Stayed in the Carolus Hotel for three nights in May this year on business and found it unimpressive. The room was very small and I was glad I was only there on my own, I think it would be too small for two people although it was a double. My room was at the front of the hotel but I wasn't disturbed by noise. There were a couple of issues with the room that although were not major were annoying. The bracket the shower was on was broken so it kept swinging round to the wall and I had to eventually hold it to have a shower. There were dirty marks on the walls and the top cover on the bed didn't seem clean. On the positive side the breakfast offered was good and service at breakfast time was efficient. The hotel is also in a good location and only about a ten minute walk from the main attractions. I will definitely return to Florence again but would not stay in the Carolus Hotel.

After reading some of these reviews, we had high hopes for our stay in Florence. The good stuff: The bell staff is very friendly and fluent in English. The view from our room was pretty. The location is convenient to most of the central Florentine sights. The bad stuff: Overall, the hotel is a dirty... the carpets in the hallways are stained, there was an abundance of mildew in the bath, and during the nearly week long stay they never replaced our towels. Upon our arrival, there was a blue & gold coverlet on the bed which was stained with white crusty stuff, It disappeared when the maid came the next day but they left us with just sheets for the rest of the week. It's uncomfortable: Exhausted from a long flight we collapsed onto a much too firm bed. Upon waking up, we attempted to shower, but without an actual shower curtain you're forced to cram towards the faucet so you don't wet the entire bathroom. Add to that the scalding hot surges of water from flushes elsewhere in the building and it makes bath time a little awkward. We were here on business, and the "free wifi internet connection" is very unreliable. The desk staff was apologetic, but conditions didn't improve so don't count on doing work online. Breakfast may be typical Italian, but the food is "underwhelming" although the room is beautiful and the staff is very nice.

My wife and I stayed here for 3 nights in February 2008, and paid less than ?50 per room per night, including a very decent continental breakfast. Room was comfy, air-con, satellite tv, staff all wonderful, including the "bag man" on arrival. Position good, we thought, a 5 minute walk to the action. If we return to Florence, which I think we will, we would certainly stay here again.

We booked the Carolus on lastminute.com as one of the "Top Secret Deals" - meaning that we only got a brief description of the hotel, no specifics before booking, at which point you learn the details of where you'll be staying. The idea is that these hotels don't want their name published with such a low rate, leading one to believe that you're about to get a great deal. And we did get a good deal... but the description was a little misleading: Beautiful Hotel in a XIX century building! - 4* - Florence This is an exceptional hotel, close to the most exclusive shops of this city. With the famous monuments and historic places nearby, this hotel has a great location in the centre of Florence. This contemporary property has been furnished with modern furniture and original art work. The lovely, spacious guestrooms and good facilities are perfect for both the leisure and business travellers. In REALITY this hotel is not close to the most exclusive shops in Florence at all, the shops surrounding it are small average locally owned businesses. The area with the exclusive shops is much closer to the river Arno and the center of the city. The furnishings are of average quality, a little staid - certainly not what I would expect from a four star hotel in Italy. The breakfast is nothing special - quite average for a European breakfast. (**Note to Americans - please don't be disappointed by the cold breakfasts offered in European hotels - this is what's called a "Continental Breakfast" and it is what most people on the continent actually eat in the morning!) The layout of the hotel lobby is awkward and leaves a good 50% of the lower level unused by my estimation. The breakfast room is located directly to the left of the large automatic entry doors and so if eating breakfast in the winter season one is subjected to strong blasts of frigid air every few minutes. Our room was just okay, probably comparable to an average American Holiday Inn. The real issue I had was with the bathroom, it was a tile covered box, I think in a medicinal blue color... the toilet sink and shower were all contained in the "box" without any separation - after taking a shower the entire room was soaking wet. Certainly not the luxurious and relaxing bathroom I was hoping for. Two of the lamps in our room were also missing light bulbs. The advantage of this hotel is that the location is pretty good - it is within walking distance of the train station and the center of Florence - BUT Florence is a small city and there are plenty of hotels in the center. Next time I'll be booking with one of them.

Wow, when we got to the hotel, there was a doorman to take our bags! We weren't expecting that. This hotel was great. The reception staff were friendly and helpful for eating & shopping tips. The rooms were a decent size, and clean. I couldn't quite get my bearings in Florence, but every time I thought that I was completely lost, I would look down the street and see the hotel. Close to the station, and actually walking distance to everywhere that we wanted to go. There are a couple of great wine bars down the road. The breakfast is fantiastic. Loved the hotel, loved Florence.