Hotel Degli Orafi

The hotel is reached by a narrow cobblestone street that runs parallel to the Arno River. Some common spaces have an older look with traditional navy and gold upholstered armchairs scattered around Oriental rugs, while a brick-walled lounge area is much more modern and vibrant (picture sleek, red couches and chairs paired with minimalist wood tables). The breakfast room with its arched, frescoed ceiling is a standout, as is the American Bar with rustic wood beams overhead and a terrace with views of the Ponte Vecchio, the Duomo, and the city’s red roofs.

The location — literally a few steps from the Ponte Vecchio, the Piazza della Signoria, and the Uffizi Gallery — is ideal for tourists. The Duomo can be reached by foot in 10 minutes. There is a supervised parking garage near the hotel, though guests have to pay a fee to use it.

The decor in the 42 air-conditioned guest rooms is bland and dated, with green carpeting, light-colored floral bedspreads, and simple wood furniture. The suites in the new Orafi Tower wing are a bit more architecturally interesting, with beamed ceilings and rooms on multiple levels. The fourth-floor “Room With a View” in the main hotel has a private terrace overlooking the river and the Ponte Vecchio. All rooms have flat-screen TVs, minibars, safes, hairdryers, bathrobes, and slippers. Marble bathrooms have either stall showers or shower/tub combos.

The hotel’s American Bar has a large rooftop terrace and serves light snacks as well as drinks. The free buffet breakfast is served in a lovely room decorated with original 19th-century frescoes and overlooking the Arno river. The library also features beautiful historic details, such as coffered ceilings, and offers books in various languages as well as a computer workstation with a printer. Parking in a supervised garage near the hotel is available for a fee.