Pensione Scoti has been in the hands of its new owners for several years, and is a rising star in accommodations. While it is fondly remembered as a budget guesthouse with shared facilities, the owners have installed bath facilities in every room and have increased the prices accordingly. Still, at 90 euro per night, the 16th-century palazzo on Florence's high fashion street was an amazing deal. Hotel Scoti is 10 minutes from the Santa Maria Novella train station, and situated across from the Palazzo Strozzi on via Tornabuoni.

There is a palpable nostalgia for this hotel, which has been operating for 70 years. During our stay, a grandmother brought her grandson to see the hotel where she had honeymooned. The original frescoes in the homey lobby are still there for her to reminisce over. The rooms, on the other hand, have been spruced up considerably, the owner is proud to tell us.

Our room was decorated in rustic Tuscan style, and had a comfortable bed. The wooden shutters opened up to a beautiful view of Florence's red rooftops. Our bathroom was clean and comfortable.

The owners do all the work themselves, from the room-cleaning to serving breakfast. You can also call them at any time during the day to ask about the city or just chat. The Australian woman and her Italian husband are wonderful hosts, and I really enjoyed our stay with them. They also have magazines in every language in their lobby to peruse. The owner even lent out her hair dryer to another guest! This friendly atmosphere made me feel like I was staying with friends rather than in a hotel.

To go on about breakfast, it's quite bountiful for 5 euro per day. It includes several pastries, coffee, juice, and jam.

This hotel might not be the most accessible, and I feel that I should warn any wheelchaired visitors of this fact. The hotel is located on the third floor. There is an elevator, but it is really small. Actually, we had to send up our luggage in two trips. The staircase has plenty of room and is another method of going up and down. And hey, if you can go up the stairs, you'll probably want to, so that you can work off all that great Italian food.

All in all, I would definitely come back here on my next visit to Florence (and I rubbed that boar statue, so I'll be back). Although the prices may go up in this improving hotel, it is still a great deal for its friendliness and location.