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Back to Palazzo Niccolini
Dear In Italy,
We had a spectacular trip and the accommodations were beyond our expectation. Particularly Florence! Our first driving tour of Italy was both an exciting adventure as well as a bit challenging! Florence with its very narrow one way streets had its own set of challenges to brave. We spent a lot of time driving in circles as we got a feel for the city. The receptionist did her best to give directions and was very conscientious even calling to check on us when we were obviously overdue in arriving. We were delighted with the junior suite at the Palazzo Niccolini as well as the atmosphere and the staff. They were first rate! The contrast between city ( Florence) and country ( Lake Iseo) along with our side trips to Collodi and Venice made for a wonderful and very memorable trip of a life time. Thank you for your wonderful wonderful service! We could not have done it without you!
Mari E.
Dear In Italy,
The highlight residence of our trip was the Palazzo Niccolini in Florence. We were there during the World Cup finals, an event our children will likely always remember as the Italians do know how to celebrate. We stayed in the honeymoon suite and our girls shared a large suite just downstairs. As you know the Niccolini is a beautiful residence centrally located just across the street from the Duomo. Spectacular views of Florence are just outside the high windows that surround you in the honeymoon suite. One is essentially surrounded in the proverbial "room with a view". The jacuzzi in the honeymoon suite was a Godsend after hot days touring this wonderful city. The air conditioning in the Honeymoon suite could have been better but the views and the cold soaks certainly made it acceptable. The staff were quite professional. Unfortunately one of the staff booked for us a Pisa tour without informing me of the cancellation policy. At the time of the booking the Niccolini had brochures in Italian and German but none in English. In turn I could not read the policies of this tour agency (CAF) and had to rely on the staff. Our children decided that they had enough of tours after a long day in the Uffizi so I canceled the trip to Pisa with a 100% penalty of the fee, forfeiting the entire cost of the tour, 185 Euros. I pointed out the lack of notification by the Niccolini staff and they were apologetic but did not feel that they were responsible for this misunderstanding nor any responsibility for the subsequent costs as ultimately it was our decision to cancel.
Respectfully,
Sam W.
Dear Jessica,
Just got a chance to sit down and write. First let me say that the service In
Italy provided for our trip was outstanding. We didn't encounter a single problem
with our hotel reservations, rental car, museum tickets, etc. Bravo!
Palazzo Niccolini was outstanding. The staff was very helpful, suggesting restaurants and booking dinner reservations and pointing out local places of interest. They did a great job making us feel at home. On our first night in Florence we had dinner at Buca Lapi on Via del Trebbio. The food, service and atmosphere were excellent. I recommend the tortelli with sage butter sauce. Another good restaurant was Il Caminetto on Via del Studio. The staff were some of the friendliest and helpful we met and the food was very good. Get a table on the terrace if possible. The small outdoor cafes behind the Duomo were also great places to grab a bite for lunch or have a cocktail or espresso before turning in for the night. One place we will avoid on our next trip is Il Palio on the Via del Corso. The service was aloof to say the least and the food was just OK.
We will be going back to Italy this September and will be in touch with you
soon about our itinerary. In the interests of brevity, I haven't included every
detail of the trip. If you would like more info about any of the hotels or restaurants
or anything else please let me know. I can be quite eloquent when necessary.
Also, feel free to use any of the above on the website.
Thanks for a great experience,
Conrad L.
Dear In Italy,
I was really impressed. Palazzo Niccolini was out of a movie set------- a fireplaced salon with brocade sofa, antiques, and huge bedroom with lovely furnishings. I'd recommend it and stay there again.
Thanks.
Marjorie R.
Dear Cynthia,
Our trip to Florence was wonderful. Palazzo Niccolini was more than we expected.
We had a suite for 4 with two large rooms that were well appointed and the
staff was very attentive. The location was directly across the street from
The Duomo which put us in the heart of everything. We took a
day trip to Chianti with Ewan as our guide and he is absolutely the best. He was very knowledgeable
about the entire area and was a pleasure to be with. He took us to a villa
on the way to Chianti which was built by the family of Mona Lisa. The present
owner of the Villa, Leonora was a wonderful host to my daughters and I. The
villa has been in her family for over 200 years. She gave us a complete tour
of the grounds and a tasting of her home grown olive oil on fresh Tuscan bread.
It was the best olive oil I have ever had and I left there with 3 liters of
it! It was a wonderful addition to the trip and I would highly recommend it.
She has 2 beautiful rooms she rents that overlook the tuscan hillsides, her
olive groves and a pool. Although Nicccolini was great, the next time I am
in the area I intend to stay here. I will certainly make any future plans to
Italy through your site.
Thanks for a great trip,
Mark R.
Dear Jessica,
We are still talking about our stay at Palazzo Niccolini, and are recommending it to two friends who will be traveling to Italy in the next six months. It was such a restful and comfortable spot to come "home" to at the end of each busy day. Your hospitality was wonderful and we wouldn't stay anywhere else when we are in Florence. Many thanks for such an enjoyable stay.
Holly and Jim H.
Dear In Italy,
Palazzo Niccolini was fantastic! The palazzo is small and quaint. Staff was so accommodating! Breakfast was outstanding! I would definitely stay here if we go back to Florence!
