Despite the amazing frescoes in some rooms, painted ceramic tiles in others, and soaring ceilings throughout this 16th century palazzo designed by Ammannati, the last thing you would call the Hotel Bavaria is "fancy."
Yes, the decor is occasionally amazing, but it remains a basic backpacker hotel with virtually no amenties (the guest rooms don't even have private bathrooms, though some do have showers; all toilets are shared). It does, however, have three big selling points:
1) The rates are incredibly low. Online, double rooms without private bath start around €47; those with a shower €55.
2) The location is sublime, on a relatively quiet side street but mere blocks away from the Duomo, the Bargello, and the Uffizi (not to mention Dante's house and Santa Croce).
3) It has those precious bits of historic decor hanging about, starting with the building's facade, still covered in the faded remains of griselle frescoes designed, supposedly, by Vasari. (The palazzo was built in the 15th century by the noted architect Ammanti.) Some of the rooms even have elabroate facades on the walls, or painted wood ceiling beams. Other rooms, well, they have four walls and a bed in them.
But again, I beg you to read this: this hotel is utterly basic. Yes, I have fond memories of staying here, but only because I was paying so laughably little for a room in a frescoed palazzo. The room itself was tiny, with no windows at all, and the only light eas privided by a single, bare, laughably weak bulb dangling fro the ceiling.
A tip: Rooms on the primo piano (second floor to Americans)—which was the old piano nobile of the palazzo—are infintely superior (and brighter) to those on the third floor (though some on the third floor do get a nice view of the Duomo dome).
Borgo degli Albizi 26
(Duomo / Ufizzi)
tel. +39-055-40-313
www.hotelbavariafirenze.it
€
Bus: C2; 14, 23, C1
Hop-on/hop-off: Teatro Verdi (A)
English (Inglese) | Italian (Italiano) | Pro-nun-cee-YAY-shun |
Good day | Buon giorno | bwohn JOUR-noh |
Good evening | Buona sera | BWOH-nah SAIR-rah |
Good night | Buona notte | BWOH-nah NOTE-tay |
Goodbye | Arrivederci | ah-ree-vah-DAIR-chee |
Excuse me (to get attention) | Scusi | SKOO-zee |
thank you | grazie | GRAT-tzee-yay |
please | per favore | pair fa-VOHR-ray |
yes | si | see |
no | no | no |
Do you speak English? | Parla Inglese? | PAR-la een-GLAY-zay |
I don't understand | Non capisco | non ka-PEESK-koh |
I'm sorry | Mi dispiace | mee dees-pee-YAT-chay |
Where is? | Dov'é | doh-VAY |
...a hotel | un albergo | oon al-BEAR-go |
...a B&B | un bed-and-breakfast | oon bet hand BREK-fust |
...a rental room | un'affittacamera | oon ah-feet-ah-CAH-mair-ra |
...an apartment for rent | un appartamento | oon ah-part-tah-MENT-toh |
...a farm stay | un agriturismo | oon ah-gree-tour-EES-moh |
...a hostel | un ostello | oon oh-STEHL-loh |
How much is...? | Quanto costa? | KWAN-toh COST-ah |
a single room | una singola | OO-nah SEEN-go-la |
double room for single use [will often be offered if singles are unavailable] | doppia uso singola | DOPE-pee-ya OO-so SEEN-go-la |
a double room with two beds | una doppia con due letti | OO-nah DOPE-pee-ya cone DOO-way LET-tee |
a double room with one big bed | una matrimoniale | OO-nah mat-tree-moan-nee-YAAL-lay |
triple room | una tripla | OO-nah TREE-plah |
with private bathroom | con bagno | cone BAHN-yoh |
without private bathroom | senza bagno [they might say con bagno in comune—"with a communal bath"] | SEN-zah BAHN-yoh |
for one night | per una notte | pair OO-nah NOH-tay |
for two nights | per due notti | pair DOO-way NOH-tee |
for three nights | per tre notti | pair tray NOH-tee |
Is breakfast included? | É incluso la prima colazione? | ay in-CLOO-soh lah PREE-mah coal-laht-zee-YOAN-nay |
Is there WiFi? | C'é WiFi? | chay WHY-fy? |
May I see the room? | Posso vedere la camera? | POH-soh veh-DAIR-eh lah CAH-mair-rah |
That's too much | É troppo | ay TROH-po |
Is there a cheaper one? | C'é una più economica? | chay OO-nah pew eh-ko-NO-mee-kah |
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Borgo degli Albizi 26
(Duomo / Ufizzi)
tel. +39-055-40-313
www.hotelbavariafirenze.it
€
Bus: C2; 14, 23, C1
Hop-on/hop-off: Teatro Verdi (A)