Villa Belvedere

We were told about Belvedere by acquaintances. The place appeared in 2015 as a somewhat worn, ancient grandeur. We still had nothing to complain about the service or cleaning. The place was a great starting point to experience Florence. We remember with a smile that the role of concierge was shared by two rather odd types, who shared a uniform jacket.

A pleasant country house hotel on the outskirts of the City. A bit dated but clean with good views from our room. The garden looked unloved, the pool not available (though not mentioned prior to booking). No garden chairs in a sun area and all needed cleaning. Our biggest problem was that we had no water in the hotel from 9pm until we left at 8am. No shower, loo or sink. We understand that this was a supplier fault to this one premises, but that is a problem between the Hotel and the water Company. We had to continually ask for information and on check out I politely suggested a goodwill reduction in our room rate for that night. We were told absolutely no from the miserable gentleman on check out duty. We took up the problem with our booking agent who were also refused but the agent did find a compromise not involving the hotel. I subsequently requested an apology or response from the hotel but not had the courtesy of a reply. We lived unhygienically overnight and it deserved at least a discount on that night we thought. You decide whether you want to stay there.

Villa Belvedere is a haven, tucked away by an interesting walk up the hill from the city. It's staff are the most polite and courteous, who take great pride in their Villa and making sure their guests enjoy a relaxed and welcome stay. It was a joy to return to after the hustle and bustle of Florence which was always very busy. Our towels, sheets and room were cleaned daily and the breakfast was more than adequate and offered a large range of choices to suit all tastes. The pool and garden area were quiet and offered a range of seating areas in sun or shade. The bar was well stocked and we often relaxed in the evening with a beer or a coffee, which we found were not over priced considering it was a hotel. The walk to the city is interesting and varied. There is a regular bus service nearby, which is cheap and tickets can be bought at reception. We had a lovely time here and would return again without hesitation and would like to thank all the staff for making us feel so very welcome in their charming Villa.