Design Apartments Florence- Florence City Center

Hotel Description

Look, I’ve stayed in my fair share of Florence apartments, and Design Apartments Florence gets something right that most places miss entirely – they actually understand that you want to live in the city, not just visit it. These aren’t your typical hotel rooms crammed into some renovated palazzo; we’re talking about proper apartments scattered throughout the Santa Maria Novella area, each one different but all designed with this clean, modern aesthetic that somehow doesn’t clash with Florence’s Renaissance vibe. I mean, you’ll step out of a minimalist apartment with sleek furnishings and immediately onto cobblestones that Michelangelo probably walked on – it’s kind of surreal, honestly.

What really sold me on this place was the locations (plural, because they have multiple properties). I stayed in one just off Via de’ Tornabuoni – you know, that street where all the fancy boutiques are – and my morning coffee routine became this incredible ritual of walking past Ferragamo and Gucci to get to my favorite bar near Piazza della Repubblica. The apartment itself was spotless, with a kitchen that actually functioned (shocking, I know, for vacation rentals), and here’s the thing about Florence apartments that nobody tells you: the walls are thick. Like, really thick. So even though you’re in the heart of everything, you’re not hearing every Vespa and late-night conversation echoing off the buildings. Well, you’ll hear some – this is Italy, after all – but it’s more like a gentle urban lullaby than the chaos you’d expect.

The check-in process was refreshingly straightforward too, though I’ll be honest, having apartments in different locations means you really need to pay attention to which address you’re going to. I almost wandered around Santa Maria Novella station for twenty minutes because I mixed up the street names – but that’s on me, not them. Once I found the right place, everything clicked. The design is what you’d expect from the name: clean lines, good lighting, comfortable beds that don’t feel like they were picked up from a closing hotel sale. You’ve got proper shower pressure (miracle!), reliable WiFi, and kitchens stocked with the basics. It’s not luxury in the marble-and-gold sense, but it’s luxury in the “everything works and looks good” sense, which honestly matters more when you’re planning to explore Florence all day and just want a peaceful, functional base to return to. Plus, that 8.6 rating isn’t just numbers – you can feel it in the details, from the way the coffee machine actually makes decent espresso to how the neighborhood recommendations they provide are clearly written by someone who knows Florence beyond the tourist traps.

Rooms

• Estimated price from: $258. One-Bedroom Apartment – 10, Via Venezia with 1 large double bed and 2 sofa beds for Max persons: 2

Reviews

• Great spot for a family of 4! – Imge from United States – 14 July 2025 (10/10)

  The apartment was a short walk away from the main tourist attractions and yet provided a quiet respite. Our host was very friendly and communicated well. The apartment was very comfortable.

• Florence apartment – Sk from Greece – 25 October 2024 (10/10)

  Spacious, well-equiped apartment that can easily sleep 4 people.

• A great apartment for a couple of nights to explore Firenze. – Beth from United Kingdom – 8 September 2024 (10/10)

  The location was brilliant for station and all sights. The roof terrace was lovely to chill on.
  
  What could be improved: The air con in dining area (single bed) wasn’t that cold but bedroom was and it was very very hot so battling with heat.

• We really enjoyed staying in this lovely, stylish apartment. – Paul from United Kingdom – 13 June 2024 (9/10)

  It is a lovely flat located in a nice, quiet location straight north of the Duomo, about a 15 minute walk. The decor is lovely, the bathroom is very roomy, and the combination washer/dryer works well. It is very quiet at night, so easy to sleep. There are many wonderful restaurants with a few minutes' walk of the apartment. Plenty of room to unpack your clothes. The kitchen is well fitted out, though be aware that there is no oven–just a stove top and microwave. Good TV, nice windows, air conditioning. We found it very comfortable and loved the location.
  
  What could be improved: The only thing we didn't like was the shower. It was a big, double bathtub, but the shower head was very small and had mediocre water pressure. The controls were also hard to set to the right temperature. It could be done, but it took some fiddling. There was only one flat pillow each, with two huge pillows in the closet that were too thick to use. They could use a couple of medium thickness pillows. The bed was very comfy, though, with good outlets on each side. The flat was very comfortable for the two of us, but would be a tight squeeze for any more people, except maybe a child. The assets far outweigh the liabilities.

• Would stay there again! – Vincenzo from Canada – 22 May 2024 (9/10)

  Location was great.
  Safe and secure access.
  Large spacious apartment!
  
  What could be improved: All good!

• Perfect location, comfortable and nice. – Nat from Spain – 26 April 2024 (10/10)

  The apartment is beautiful. It has everything one needs. I could perfectly live there. Full of natural light, the bed and sofa bed were very very comfortable. The kitchen was beautiful, with all the appliances needed, plus, the hostes left for us coffe, tea, sugar, salt, olive oil, milk, bread and biscuits. The bathroom is very spacious. You also have a laudry space with all the sundries needed. The neighbourhood is quiet, nice and safe. It has a lift which it comes very handy to go up and down with lugage and helpful for people with resticted mobility.
  
  Ou hostes was in constant comunication with us since we book the place until last minute supporting us to navigate comfortable through the city.
  
  Everything is close. The train station, the historic centre, museum, restaurants, supermarkets, shops, pharmacies, bus stops. Anything you need, you have it.
  
  Thank you so much for all your support and service.
  
  I would higly recomend it.

• Exceptional – Rahul from Singapore – 30 March 2024 (10/10)

  Quite centrally located. Had a lift for us to carry our luggage. Comfortable bed and clean place. Prefect for a couple to stay.
  
  What could be improved: Florence is a walking city so be ready to walk.

• Perfect clean flat in a very convenient and quiet location – Lorenza from Italy – 5 February 2024 (9/10)

  Perfect location.
  
  What could be improved: The mattress

• Great apartment, excellent location and well equipped – Ka from Canada – 19 December 2023 (9/10)

  Spacious, good location (depends on which apartment you are assigned), very well equipped kitchen, bathroom and even have washer and dryer
  
  What could be improved: The location was not really the one shown in booking.com, you will have to look carefully which location they assign you. I didn’t know about this fact and was assigned one that is a bit further away. But the host had vacant property and were able to accommodate us with another property that is in much better location. Was overall happy about the outcome but there was a lesson learned here. Booking.com is not that clear

• Exceptional – Bo from Portugal – 4 November 2023 (10/10)

  The house is comfortable and clean with good view out side of the window. The kitchen is fully equipped, we enjoyed preparing food in the morning. We had a good stay in Florence.

SURROUNDINGS

Facilities