The classic Florence lodging option—generally reliable and familiar, but not always the best bargain

Inexpensive frescoed rooms in the heart of Florence

A fantastic affittacamere (rental room) in a Renaissance palazzo with views of the Duomo

A moderately-priced hotel with a primo location and with peek-a-boo views of the Duomo

A chichi hotel in the tallest tower in Florence

Your own frescoed room with a private home feel in Florence

Stay in a masterpiece of Renaissance architecture

Stunning views and palatial rooms overlooking Piazza Santo Spirito

Your very own frescoed Florentine palazzo on the Duomo square

Fantasic little hotel with rooms slathered in 17th century frescoes

This countryside hotel above Florence at Fiesole has the same views as chic hotel Villa San Michele for a fraction of the price

Contemporary comfort in a great location between the Duomo and Uffizi

Part refined inn, part Old Master art gallery, the Monna Lisa is one of the most truly elegant hotels in Florence

An art-filled luxary hotel in the center of Florence

A luxury hotel at the very heart of Florence

Luxury rooms in the shopping and sightseeing heart of Florence

This hotel borrows an Old English style giving the hotel a comfortable feel

Your own castle in the hills above Florence

This used-to-be monastery has made a turn into an luxurious hotel teeming with elegance

An inexpensive, family-run hotel worthy of an overture

An inexpensive hotel of arty kitsch halfway to the Duomo

A stylishly cheap hotel near the train station

The most helpful hotel in Florence

Top notch view of Duomo and Medici Chapels at a decent price

Oustanding views of the Duomo and Giotto's belltower right outside your window

Great views over the Arno River from this Oltrarno hotel

A grande dame hotel of yesteryear on cafe-lined Piazza della Republica near the shopping streets of Florence

The panoramic rooftop views and homey feel means return guests book well ahead

Standard and simple rooms near the Uffizi

An outstanding rooftop garden only outshined by the services of the staff at this Florence hotel by the Ponte Vecchio

A cozy, moderate hotel bang in the middle of Florence, on the main street between the Duomo and the Uffizi

Fairly pricey high-class hotel overlooking Piazza Santa Maria Novella

Defining class in Florence, this hotel is exquisite from top to bottom

Duomo views on the cheap in the shopping district

An inexpensive bohemian hotel near the station

An amazingly cheap, achingly basic hotel with a great location—and even some frescoes

Good deeds and a cheap room at this hotel-hostel hybrid in the Oltrarno neighborhood of Florence

A hostel in an historic palazzo just a block from the Duomo

Run out of a palace from the 1600s, this hotel offers a fatasic view of the piazza

The classic lodging option—How Italian hotels work and how to book the best hotels at the lowest rates

From hotel savings to better booking engines, alternative accommodations to lodging rip-offs, here is the best lodging advice around

Don't use the most famous booking engines; use the ones with the largest selection and lowest rates

Hotels' official star ratings have nothing to do with how clean, central, comfortable, or charming a hotel is—just how many (often pointless) amenities it offers

Comparison-shop dozens of booking engines at once

All about how I select hotels and other lodgings for this site

How far in advance do you need to reserve a hotel room in Italy?

Hotel sites often feature special sales and promotions you won't find on the booking engines and aggregators

Shop around, ask lots of questions, even haggle, and you can often get a room for much less

A dozen ways to lower your hotel costs in Italy

User review sites are handy, but take their advice with a grain (make that a shaker) of salt

All the steps you can take to find the lowest price on the perfect place to stay in Italy

I don't mean don't eat breakfast—just try to avoid overpaying the hotel for it

A room with "external facilities" (shared bath down the hall) always costs less for this minor inconvenience

Crowd the clan into one room rather than renting two

Get a hotel in the suburbs or next town over to save money

Opaque rates can save you up to 60% if you book a bit blindly

Offer euros rather than Visa, and sometimes you can get a slight discount

A quick guide to Italian hotels and what to expect from them

How Italian hotels differ from American ones

A few notes on bathrooms in Italian hotels

Scams and rip-offs at the hotel—many of them perfectly legal. Avoid the minibar, phone, laundry service, and parking garage