First I should say that the location of this "hotel" was perfect, I loved being in the middle of everything. The inside of the apartment was very nice (we had the two room apartment with one king sized bed and two bunk-beds in the second room), with great furnite, a tiny kitchen, nice LCD TVs (although no English speak channels) and great customer service! There was a welcome package with some juices, snacks, tea, coffee and water, which was a nice change from $10 water at the mini bar that you don't usually drink.

My one complaint was that there was construction going on on our floor and so it was very loud. They started very early in the morning and we got woken up by it. However, aside from that it was a wonderful experience. I would definitely recommend it.

It is a great hotel/apartment that has been recently renovated and it shows !!! I would recommend it to anyone, but...

The location is good news and bad news....

Good news is that it is located right on the Piazza Signoria 50 yards from the Uffizzi and Palazzo Vecchio and a couple of blocks from the Ponte Vecchio and Dumo...what a great location !!

Bad news...it's located right on the Piazza...Italians (and everyone else for that matter) don't appear to go to bed at all...there were people wandering and talking and laughing all night. That would have not been too bad except that we needed to have the windows open because it was warm and the AC doesn't get turned on until June...so basically we didn't sleep too well...
When the windows were closed it was great, the renovation and new windows cut the sound perfectly...but when they were open...

That is the only bad thing I can say...if you want a hotel with a fancy lobby and a concierge then this isn't the place for you, but if you want to be right in the middle of it all, this is the place !!

Relais Piazza Signoria is AMAZING! It is in the best location- overlooking piazza signoria (which is one of the most popular and beautiful centers in florence, home to the uffizi and palazzo pitti, great restaurants, horse drawn carriages and fountains). You are also a 2 minute walk from the duomo, ponte vecchio, and close to everything else you'd want to see. We even walked with our bags from the train station and it wasn't bad at all. We thought it was a great deal for europe anyway (140 euros/ night in march for deluxe studio), but when we arrived they gave us a free upgrade to the executive room since they weren't full! The room is every bit as beautiful, clean, and modern as it looks in the pictures. Literally the comfiest bed I've ever slept in in a hotel, and not 2 twin beds pushed together to be considered a queen, like most european hotels. We were on the 5th floor and loved opening the windows and watching the lovely scene below. It is more like having your own apartment rather than staying at a hotel, but there is staff always available to answer your questions, or help with train tickets, museums, or anything. They were so nice! The room is decorated very cool- and HUGE for european standards! lots of room and hanging space- a plasma tv with 800 channels (of course most of them not english.. but still). The bathroom is very nice, and big. It has a rain-style shower head which was amazing. There is a small kitchen- stove and fridge, stocked with drinks, coffee, and snacks which are all free!! We just could not have enjoyed our stay more. It was by far our favorite place we stayed in our whole trip to europe, and the cheapest! You really couldn't ask for a better location, nicer accommodations, or a better deal! I can't imagine what negative things anyone could have to stay about this place. I did a lot of research and picked this based on the great reviews, and am so glad i did! It is just such a neat place, I want it to do well and more people get to enjoy it.

Even though we visited back in Sept 06, it sounds like the Relais Piazza Signoria has got even better! It has definitely the best location in Florence and is the most perfect place to stay. It was idyllic to open the shutters & windows which overlook the famous Piazza Signoria, and watch the hustle & bustle. You can see Michelangelo's David (the copy, but still awe-inspiring) from your window and the entrance to the Palazzo Vecchio. The Uffizi is just around the corner. RPS's discreet front door (no fancy hotel entrance) is next to a Gelataria.

The rooms are converted apartments, and this style is perfect if you want to feel more like a Florentine than a tourist. They are newly-
renovated in a clean & simple classic modern style, with a good bathroom, soft towels, small kitchen area (some provisions are provided, which is a nice touch), dining table and even a flat screen TV on the wall opposite the bed. There are winding stone steps to the room (like typical European apartment buildings) or a very very small old-fashioned lift (elevator).

The service is personal and faultless. I forgot to bring an adaptor to charge my camera, and luckily they lent me one (Florence is definitely a place to take photos!).

As this is an aparthotel you need to go out for breakfast, but this is a joy in Florence. We found a wonderful local's cafe which makes the most delicious hot chocolate. Walk away from the Piazza, turn left down the side street & left again after a little way (Via Lambertesca).

Tip: Hire a scooter (or car) & travel south down the SS222 to visit Montefioralle, a beautiful old walled village on top of a hill, and Vignamaggio, the villa where they filmed 'Much Ado About Nothing'.