Instituto Gould is a hostel-style hotel that is run by the Anglican Church. This makes for a very quiet and peaceful place to stay. It is not a social hostel by any means -- most guests are either families or large groups of students studying abroad.
Some people say that this is a creepy place to stay. It is very quiet and dark at night, which is only a big deal if you're if you're afraid of such things. Locationwise, it is south of the river. However, it's only fifteen to twenty minutes' walk to the tourist sites on the north side of the river -- and, being in Florence, the walk is quite nice. The benefits of being a bit removed from the tourist areas are quaint coffee shops, little groceries, and a lot better prices.
There are very few amenities included in your stay -- no breakfast, internet, kitchen, refrigerator, or anything else, and the prices are a bit high. However, the rooms are quite nice and everything is immaculately clean. The staff are polite and rather helpful, but you see very little of them. If you simply want a place to collapse in peace at the end of a very long day of sightseeing, and you have little demands for you hostel, this is absolutely the place for you.
— Exklusive Hostelz.com Übersicht
November 2006