Family Apartments Rinascimento Palace

Rinascimento Palace is housed in a five-story historic building on a quiet street. The hotel has no facilities or public spaces to speak of, other than a small entrance foyer and reception area with antique wood furniture, a chandelier, and checkerboard tile floors. When guests aren’t out sightseeing in Florence, they’re in the hotel’s 10 spacious and elegant apartments. Rinascimento Palace is a top pick for families on longer vacations who are seeking a homelike stay and accommodations with spacious kitchens. Couples also come for the property's intimate, romantic atmosphere and for the location, as the Oltrarno quarter is quieter and less crammed with tourists than across the river. 

Rinascimento Palace is in the quiet Lungarno Torrigiani area of the Oltrarno quarter on the south bank of the Arno River. Oltrarno is the less-visited half of Florence, but it’s still packed with interesting sights, cultural treasures, and artisan shops. The Santa Maria Soprarno bus stop and a gelato stand are across the street from the hotel, and a supermarket and several restaurants and bars are within a short walk. The medieval Ponte Vecchio bridge is a four-minute walk, and the 15th-century Pitti Palace at the north end of the vast Boboli Gardens is five minutes on foot. Also within the gardens are Fort Belvedere, the Fountains of Neptune, an amphitheatre, and sculptures. The 15th-century Santo Spirito church is about a nine-minute walk from the hotel, and the Church of Santa Maria del Carmine/Brancacci Chapel is roughly a 13-minute walk. Reaching Piazzale Michelangelo is 15 minutes on foot. 

The Uffizi Gallery is about a 10-minute stroll from the hotel, as are other attractions across the Arno like the Duomo and Basilica of Santa Croce. Getting to Galleria dell'Accademia, with Michelangelo’s David, takes 15 minutes by bus or is a 20-minute walk. Santa Maria Novella railway station is 15 minutes by taxi or a little more than 10 minutes by bus, while Florence Airport is 20 minutes by car or 30 minutes by bus from the Rinascimento Palace.

The 10 one-, two-, and three-bedroom apartments at Rinascimento Palace feature a gracious Old World look, with antique wood furniture, framed mirrors and art on the walls, vases and other decorative objects, and bedspreads and curtains in elegant prints. Some apartments have an English country aesthetic, others are done in a classic Florentine style, and elements like frescoed entrance halls, beamed ceilings, silver chandeliers, and parquet or tiled floors add to the allure. Many of the units have a subdued color palette tending toward beige, gray, brown, and light blue and green, while others are brightened by the addition of vivid reds, yellows, and pinks. 

Apartments range from 441 square feet (41 square meters) to 1,615 square feet (150 square meters) in size, so all are spacious. All feature full kitchens with ovens, gas stovetops, microwaves, refrigerators, toasters, and Italian-style coffeemakers; living rooms with sofas and tables; and washing machines. Amenities are extensive, too: there's air-conditioning, flat-screen TVs with English language channels, DVD players, CD players, and free Wi-Fi. Bathrooms are spacious and come with shower/tub combos (some have additional walk-in showers), bidets, and hairdryers, but guests must supply their own toiletries. The Arno River and the Uffizi Gallery can be seen from some rooms.

Features are very limited, as is often the case with aparthotels. There's no restaurant on-site or breakfast served, but on weekdays a dedicated concierge can book restaurant reservations, plus arrange museum tickets and sightseeing tours. The reception desk is also only open on weekdays, and it closes on evenings and weekends, but staff is available 24/7. The hotel charges a fee for after-hours check-in. Free Wi-Fi is available throughout the building, and the Rinascimento has an elevator, luggage storage, and airport transfer (for a fee). Small pets are allowed in apartments for a per-stay, per-pet fee. Guests should note that units are cleaned only at check-out, with a fee assessed for additional cleanings during stays.