Duomo Classic Apartment

You know what? I’ve stayed in a lot of places around Florence over the years, and the Duomo Classic Apartment honestly caught me off guard – in the best way possible. When I first walked up Via Sant’Egidio (it’s this narrow little street that most tourists rush past on their way to the Duomo), I wasn’t expecting much. The building looks pretty standard from the outside, but step inside and you immediately get why this place has a 9.5 rating.

The location is actually ridiculous – I mean, you’re literally a two-minute walk from the cathedral, but here’s the thing most people don’t realize: Via Sant’Egidio is just far enough off the main tourist drag that you don’t get the constant stream of tour groups and street vendors. In the morning, you’ll hear the bells from Santa Croce mixing with the sound of shopkeepers hosing down their storefronts, and honestly, that’s Florence right there. The apartment itself feels like someone’s stylish Italian grandmother decided to rent out her place – everything’s been updated and modernized, but there’s still this authentic Florentine character in the details. The ceilings are high (which is a godsend in summer), the floors have that worn-smooth stone that you only find in these old buildings, and the windows actually open properly – sounds basic, but you’d be surprised how many places get that wrong.

What really sold me though was how the owner clearly knows what travelers actually need. There’s proper coffee equipment (not just some sad instant coffee packets), the Wi-Fi works throughout the apartment, and – this is key – the shower has decent water pressure. The kitchen is small but functional, which matters because you’re going to want to grab fresh ingredients from Mercato di Sant’Ambrogio just around the corner. That market, by the way, is where locals actually shop, not the touristy Mercato Centrale. The neighborhood comes alive around 7 AM when the vendors start setting up, and by evening it’s quiet enough that you can leave your windows open without being kept awake by drunk tourists. I stayed there in both spring and fall, and the experience was consistently good – though I’d avoid the height of summer if you’re sensitive to heat, since even with those high ceilings, Florence gets properly hot. The check-in was smooth (they actually showed up on time, which isn’t always a given), and when I had a minor issue with the air conditioning, someone came by within an hour to fix it. It’s those little things that make you feel like you’re dealing with people who actually care about their guests, not just some faceless booking platform.