Hostel 7 Santi

We stayed here for three nights in May 05 and were grateful for the insights given by others here. (Wish we'd noticed them before we'd booked!) Mosquito problem: we spent one hour swatting the mosquitoes in the room as soon as we arrived (it has high ceilings so good aim is needed!) to avert disturbed nights. But were still disturbed by two mosquitoes (soon to be wazquitoes!). We kept the room windows/doors shut. This meant it was a bit airless — it would be worse in the 'hot' season. The door was very difficult to lock and we would have asked to be relocated but (having spent one hour killing mosquitoes) we put up with it. We heard someone else having similar problems with a door. I was surprised the bathrooms were considered "average" — there doesn't seem to be any maintenance program here. The shower doors were off their hinges, toilet doors wouldn't lock, and the lights didn't work in all but one shower at night. Meals: Only provided if there are a group of ten people, and the cost is 2 euros. The supermarket next door was adequate for making your own breakfast provisions. There is also a drink machine at the hostel but it doesn't give change. A free map was provided by the lady at the hostel and she did recommend a good restaurant. It was a 20-minute walk to town or the No. 17 bus. We walked except upon arrival/leaving. The place was cleaned regularly and sheets/towels were provided. I personally was glad to leave the hostel and it did mar what was otherwise a nice trip to Florence.

Nice hostel, with nice people. The location is bad though, but the HI hostel is even further from the centre. Don't count on finding a supermarket nearby in the weekend though! The one just around the corner is closed, so you have to go all the way to the centre. But the rooms are cute, charming, and the place has a nice atmosphere.

My boyfriend and I stayed in a private room. There was no air-conditioning, so we opened the window. They have no screens on the windows, so in the middle of the night we got attacked by mosquitoes. It was awful. I could not sleep. The rooms are clean enough, but the shower in the private room is just not worth it. I would describe it as a shower you would find on a train. You barely fit into it, and you are supposed to wind the plastic screen door around your body to close it. For almost 52 euros this place was definitely not worth it. Yes, the people are friendly, but the value isn't there. There was NO breakfast served when I was there in early July.

This is a good hostel if you want silence. The place is dead quiet (I felt like I was the only person there). The location is not that good, either--you have to take a bus to the center of town). But the staff were friendly and the place was clean, except for a bit of a mosquito problem.

We stayed here for two nights, and decided to stay at another hostel for the remaining nights. The rooms are decent--bigger double rooms than a typical hostel. The biggest problem was that we were attacked by mosquitoes. My sister counted thirteen bites after one night. The bathrooms are co-ed, and the showers are not designed to easily change in, or to keep your clothes from getting wet. The other drawback is that it takes 30 minutes by bus to get to the tourist sites. I would recommend staying somewhere else.

I stayed in a private room here with two of my friends. The staff were super friendly and helpful, they had a good breakfast, and the view from our room overlooked the abbey garden and city. It was beautiful and charming. The bathroom in the room was a little small, but private. No AC, which is brutal in Florence summers, but the charm made up for it.