It is informed opinion that Florence does not really do cheap accommodation. But that was fine because we were honeymooning and cheap was not the look we were going for. Below 3* in Italy and you cannot guarantee your own bathroom and we’re not having that now are we?
The Aurora lies very close to Florence’s main station, the Santa Novella, and as such is not in the most salubrious part of town. That said, for the few nights we were in town we felt no threat when walking around the area at night. The hotel itself is located on the third floor of a grand 19th-century building and is served by its own lift. Do not be put off by the lower floors, the Aurora is a welcome vision of decorative effort and a desire to impress is evident. The staff were most welcoming and, after our long journey, made check in and arrival completely painless. It is a relatively small hotel with fewer than twenty rooms and the effort made in the lobby carried through to our room.
The décor was mostly golden and, teamed with the building’s naturally high ceilings and windows and delicate-looking repro furniture the overall look and feel was that of faded grandeur (my favourite sort of grandeur if truth be told). The room was relatively spacious and was furnished with a big comfy double bed and a well-appointed, clean bathroom. Air conditioning meant that we were never exposed to the noise of the street below.
As for proximity to everything – Florence is a pretty compact medieval town and at the Aurora you are on the northwestern edge of the interesting bits. Santa Maria Novella is just across the Piazza and it’s a 15-minute stroll to the Duomo which can’t be bad.
Criticisms? They weren’t too clear on whether breakfast was included (it was) and the Blonde informed me that I didn’t miss much. Let’s be honest, the Italians don’t really hold with this whole breakfast thing now, do they? Or provide coffee facilities in your room (go and drink it in the nearby café like everyone else!) The shower had a tendency to block and we did create a couple of alarming lakes in the bathroom . . . but then this problem was fixed by the second night so . . .
At €105 a night for the room I don’t think you could do much better . . . and if I craned my neck I could see the Duomo from the bedroom window – well a bit of it at least.