"It was one of the best weekend breaks we have ever had and this was largely down to the excellent hotel Porta Rossa which deserves the hotelier's equivalent of the Nobel prize for originality... No frills, no false smiles, no welcome messages on your tv just a lovely hotel in a superb location with well trained staff who do their job efficiently and with purpose.

Our room was spacious, comfortable with parquet flooring and a comfortable king sized bed. The key to our room weighed a ton and we were happy to leave it at reception each morning we left. Breakfast was very Italian which just adds to the overall Florentine feel of this ancient and original hotel.

In an ever increasingly homogeneous world it is refreshing to find little gem's like the Hotel Porta Rossa! Long live independent Florentine hotels down the Chains."

"we managed to combine our rugby weekend to Rome with a quick 2 nights in Florence... it proved to be far too short a stay to enjoy this wonderful and charming city.

We booked the Hotel Porta Rossa directly through their own web site which we found advertised on the site which we had used to book our trip to Rome - www.italyhotelsdirect.com after pleasant experiences in both Rome and Florence we intend to use Italy Hotels Direct for future trips to Italy.

We couldn't have been more pleased with both the high standard of this hotel and the location. Everything was perfect from the daily house cleaning of the room to the cappuccino at breakfast time (you have to ask for it!). The Location cannot be beaten as you are literally on top of 6 centuries of Florentine History. My only slight complaint was the accessories in the bathroom which were comprised of a little bar of soap no bigger than a match box... Management take heed!

We are planning a return trip to Florence next August and plan to book the Hotel Porta Rossa taking advantage of the low rates in that period!

"we were a little unsure about the Hotel Porta Rossa but am glad to say that we were pleasantly surprised... We booked directly with the hotel, thus ensuring we received a "superior room" (I think the hotel gives the less beautiful rooms to tour operators and other internet travel agencies) so the guestroom was spacious, very comfortable and full of quaint furniture. However, it wasn't the room that left an indellible mark on our memory but rather the whole ambience of the hotel which is like travelling back in time... I'm not sure when exactly but I felt like I had been transported back to a bygone era! This hotel is unique and to be able to say you stayed at the oldest hotel in Florence is pretty cool to say the least! We asked the receptionist and he says that the building dates back to the middle of the 14th century!

The hotel itself is bristling with life as the wacky billiard table in the breakfast room? tells you. Breakfast itself isn't that good and you would expect more considering the price of 176 euro we paid for a double room but that was our only gripe. Hopefully if the owners the lovely Claudia P.d'Entrèves and the manager Mr Christian Seymons see this they might take heed.

The Location of the Hotel Porta Rossa cannot be beaten as it is right in the heart of the historical centre of Florence only steps away from the Ponte Vecchio, Piazza della Signoria, Via dei Tornabuoni and all the wonderful attractions Florence has to offer. he front office manager (whose name I forget) was hospitable and friendly when approaced helping us with information and advice on nearby restaurants and sightseeing.

We are already planning our trip back to Florence next year and intend fully on staying at the Hotel Porta Rossa."

"The location of the Hotel Porta Rossa is absolutely brilliant, cannot be bettered. You are within minutes walk of everything including the Uffizi Art Gallery, Ponte Vecchio, Via Tornabuoni, Palazzo Vecchio, Florence Cathedral, Bell Tower, Ghilberti's Bronze Doors of Paradise etc.

The hotel itself is very intriguing, some of the upper floors are definitely worth exploring particulary if you like antiques and period furniture. We found some splendid pieces on the ground floor and upper floors.

Our guestroom was medium in size and the bed was comfortable. Breakfast was ok and the staff were polite and professional. I will return in 2 years time and my first choice will be the Hotel Porta Rossa."

"This beautiful hotel was built in 1386 as a hotel, and is Italy's second oldest. It has a vaulted entranceway and extremely clean and charming
sitting area and bar. The It does not have a restaurant but does have one of the best Continental breakfasts I have ever had. Some of the bedrooms are gigantic and are decorated differently. Conveniently located to anywhere in
Florence and quite close to the Uffizi Gallery and Ponte Vecchio, is a very short walk from the Nuovo Mercato, and Il Duomo."

As you can probably gather from my write-up on my website "www.stuardtclarkesrome.com" , Hotel Porta Rossa is the ONLY hotel that I stay at when I am in Florence. I have had the good fortune to have been able to stay there three or four times since 1991 and I love it.

"The Hotel was Charming. We had a nice room on the 2nd floor...nothing fancy but nice and clean and very quiet...the Staff was delightful and the dining room and reception areas were filled with old world charm. Very centrally located. It's not fancy but for the price you can't complain....and there was a nice little brakfast that we enjoyed every morning...I would love to go back."

The last three times I've been to Florence I have stayed here. Christian, the manager, told me we always have a place for you. Angelo, the round one, at the desk, let me back in my room when I locked my self out naked in the middle of the night this past Christmas. The bell boy told me upon my return this past Christmas, welcome back to Florence, where it's safe and peaceful.

The last three times I've stayed there I've stayed there three weeks each time. I spent the millenium there. I rate it excellent because of its location. Everything is equidistant from where you are. It is like stepping out in the middle of Rodeo Drive evertime you walk out the door. Via Tournaboni is twenty steps away.The Santa Trinita bridge is right there, the Ponte Vecchio is around the corner. I don't go there to stay in my room. I go there to become part of Florence. If you want something plush walk across the piazza to Helvetia Bristol.

The Porta Rossa is the second oldest hotel in all of Italy. When I return to Italy I will stay there again because it is part of me. Remember, I am a guest in their country. I look to find how I can fit in there. Not the opposite. I guess that's why Italians come up to me asking for directions. Better yet I can pick out a few words and show them where they want to go. I guess you could say I love Italy. This place is quirky and old with character.

My goodness me I was at loggerheads as to what I was gonna do... I couldn't find a room in Florence for love nor money until I called the Porta Rossa....

They had 1 room left and they warned me that it wasn't the most spacious room in the hotel... I said I'll take it no matter what because I really had no choice.

What a PLEASANT SURPRISE! the hotel is in a fantastic location right in the heartbeat of ancient renaissance Florence, the hotel itself is like something straight out of a novel like the count of Monte Cristo and the service was exceptional. I felt like I had stepped through a timewarp as soon as I entered inside that famous Red Door (Porta Rossa).

In the end I didn't care how small my room was because the hotel was lovely, snug as a bug. I would recommend this hotel to anybody from students to nobility its' got the lot !

We stayed in a beautiful 4 bed room in 1999. Hardwood floors, high ceilings w/ chandelier, large windows w/ white chiffon curtains, view of one of the small piazzas and neighboring window boxes w/ overflowing geraniums.

Comfortable beds w/ elegant linens and wonderful bathe towels. Huge bathroom w/ vaulted ceilings and almost a surplus of space. Separate dressing area attached to bathroom.

Such a wonderful room!!! Very affordable as well! Hotel in general oozes charm and is only minutes from the Piazza della Republica!

It completes any trip to Firenze!

Very welcoming for the footsore tourist. Central to the city, so no long walks at the end of the day just to get home.

Plain rooms, competent no-nonsense staff. Modern plumbing...and a lobby to die for! My room had a bar fridge and a safe...the fridge is useful when you stock up at the market.

The big central staircase might have been a source of noise, but surprisingly, the walls are so thick and heavy that I slept very well. Different rooms have different views and are different sizes...price is set by a central authority and are pretty much the same price.

I was there in February, and I had my pick of rooms. And no line-ups at the museums either.