The rooms are light and well decorated. The shower rooms are quite small but well equipped with good showers and plenty of towels and modern sanitary ware. There is a hairdryer fixed to the wall in each bathroom. The Lanterna is well placed for walking to and from the main train station and the centre of Florence. There are tea and coffee making facilities in the rooms and wall-mounted televisions. The proprietress was very friendly and helpful and willing to make restaurant bookings for us.

It was quite hard for us to find at first. It is a large wooden double doorway in between some shops with a plate on the wall which for some reason we kept walking past without noticing. I think this is because we were following address instructions which said it was number 11. However, the numbering in the street was extremely difficult to follow. We were on foot. Maybe a taxi would have taken us straight there! The other minus point is that La Lanterna isn't really a Bed and Breakfast Hotel; it's rooms for rental. The breakfast consists of vouchers that you exchange at the Cruise Bar/cafe across the road. However, it allows you one drink and a pastry only, more a snack than breakfast. Also, the staff at the Cruise Bar were not very friendly or generous about allowing us choices. There was a restriction on some of the pastries (croissants were allowed) and they said the only drink allowed was coffee. Our son doesn't drink coffee and asked for hot chocolate but we were told in an extremely unfriendly fashion that we couldn't have that as it was too expensive! It didn't seem to matter what sort of coffee it was. We didn't bother with the vouchers or Cruise Bar after a couple of tries and bought a cooked breakfast at a Trattoria in the Mercato Centrale. It can be very noisy outside the apartments due to traffic if you want the window open, but the double glazing and shutters cut out a lot of this if you don't mind the windows closed. There is one apartment here that is more expensive (a suite or family room as it has a double bed and a sofa bed) which windows to both the front and back. You could have the windows open at the back here which would be quieter.

We booked 2 rooms a triple and double ensuite, communication with the owners was very good and we were able to book in before lunch and explore the beautiful city, which is but a 5 minute stroll from the hotel. Rooms were not grandeur but were clean and comfortable and more than adequate with a fridge, kettle and most important really effiecient air con. Road noise was minimal and breakfast (cake and coffee) was through a voucher for the cafe opposite which was fine as a start to the day. The owner was very helpful and keen to help where requested.

Not a lot really, but be aware credit card payment is not possible so keep the cash handy for payment.

Good location, close to train station, and most of the main attractions. Friendly and helpful service from Gianna. Would stay there again. Quiet building, good wifi, near by mini-supermarkets

Didnt mark higher for cleanliness only because renovation on the facade of building was being completed, making the room a bit dusty at first.

I was satisfied with a hotel and could recommend it. It has only three rooms, the hostess lives in the apartment and is very helpful. It was quiet in the hotel during our stay,. The location was good, 10-15 minutes from the train station, the street is quiet. The room is a bit oldfashioned but it is ok. Facilities worked gut, the hotel has a lift. The breakfast was a coffee and a pastry in the cafe in front of the hotel but both coffee and pastries and the ambiente itself were very pleasant.