“All you really need, not much more”

I enjoyed my stay in this hotel. The hotel and its rooms were all kind of old, though they seemed well-maintained and clean. The reception staff was friendly and helpful, and they are there at all times so that there is no worry of people entering the hotel who do not belong there. Breakfast was adequate, consisting of coffee and bread. Another reviewer mentioned a smell in the bathroom. I suspect that this was a chlorine smell, as our bathroom smelled as if it had been cleaned with bleach. It is true that there is no elevator in the hotel, but contrary to another reviewer I thought there was nothing wrong with the staircase; it was neither unusually narrow, long, nor steep. If you can't carry your bags up a few flights of ordinary stairs then don't stay here, but otherwise it's nothing to worry about.

“prime location, bad heating system”

i like the hotel. the location was excellent. i couldn't ask for a better location!! We were there early March 2010 and got a great deal. The hotel is about 300 meters from the main train station and the Duomo. breakfast was minimal and the coffee was bad. the croissant was more of bread shaped like a croissant! the problem: no elevator. BAD BAD BAD heating system. the rooms were cold and the hot water wasn't working all the time. they called the plumber one night and he couldn't come so I had to wait until the next day to take a shower!!! the rooms were cold and if it wasn't for the nice receptionist (who gave me a small heater) i would have froze there! other than that, it's a nice hotel, nice people, prime location, comfy room, clean shower, clean room. all good except for the heating system.

“Good location, easy access from train station”

Good hotel and clean. Rooms were big but looked a little old, but clean after all. Breakfast was simple, bread and coffee (no juice). No elevator made it difficult with bags. Good location and for the price it was OK

“good for price”

Simple, but clean and friendly hotel, idealy located close to train station and historic city center.

“perfect location”

while this hotel may not have had the most comfortable bed i've ever slept in, the location was perfect and the staff was very nice. it really had everything that we needed; air conditioning and a private bath. the bath, though, was a little snug. we really weren't in our room long enough for this to matter a great deal though. i'd go back.

“Great location”

Great location, very difficult to access your room with a heavy suitcase as no lift available just a steep staircase and no assistance offered. Room was basic but clean. Breakfast was poor. Overall the location was amazing, right in the middle of town. Close to Florence main rail station, Duomo, shopping and restaurants. Would consider staying here again because of it's great location.

“Good and simple”

The location of the hotel was very good. We traveled by car and paid 24 Euros per day for parking, but the hotel was also very close to the train station as well as the Duomo. The people at the front desk were pretty nice, although they would step out from time to time and lock the front door of the hotel, which was a little inconvenient when we returned from a long day of walking and wanted to get to our room. The hotel could REALLY use an elevator! The rooms were very simple but clean and comfortable. The breakfast was good and the ladies who worked in the breakfast room were very nice. The room was rather expensive, but the location and cleanliness were worth it.

“Very central, and reasonable”

Given some of the other reviews I was a bit dubious about staying here, but it was very central so we went for it. The location of this hotel is excellent. The friendly and knowledgeable staff made this hotel a very good budget option in an expensive city. The only down side was the air conditioning which was a bit noisy.

“A little unknown secret?!”

This was my first trip to Florence (and Italy for that matter) and I had no prior knowledge of the hotel beforehand. Upon arrival we were met with the most gracious and knowledgable staff. And even as the shifts changed, the personalities remained the same. All desk clerks spoke English and were extremely friendly and helpful in all facets of our stay. The hotel is in a perfect location to the downtown sites and shopping, and although the room was a bit on the small side, it was always immaculate. At the end of our long days of traveling, we were always glad that we had a safe, clean and friendly place to come "home" too.

“Centrally located”

Hotel La Gioconda is a very pleasant place to stay - it is centrally located at a very good price. Staff are very pleasant. The full breakfast is somewhat limited and not self service.