15TH CENTURY GARDEN HOME NEAR PONTE VECCHIO

This apartment is beautiful, historic and has everything you need in a great location in more of an Italian neighborhood with artisans working and great shops. The restaurants are less expensive than across the river and very good. There was a wonderful grocery within a couple of blocks with a wonderful assortment of Tuscan foods. Everything is within easy walking. But the best thing about this apartment was the owner and his staff. Quick to respond to emails, met us promptly and answered all questions even giving us great restaurant suggestions! Will go back and highly reccommend to anyone! Thanks Alkan!

It’s been almost two months since we stayed at Alkan Nallbani’s apartment in Florence. The time delay is in no way indicative of how much we enjoyed our three day stay there. This was our fourth trip to Florence. In our previous trips we have stayed in a hotel but since there were five of us on this trip, we ventured out to an apartment in order for us to stay together as a group. It was the correct decision on many fronts. First, let’s state the obvious; the apartment is in a great easy to find location. Away from the historic section of Florence, it is an easy three to five minute walk to Pont Vecchio. The small square it is located next to contains several restaurants and a bar with groceries and many breakfast eateries nearby. We prefer the Oltrarno area of Florence over the other sections for its unique shops, less frenetic pace, and for the substantial drop in tourists that who for some reason don’t want to venture over the Arno River. The Apartment itself was very clean, the kitchen was well stocked with utensils and such, the beds were very comfortable. The third bedroom is actually in the rear courtyard of the apartment which is a nice touch for it adds a little privacy for those in a group who would like it. There was an issue with the door locking properly but I’m sure that is taken care of by now.

The other issue with the apartment is that since it is located on the side street and with the bar being located across the street, the living room area of the apartment can be a little noisy. It’s just part of city living. However, once you retire to the bedrooms, you DO NOT hear any of the street noise at all. All of the bedrooms were quiet with heavy curtains to block the morning light, thus providing a good sleep environment.

I must comment on the service side of renting the apartment. Of all our trips to Florence, Alkan made this trip the easiest of all. From planning, renting, to meeting us at the apartment, it was as easy as anything here in the US. Correspondences were responded to quickly, all questions were answered with detail and helpful information, and now that this note is so late, I can say that the security deposit was returned promptly.

A special thank you goes out to Maarja. She greeted us at the apartment and was great in getting us orientated with the apartment. Maarja gave us some good recommendations on restaurants (and gelato) but was most helpful when she arranged a 5:00 AM taxi for our return trip home

We have just returned from a fantastic visit to Florence. One of the reasons our visit was so incredible was due to the apartment we rented through VRBO. Our party was two adult couples. My husband and I had visited Florence 6 years ago and stayed in a hotel. Since then, we have been staying in VRBO properties and decided to try it in Florence. This apartment was exactly as described. The neighborhood was perfect for us. We walked to everything we wanted to see. We had cappucinos every morning from the cafe downstairs. Casaluinga became our favorite restaurant (in Piazza Santo Spirito). We arrived from the airport via taxi at less than 20 euros and in about 30 minutes. Francesca was amazing. She met us on time and introduced us to the apartment. One of the air conditioners was not working so she called to arrange to have it fixed the next day. However, she was able to fix it herself while we looked around the rooms. We appreciated having the washer, and the clothes dried very quickly on the clothes line and rack. Should this apartment be available the next time we visit Florence, we will make it our first choice.