Hotel Axial

Pros: The hotel is about 2 minutes walk to the Duomo, and about 15 minutes to the train station. You can walk to almost all the tourist attractions from the hotel, and if gelato is your thing, there is a ...

Cons: Air conditioning was not the best, we informed the hotel owner about the smell coming from the air conditioning unit. Besides that, all was excellent, a well run family business.

Pros: Just around the corner Piazza del Duomo Excellent location and friendly staff Big room , excellent deal

Cons: Maybe the breakfast is not enough for some people that are used to eat a lot. For me it was perfect since I just drink a capuccino nd some toasts

Pros: Most things

Cons: Local restaurant food, except for one restaurant, poor quality and value for money.

Pros: Amazing central location for Florence, right next to the Duomo. Easy access to all the major tourist attractions on foot. It was a 10 minutes walk from the train station. All the staff at reception ...

Cons: WiFi very slow and unfortunately the phone reception in my room was poor so it was difficult to access internet. However I discovered that there was a computer free to use in the small common room. ...

Pros: Location

Cons: Hotel could use some updating and refurbishing

It's the service that makes the difference

Pros: The Axial and its sister hotel Maxim immediately upstairs virtually define the essence of the value hotel in a central Florence location. Speaking of which, yes, that location really is about as good as it can possibly get, on Via de Calzaiuoli (one of 2 main north-south streets in the dead centre of Florence), places approximately equidistant (that's perhaps 200 m in either direction) from the Duomo and the Palazzo Vecchio. So far, so good, but it's the staff that make the real difference, always friendly and efficient, eager to help, very relaxed. Most of them speak very good English if that matters - although it's clear they also get a lot of Italian guests (which possibly says something in itself) Lots of families come here, not surprisingly given the good rates (astonishing given the location) and clean, comfortable rooms. Rooms might not be the largest but they are nicely appointed. Beds in particular are especially comfortable; they manage the ever-elusive goal of getting pillows that provide adequate support yet sufficient softness (something I can confirm from many hotels around the world is difficult to do reliably), and the bedding offers the right balance of ability to stay warm if that's what you need and ability to peel back layers if you might otherwise be too hot. Very surprisingly given the location too, the rooms are quiet; an oasis of calm. In summary, this is the hotel I will keep coming back to year after year when in Florence, a place to become a regular patron of.

Cons: What's not to like? In truth any comments here from me would be more in the 'room for improvement' category than the actual 'didn't like' category. So what, if anything, could they improve? Possibly 24-hour reception (reception does close for a short time in the very middle of the night), possibly bathroom facilities (the plumbing is always functional but slightly unresponsive and feeble); that's about it. These it will be pointed out are quibbles - nothing that in any way diminishes from the experience and being honest, the sorts of minor quirks that you would expect from a hotel in this market segment.