Elizabeth R.
Dear David,
Thank you! My mother and friend Cindy and myself had an absolutely WONDERFUL time in Italy - thanks to the INITALY website!
PALAZZO NICCOLINI is FABULOUS!!! We could look out our window and see the colored
marble of El Duomo!! The room was awe-some. The beds were comfortable, the
bath up to and beyond American standards. The morning breakfast was continental
but you could also order other dishes for a fee. EVERYTHING of historical
significance and shopping was within easy walking distance of the Palazzo.
The staff was very helpful. We truly enjoyed our stay here.
A few notes:
-The Palazzo does not accept travelers checks even if they are Euros. Other
hotels accepted them but charged me the fee that the bank charged them, so
people may just want to use a credit card for the hotel.
-In Firenze most of the museums are closed on Mondays - I missed that when
I made reservations and we were there on Monday - I didn't get to visit the
Uffizi (boohoo)!!
-It is a very good idea to have a 50 Euro coin or two in your pocket at all
times as you may have to pay to use the "public" toilets. In Capri
it was 1 Euro to get inside.
In Assisi, one toilet area had a cashier (!!!) and the other had a gated entry
that required a coin of some kind (it took a 50 coin and a 1 Euro coin that
I saw).
-It is also a good idea to have packets of tissue for your nose and as backup
in the toilets!
Thank you so much for all the information on your website and the helpful people
on the other end of the phone! Our trip to Italy was a success because of
you. I want to thank you all so much! Please feel free to use any (or all)
parts of this email as an outstanding endorsement of your company and the
companies associated with you. When we go back (and we will) I'll be back
on your website!
Thanks again!!! Ciao!
Mary P.
David,
The experience at Palazzo Niccolini was wonderful. The staff was fabulous, helpful,
and very accommodating. We arrived at 9 AM in the morning and inquired about
check-in. The room was ready, so they allowed us in. They were servicing breakfast
and we inquired if we could join (and pay separate for the extra day of breakfast).
They scampered about and prepared extra for the 4 of us! We really appreciated
it as we had just arrived via overnight train from Paris! We received a restaurant
recommendation, Acquacotte, which was definitely a hidden treasure. A quaint
little place that had spectacular food.
We were in Florence for 2 days and thoroughly enjoyed it. Thanks for making our
trip memorable!
Regina A.
We had the most lovely stay at Palazzo Niccolini. You were so helpful with directions and dinner reservations- thank you. Our favorite find was Ristorante il Latini. We had the best time and best food. We traveled all through Italy and that was by far the most unique (and delicious) dinner we had. My in-laws are traveling to Italy in 2006 and I am going to highly recommend that they stay with you.
Thank you again for a wonderful stay.
Lynn C.
Julie,
I cannot say enough good things about Palazzo Nicolini in Florence. We stayed in the honeymoon suite with the Jacuzzi. We had an incredible view of the Duomo and the sun setting over the rooftops was magnifique! We were met by a delightful hostess and escorted to our gorgeous room and check in was just that simple. Palazzo Niccolini really knows how to treat its travel weary guests. We didn't have to wait at the desk forever with our luggage while they did paperwork. We were simply shown our room and went down later to handle the particulars. This was very classy and we needed to catch our breath from the train ride. The breakfast was delightful and the staff very gracious and helpful. This was a true highlight of our trip. We loved the room and the location. The Jacuzzi was great after a long walking day and it's meant for two! We were in the heart of everything and an easy walk to all of the museums and other sights. It was worth the extra money to be treated so well. I especially loved viewing the Niccolini family tree that is on display in the main parlor. Palazzo Niccolini is a Florence Gem!!! I would definitely stay here again.
Regards,
Lorene D.
Dear In Italy,
Palazzo Niccolini in Florence was a pleasant surprise. We stayed in the Honeymoon Suite and the staff was extremely accommodating. The room looks directly at the Duomo, was very clean and well equipped. We had pretty minimal luggage so not a problem, but this room would be difficult for anyone packing full size baggage as the room is up a steep narrow staircase. The large jacuzzi tub did not seem to be working (our daughter tried to use it once), but other than that it was a superb location, walking distance from the train station if you don't have much luggage, more value for the money than Villa Balbi.
General travel tips: everybody says it all the time, but especially if you're planning on using trains, travel light!! We took trains everyplace, and it works very well and is cheap. Just remember to validate those tickets before you board! We sat near an English couple who had purchased tickets, but didn't validate and were charged an exorbitant penalty on board. Regarding trains, I would also advise anyone planning to use them to access trenitalia.it before leaving home and print schedules between towns to facilitate planning. If I knew I wanted to leave around 10 a.m. in the morning, I printed the day's schedule from 9am til 1pm just in case. In some of the smaller stations its very difficult to get the info. regarding departure /arrival times and train connections, so if you can do it online before departure its a big help. Don't be afraid of using the automated ticket machines in the larger stations--you can access in english and if there's a line, it can make the difference between catching or missing your train! Definitely had some hits and misses on restaurants. I'll review my visa and forward my opinions shortly. Thanks again for your help.
R. G.