Arnolfo Elegant Apartment in via dei Calzaiuoli in Florence by Mmega

We were met with a very friendly welcome outside the building and escorted the apartment. The apartment had all we needed and was very comfortable (one bedroom with a double bed and 2 day sofas in the living room which turned into beds at night). The apartment is very quiet despite its location on the pedestrian zone. It´s location is perfect for walking and exploring Florence.

If you are looking for a quick, one-night stay that is close to all, this one is for you. Pros- Close to all shopping, restaurants, museums and churches, yet is it very quiet. The bed in the bedroom is comfortable and we got a good night's rest. Very friendly staff who was very responsive and helpful. The staff allowed us to store our luggage in their office while we went out and shopped and let us use their bathroom. The office is a 15 minute walk from the apartment. Cons - The hallway and stairway leading up to the apartment is dirty, dingy and very old and in dire need of renovation. I wanted to stay in a place that was authentic, but this goes beyond authentic. I stayed at an apartment in Rome and one in Venice and both of the hallways and stairways were in much nicer shape. Perhaps the owner has no control over the condition of the hallways and stairways. If that's the case, just be prepared about how poor it looks. The apartment needs better lighting. It makes the apartment very uninviting and gives it a depressing feeling. The bathroom needs to be renovated. The shower is raised up by about a foot, so you have to take a big step up to get in. This makes it very difficult and very dangerous to get down because of the high step AND their is no grab bar to assist you. You must grip onto to the sink in order to safely get yourself down. I DO NOT recommend this for someone who is older, has a slight physical disability or is a child. They did not provide soap. Perhaps that is why there is no dish or shelf in the shower to stall to keep soap or shampoo. You can hear the toilet flushing from other apartments in the building. There is no built-in converters in the outlets to charge your phone or other electronics. Luckily we had purchased converters at home in the U.S. However, the apartments in Rome and Venice had converters built in, so charging was easy - so be prepared to bring a converter. There was no dish washing soap or sponge or a dish washer. There was no paper towels. The utensils looked dirty, so I washed them (the spoon, cafe espresso maker, the cup) with my shampoo.

We were promised a confirmed 2 bedroom apartment with 2 bathrooms plus all kinds of amenities. What we got was 1 bedroom with a double bed, plus 1 room with 2 narrow couches/divans, a small table with 4 chairs and a kitchen ALL ROLLED INTO ONE! Plus just 1 bathroom ! When we protested, the managers tried to convince us that we were deluded, until we traced their Booking Confirmation email to us and showed it to them. When faced with the evidence, they backtracked and blamed the 'mistake' on their web partners ! After profusely apologising they promised to give us a tiny refund which they did (too little, too late) and did attend to our other complaints viz. non-working washing machine, rusted pots and pans, defective fridge etc. They also helped receive our baggage which Vueling Airlines had lost and subsequently traced over 24 hours after we had landed. In conclusion alas, what you see on VRBO may not be what you get !