Located a few minutes from the train station on the road leading into the busy Piazza Santa Maria Novella, the cozy Hotel Montreal is a little one-star gem offering basic accommodations with lots of space and recently rehabbed bathrooms. Verdict? Hurray!
A cheery staff greeted us in an adorable lobby, replete with funky maroon leather couches. Next up? A big shiny elevator (attention: it only goes up one floor), narrow hallways, and a seriously retro breakfast room, reminiscent of the 1930s.
And, then there's the hotel's behind-the-scenes story. Legend has it a monk lived here alone for years. In the late 1800s, when a friendly lumberjack from French Canada happened upon the site looking for a place to rest his head, the monk offered his lodgings. Thus the idea of hospitality was born. And, the name is a reference to French-speaking Canada as well as the famed author of the Decameron.
You should feel right at home in any one of 21 peach-colored rooms with their bright blue carpet, dorm-style furniture, and lots and lots of space for spreading out (Read: The Montreal is great for families). Bathrooms are a lovely surprise, with sparkling white tiles and chunky, block-shaped toilets and bidets.
All in all, Montreal has cool where it counts, space where you want it, and a fabulous location in central Florence. For those looking for value and location, Montreal is an obvious pick.
» Annie Shapero
Note: This hotel was visited by a EuroCheapo editor and is recommended based on cleanliness, location, price and overall quality. EuroCheapo did not charge this hotel to be listed.
About the Montreal neighborhood
Across the street from the train station, the area around Piazza Santa Maria Novella is perhaps the most varied neighborhood in the city. The, dingier, urban streets leading to the station get a lot of traffic (both automobile and human) while the other side of the grassy Piazza is formed by narrow, serpentine little streets, characterful buildings, and top-notch shopping. The piazza itself is crowded with picnicking tourists and pick pockets preying on them. The 'hood is bordered by the river, the train station, shopping street Via Tornabuoni, this area suffers a bit of an identity crisis. One thing is for sure: once you're here, you're no more than ten minutes away from anything else.
more about Santa Maria Novella