A spur of the moment decision prompted our stay at this 3 star hotel on the banks of the Arno. Having become accostumed to 4 star establishments, I was very pleased to find that Hotel Privilege, except for the smallness of the bathroom, was an extremely comfortable place to stay. Triple pane window kept the very spacious, clean, room perfectly quiet. It is in an ideal location, within a short walking distance to all major monuments and eateries. Large comfortable beds made for a good night's sleep. Very well heated, appreciated on a chill November night. And, the breakfast was superior in quality and selection to that of the 4 star hotels we stayed in.

We stayed 5 nights at the Hotel Privilege in Florence, Italy, and would stay there again. The owners were wonderful people, the service was great, the room was quiet, spacious and clean, the breakfast was fabulous, the restaurant recommendations were terrific, and the location was perfect. My husband loved the big tub. We highly recommend this hotel to anyone visiting the beautiful city of Florence.

I went to Europe for the first time in May 2007. My friend (a veteran traveler) and I spent about 6 weeks meticulously planning a two-week tour of France and Italy. One leg of our trip led us to Florence. We had booked our stay at the Hotel Privilege online, and were hoping it was going to be okay.

Well, "okay" is a gross understatement. We got lost in Florence (as we did elsewhere on our trip), and when we finally found the hotel (on a one-way street on the Arno River), I pulled over, and my friend ran inside to find out where we were supposed to park. One of the managers (Emmanuello) came out, grabbed our luggage, escorted us to our room, and then went back outside and took our car (where, we never knew) to the place where it was to be parked for the remainder of our stay in Florence.

We were very happy with the size and amenities of our room. It was a large room with a sofa, large window overlooking a small courtyard garden, and a nice-sized bathroom with a tub, shower, bidet, and sink. Everything was spotless, free of strange odors (which is VERY important), and nicely decorated. As nice as the room was, however, it paled in comparison to the hospitality shown to us by our hosts: Emmanuello and Barbara. At the time they were the only two people working at the hotel, so one of them could always be found at the front desk, ready to draw a perfect map to a great place for dinner (La Maremma), or other sites in this beautiful city. Emmanuello even prepared breakfast for us one morning. They were both gracious beyond belief, and truly made my friend and me feel right at home. WHEN I go back to Florence, I will stay at Hotel Privilege.

This hotel has the most delightful host and hostess. They are a married couple who seem to always be available (don't they ever go home?). We felt most welcomed every time we came through the door way. The breakfasts were super! Boiled eggs, tortes, cheese, lox, fruit, juices, yogurt, espresso or cappuchino, milk, sliced meats--with encouragement from the hostess (You eat nothing!). A patio under the trees outside overlooks the streets.
We could not get lost because all we had to do was to find the Arno river, look for a tall landmark, and there we were, home for the evening!
They even made several long distance phone calls at no charge so that I could recover my driver's license that I had left as security at a bicycle rental shop a few hours south of Florence.
Our favorite room was 110, it opened onto a small interior patio, so we would sleep with the door open and not hear any of the outside traffic.
Very comfortable beds and nice bath.
Tell Emanuele that the California Sisters sent you!