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Home » Reviews » Hotel Reviews » My Superb Boutique Hotel in Florence, Italy
Hotel Reviews

My Superb Boutique Hotel in Florence, Italy

Matthew Klint Posted onJuly 10, 2018November 14, 2023 16 Comments

a building with a door and windows

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.

a room with a couch and a zebra print rug

a room with black couches and black and white curtains

a laptop on a desk with a mirror above it

a couches in a room

a fireplace with a vase of sticks and a plant on top

a woman sitting at a desk in a beauty salon

a staircase with a metal railing

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 bed in a room

a desk with a black chair and a black object on it

a bed with two lamps on the side

a room with a bed and a desk

a room with a bed and chairs

A mini-bar included a few drinks and snacks.

a table with wine bottles and snacks

The bathroom included a bidet and toilet facing each other as well as a small shower. No bathtub.

a bathroom with a sink and toilet

a bathroom with a toilet and bidet

a white sink with a silver faucet and white towels

a shower head and shower head in a bathroom

a bathroom with a shower and toilet

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.

a gym with treadmills and exercise equipment

a room with exercise equipment

a gym with exercise equipment

a gym with treadmills and exercise machines

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.

a sign on a wall

a hallway with a light in the back

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.

a buffet with food on it

a buffet with food on the counter

a display case with bread and fruit

a food on a counter

a display case with food on it

a display of food on a counter

a display of food on a shelf

a tray of fruit on a counter

We ate breakfast on the patio, which was very nice in the shade.

a patio with tables and chairs

a table and chairs outside with plants in pots

a patio with white furniture and a stone wall

a table and chairs outside with a wall of plants

a cup of coffee and a glass of orange juice on a white plate

a plate of food on a table

a plate of food on a table

a patio with tables and chairs

Hotel River Bar

The hotel bar is adjacent to the patio. It was closed during the morning hours.

a bar with colorful stools and tables

a living room with a couch and a table

a group of bottles of alcohol on a counter

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.

a plate of pasta with a truffle topping

a cup of ice cream

a building with flags on the balcony

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About Author

Matthew Klint

Matthew is an avid traveler who calls Los Angeles home. Each year he travels more than 200,000 miles by air and has visited more than 135 countries. Working both in the aviation industry and as a travel consultant, Matthew has been featured in major media outlets around the world and uses his Live and Let's Fly blog to share the latest news in the airline industry, commentary on frequent flyer programs, and detailed reports of his worldwide travel.

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16 Comments

  1. Boardingareaflukie Reply
    July 10, 2018 at 3:17 pm

    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.

    • Matthew Reply
      July 10, 2018 at 3:56 pm

      Thank you for your kind comment!

  2. Ivan Reply
    July 10, 2018 at 4:51 pm

    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.

  3. Jimmy Reply
    July 10, 2018 at 6:09 pm

    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!

  4. Jay Reply
    July 10, 2018 at 9:03 pm

    Great review! I wish I stayed here when I visited Florence instead of the dump that my travel agent put me in.

  5. JP Reply
    July 10, 2018 at 9:05 pm

    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?

    • Matthew Reply
      July 10, 2018 at 11:19 pm

      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.

  6. emercycrite Reply
    July 10, 2018 at 9:47 pm

    What a chic hotel! I love the black/white aesthetic.

  7. Ron Reply
    July 10, 2018 at 11:37 pm

    Where is the hotel located in terms of accessing Florence city center and its main tourist attractions?

    • Matthew Reply
      July 10, 2018 at 11:56 pm

      Within five minutes by foot. Like its name implies, Hotel River is along the Arno.

  8. Paolo Reply
    July 11, 2018 at 3:16 am

    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.

  9. Steve Reply
    July 11, 2018 at 10:21 am

    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.

  10. Jennifer Landreth Reply
    July 11, 2018 at 5:43 pm

    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.

  11. GC Reply
    July 11, 2018 at 10:46 pm

    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!

  12. Christine Hall Reply
    July 13, 2018 at 8:05 am

    Matthew, thanks for this great review. I just booked three nights there and can’t wait!

  13. Stvr Reply
    July 21, 2018 at 11:48 am

    No interest in either of the two Marriotts in town? They both seem nice.

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