Pros

  • Located close to main attractions and historic sites
  • Spacious rooms with kettles; some have terraces
  • Free continental breakfast buffet with pastries
  • Lounge area with books to borrow
  • Free Wi-Fi in public spaces
  • Pet-friendly hotel
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Cons

  • Some rooms have shared bathrooms
  • No in-room air-conditioning, TVs, or Wi-Fi
  • Visible wear and grime throughout
  • Complaints of bothersome noise and mosquitos
  • Property lacks an elevator
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Bottom Line

Hotel Bavaria is a classic value hotel located in the historic heart of Florence, less than a 10-minute walk to major attractions like the Duomo, the Uffizi, and popular squares. The historic interiors are traditionally styled, but are fairly simple and spare, and might not suit all tastes. The 18 guest rooms are spacious and offer kettles, but lack air-conditioning, Wi-Fi, and minibars, plus many have shared bathrooms and toilets. The hotel offers a free breakfast buffet and free Wi-Fi in public spaces, but otherwise, there's little in the way of features. As an alternative, the B&B Emozioni Charme offers slightly more modern rooms with air-conditioning, minibars, flat-screen TVs, and en-suite bathrooms, though rates might be slightly higher.

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Amenities

  • Cribs
  • Internet
  • Kids Club
  • Pets Allowed

Oyster Hotel Review

Hotel Bavaria

Scene

Value hotel with traditional decor situated in a historic palace 

Hotel Bavaria is a small budget property located on the second and third floors of the former 16th-century palace known as Palazzo Ramirez-Montalvo. The palace was built by the Medici family’s architect Bartolomeo Ammannati, while the beautiful drawings on the exterior of the building were done by Giorgio Vasari. Today, the building is home to offices, private homes, an auction house, and Hotel Bavaria. Upon entering, guests proceed to the second floor, where the hotel is actually located -- though note that the building lacks an elevator, which might pose difficulties for those with mobility issues or with heavy suitcases. Hallways and rooms are traditionally furnished and feel slightly dated, but they have high ceilings, lovely exposed wooden beams, terra-cotta floors, classic paintings adorning the walls, and antique wooden furniture. The breakfast room is cozy with wood floors, wooden tables topped with blue tablecloths, and the hotel's only flat-screen TV. There’s some wear to the furniture and grime here and there, but it’s clearly a historical space that gives guests a feeling of an authentic Florentine stay for an affordable rate. The property attracts mostly couples on a budget who don’t mind swapping out chain-hotel comforts for a central location and low prices. 

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Location

Central location makes it easy to reach all major attractions on foot

With a location in the heart of Florence’s historic city center, this hotel is ideally situated for those wishing to explore the city on foot, as most of Florence’s top attractions are within walking distance, and many are less than a 10-minute walk away. It’s a five-minute walk to the Duomo and an eight-minute walk to the Uffizi Gallery, while the Piazza della Repubblica is four minutes away. For those who rather rest their feet, there’s a bus stop that’s a two-minute walk away. The Santa Maria Novella train station is a 15-minute walk from the hotel or a nine-minute drive, while Florence's airport is about a 25-minute drive away.

See More Location

Rooms

Large, historic rooms with kettles, but no TVs, air-conditioning, or Wi-Fi; some have shared bathrooms 

The hotel offers spacious Single, Double, Triple, and Quadruple Rooms. All are traditionally decorated and may seem a bit old-fashioned for some, but the high ceilings, terra-cotta floors, and lovely painted ceilings and reliefs on some of the walls add a bit of charm to spaces that may feel spare and stark. Though decor differs slightly in each room, many include classical paintings and antique wooden furniture. 

Rooms lack quite a few amenities that some travelers take for granted -- there are no TVs, air-conditioning, minibars, or Wi-Fi -- and only kettles are provided. Lack of air-conditioning is not uncommon for historic hotels like this, however, guests do note that it can get quite hot in the summers. Some rooms have shared bathrooms or shared toilets. For instance, some of the spaces have small showers and sinks partitioned off in a corner (which might pose privacy issues for some), but they lack toilets. Note that the shared bathrooms show some grime and wear. Toiletries and hairdryers are provided. Be aware that some guests complain about bothersome noise due to the central location, as well as pesky mosquitoes. 

