The questions we are asked most

Here. When you book through a travel site, part of what you pay stays with the intermediary as commission: book directly and that commission is not there, so we pass the margin on to you. In practice the official-website rate is up to 5% lower for the same apartment and the same dates, and the non-refundable rate is better here too. We say "up to" rather than "always" because the travel sites occasionally run promotions of their own, which they fund themselves: on those dates the gap narrows. You are welcome to compare — and here you also get free cancellation up to 14 days before arrival and a real person answering you.

Because the travel sites take a commission on every booking, and on some of them the price you see also includes a mark-up added by the site itself. Book directly and that commission does not exist, so we pass it back to you as a lower price.

Yes. Bookings made on this site go through our professional booking system, with payment on a protected banking circuit. We never see or store your full card details.

We do not ask for any security deposit or advance on arrival: neither in cash nor as a hold on your card. When the payment is taken depends on the rate you choose, and it is stated clearly during booking, before you confirm.

Yes, and families and groups of friends often do. All the apartments are in the same building, so you stay together. For two units or more write to us directly: we will check what combinations are possible and suggest the best one.

Yes, on the flexible rate: cancellation is free up to 14 days before arrival. After that the booking is no longer refundable.

The flexible rate costs a little more and leaves you free to cancel up to 14 days before. The non-refundable rate costs less but offers no refund and no changes if you cancel. You see both during booking and choose for yourself.

Write to us: if the new dates are available we can almost always find a solution. This is one of the real advantages of having booked directly with us rather than through a travel site — you are talking to the people who decide.

Check-in is between 2:00 pm and 6:00 pm, check-out is by 10:30 am. If you arrive earlier or leave later, write to us: when we can, we accommodate it, and in the meantime you can always leave your luggage with us.

Yes, we welcome you in person: we hand over the keys, show you the apartment and give you a couple of tips about the neighbourhood that are worth more than a guidebook. That is why we ask you to tell us your expected arrival time and to let us know if your travel plans change: if you are arriving outside the 2:00 pm–6:00 pm window, write to us in advance and we will arrange something.

Yes. You can leave your bags with us both before check-in and after check-out, so you do not lose your first or last day in Florence dragging suitcases around.

We are inside the ZTL (restricted traffic zone), so you cannot drive in without a permit and the cameras are live all year round. The nearest garage is the Garage Michelangelo, Via Ricasoli 28/A, practically opposite our front door: they register your number plate for ZTL entry, so you do not pick up a fine. The location page lists the other two nearest garages as well. If you are unsure about the route, write to us before you set off.

Yes. If you need a taxi for your departure, for the airport or for a day trip out of Florence, tell us the day and time and we will book it for you. It is one of the concrete advantages of finding someone on site instead of a key box.

They are apartments. Each one has an equipped kitchen, a private bathroom and its own entrance. You can cook, do your shopping at the Mercato Centrale ten minutes away, and live in Florence the way people who live here do, not the way people passing through do.

Yes, both, in every apartment. The Wi-Fi is high-speed and holds up for work video calls.

Yes, it is included in the price and there is no separate cleaning fee. The apartment is cleaned every other day, with fresh bathroom towels; bed linen is changed once a week. A real difference from a short-let apartment, where usually nobody comes in until you leave.

Yes, included: bed linen, bath towels and hand towels. Towels are changed every other day, along with the cleaning of the apartment; bed linen once a week.

No: the building is a 17th-century historic palazzo and has no lift, so you go up on foot. If stairs or heavy suitcases are a problem, write to us before you book: we will tell you exactly which floor each apartment is on, and we will give you a hand with the bags when you arrive.

Yes, we accept small pets, as long as you tell us when you book and not when you arrive. A message is enough — we need it so we can give you the most suitable apartment.

Yes. There is a washing machine and a tumble dryer in the common area, available to all guests, whatever the length of your stay. Ask us how they work when you arrive: it is especially handy if you are staying more than a few days or moving on to another trip.

The City of Florence charges €6.00 per person per night for tourist accommodation, for a maximum of 7 consecutive nights. Children under 12 are exempt. It is paid on site and is not included in the room price, because it is a municipal tax that we collect on behalf of the City of Florence. From the eighth night onwards there is nothing more to pay.

Yes. Italian law requires us to register a valid identity document for every guest with the police headquarters within 24 hours of arrival. It takes a few minutes, and the details are not used for anything else.