The hotel is directly opposite the Pitti Palace but not marked at all and we had to ask around to find it.

Entrance is via an old, large wooden door into a very dingy entrance with large metal gate. The lift to the third floor where the hotel starts is an old gated type and incredibly narrow. It will take two people and just one siutcase at a squeeze.

The owner dragged himself away from the TV when we walked in and took us up to the top floor to our room, basically a garret.

There were no lights on in the corridor and he had a job getting them to work. Got into our room to find a square, basic room with no bathroom.

Mentioned to him that we had booked a room with a bathroom and he said there was nothing else available. He said the bathroom we would use was just outside in the corridor and there were only two rooms on this floor so we wouldn't have too much problem.

The room once had air con but this had been removed leaving a dirty, un-painted space where it once was. A roof fan had been fitted instead but we couldn't get the switch to work.

The window looked out over roofs and down to a central drainage well that smelt of sewage slightly and we could hear something? moving down there at night.

Only two of the wall sockets in the room (out of four) worked and the TV (Sky) had just four channels and no remote to programme anymore or change channels.

According to the hotel description the rooms had painted ceilings. Ours had a trainer print on it along with a squashed fly!

We did see a cleaner a couple of times but the marble type floor was never clean and walking around in bare feet left your feet dirty. We had four towels on the first day and just one by the time we left.

Breakfasts were shockingly bad with lukewarm self serve coffee, packets of those hard toast things with jam, a slice of cake that was the same each day and a glass of, admittedly, nice fresh orange juice.

Talking to other guests they said their rooms did have the painted ceilings and were completely charming. They had air con and a TV with remote and full Sky. We never saw our neighbours for their cooments.

One couple had booked their room a week previously while we had booked in March so I felt that we had been given a very raw deal.

We asked the owner for another room but he said that none were available because he was fully booked until Friday (we were to leave on Saturday morning).

We had no choice really but to accept that we were staying put.

The only thing the hotel has going for it is the close proximity to the city centre being just a few hundred yards from the Ponte Vecchio.

This hotel is NOT recommended.