See More Rooms

Features

Free breakfast buffet, lounge area, small library, and free Wi-Fi in public spaces

This small budget property offers few features. A free breakfast buffet is served each morning and includes basics like pastries, bread, cereal, juice, and coffee. During the day, guests can gather in a lounge area for conversation or grab a book from the hotel’s small library shelf. The front desk can set up tickets and reservations for guests. Free Wi-Fi can be accessed in the public spaces, but not in the rooms. With its central location, there’s no on-site parking, but the hotel can guide you to the closest garage. Pets are welcome.

See More Features

Oyster Hotel Review

Hotel Bavaria

Scene

Value hotel with traditional decor situated in a historic palace 

Hotel Bavaria is a small budget property located on the second and third floors of the former 16th-century palace known as Palazzo Ramirez-Montalvo. The palace was built by the Medici family’s architect Bartolomeo Ammannati, while the beautiful drawings on the exterior of the building were done by Giorgio Vasari. Today, the building is home to offices, private homes, an auction house, and Hotel Bavaria. Upon entering, guests proceed to the second floor, where the hotel is actually located -- though note that the building lacks an elevator, which might pose difficulties for those with mobility issues or with heavy suitcases. Hallways and rooms are traditionally furnished and feel slightly dated, but they have high ceilings, lovely exposed wooden beams, terra-cotta floors, classic paintings adorning the walls, and antique wooden furniture. The breakfast room is cozy with wood floors, wooden tables topped with blue tablecloths, and the hotel's only flat-screen TV. There’s some wear to the furniture and grime here and there, but it’s clearly a historical space that gives guests a feeling of an authentic Florentine stay for an affordable rate. The property attracts mostly couples on a budget who don’t mind swapping out chain-hotel comforts for a central location and low prices. 

See More Scene

Location

Central location makes it easy to reach all major attractions on foot

With a location in the heart of Florence’s historic city center, this hotel is ideally situated for those wishing to explore the city on foot, as most of Florence’s top attractions are within walking distance, and many are less than a 10-minute walk away. It’s a five-minute walk to the Duomo and an eight-minute walk to the Uffizi Gallery, while the Piazza della Repubblica is four minutes away. For those who rather rest their feet, there’s a bus stop that’s a two-minute walk away. The Santa Maria Novella train station is a 15-minute walk from the hotel or a nine-minute drive, while Florence's airport is about a 25-minute drive away.

See More Location

Rooms

Large, historic rooms with kettles, but no TVs, air-conditioning, or Wi-Fi; some have shared bathrooms 

The hotel offers spacious Single, Double, Triple, and Quadruple Rooms. All are traditionally decorated and may seem a bit old-fashioned for some, but the high ceilings, terra-cotta floors, and lovely painted ceilings and reliefs on some of the walls add a bit of charm to spaces that may feel spare and stark. Though decor differs slightly in each room, many include classical paintings and antique wooden furniture. 

Rooms lack quite a few amenities that some travelers take for granted -- there are no TVs, air-conditioning, minibars, or Wi-Fi -- and only kettles are provided. Lack of air-conditioning is not uncommon for historic hotels like this, however, guests do note that it can get quite hot in the summers. Some rooms have shared bathrooms or shared toilets. For instance, some of the spaces have small showers and sinks partitioned off in a corner (which might pose privacy issues for some), but they lack toilets. Note that the shared bathrooms show some grime and wear. Toiletries and hairdryers are provided. Be aware that some guests complain about bothersome noise due to the central location, as well as pesky mosquitoes. 

See More Rooms

Features

Free breakfast buffet, lounge area, small library, and free Wi-Fi in public spaces

This small budget property offers few features. A free breakfast buffet is served each morning and includes basics like pastries, bread, cereal, juice, and coffee. During the day, guests can gather in a lounge area for conversation or grab a book from the hotel’s small library shelf. The front desk can set up tickets and reservations for guests. Free Wi-Fi can be accessed in the public spaces, but not in the rooms. With its central location, there’s no on-site parking, but the hotel can guide you to the closest garage. Pets are welcome.

See More Features

Best Rates

Amenities

  • Balcony / Terrace / Patio

  • Cable

  • Concierge

  • Cribs

  • Free Breakfast

  • Internet

  • Kids Allowed

  • Kids Club

  • Laundry

  • Pets Allowed

Disclaimer: This content was accurate at the time the hotel was reviewed. Please check our partner sites when booking to verify that details are still correct.