patio. It was closed during the morning hours.
CONCLUSION
I’ll note the Four Seasons hotel in Florence looks absolutely magnificent. But we’re a startup, not Scott Pruitt’s office. We cannot justify lavishness at this point. This hotel offered a nice balance of reasonable cost (135EUR for peak tourist season in Florence is excellent) and comfort. If you’re a budget traveler looking for a happy medium between budget and opulence, this is it.
Finally, a note on nearby dining. There are dozens of restaurants within walking distance of the hotel. It seems to me that wherever you end up, you cannot go wrong.
Boarding Area needs more reviews like this of independent non-aligned properties. It seems we only hotels that are reviewed because the writer either redeemed or earned points with the loyalty program-affiliated property. Please do this more often.
Thank you for your kind comment!
I don’t think you can call a hotel “independent” when it’s a part of a hotel chain. In this case, LHP Hotels.
Sure, it’s no Starwood, but calling it independent is an overstatement.
Nice hotel. Looks a bit too modern and minimalistic for my liking, but I definitely enjoy reviews of hotels not belonging to any major chains. Thanks Matthew!
Great review! I wish I stayed here when I visited Florence instead of the dump that my travel agent put me in.
Great find at 135 Euro. I’m seeing rates closer to 180 Euro booking direct via the hotels website. How did you manage to find such a great rate?
I also see rates closer to 180EUR now on most sites, though I see it for 135EUR+tax on Agoda…perhaps the rates have gone up now that we are in July. I booked same-day and paid 135EUR.
What a chic hotel! I love the black/white aesthetic.
Where is the hotel located in terms of accessing Florence city center and its main tourist attractions?
Within five minutes by foot. Like its name implies, Hotel River is along the Arno.
Something of a salutary lesson here because we’ve all been lulled/sucked in by the big chains and their loyalty programs…and pay a premium for those chicken feed points.
I’ve branched out a little this year, ditching Hyatt for some independent /small chain properties, but this one looks to be a very good find indeed.
And it’s good to book online rather than let your shameless business partner try to negotiate a discount at the front desk.
Thanks for the interesting review of a non large chain hotel. Keep them coming! Now if you could just explain the half shower glass thing in European hotels.
Thanks for sharing. This past Spring my boys & I stayed at Hotel Roma. You should look it up. Our stay was lovely, & the staff even better. It too has similar aesthetics of black & white, Exterior is also similar. Location was in the heart too. A 5 min. walk to the Train.
Awesome review of another hotel option in my favourite city in Italy. The last couple times I went to Florence, I booked a private room at the PLUS Hostel. A private room with a double bed went for about $60/night in mid-May this year. While the rooms were definitely basic, they were very spacious and the bathrooms were fairly nice. The place even has both indoor and outdoor pools. I’ll have to give this one a look in case the PLUS is sold out of private rooms!
Matthew, thanks for this great review. I just booked three nights there and can’t wait!
No interest in either of the two Marriotts in town? They both seem nice.