Pensione Maria Luisa de' Medici

Description:

• In the 1970s and 1980s, the owner, Angido Sordi, was fascinated with baroque art, so the halls of this 17th-century are hung with canvases by the likes of Van Dyck, Vignale, and Sustermans, which contrast with the modernist furniture. While Dr. Sordi convalesces in a back room, his Welsh partner Evelyn Morris runs the place, cooking hearty breakfasts served to you in your room. Most rooms are large enough to accommodate four to five people comfortably. The firm beds are set on carpeted or tiled floors scattered with thick rugs. There are four shared bathrooms, so you usually don't have to wait in the morning. Two drawbacks: You have to walk up three flights, and there is a curfew, which varies with the season. However, if elevators and late nights are obligatory, the owners offer a pensione across the street, Hotel Ferdinando II de' Medici (Via del Presto 2; tel. 055-210-947; www.ferdinandodemedici.com) that will suit your tastes, and possibly your budget as well. Doubles there are priced at 95€ ($123) per night.

• © Frommer's 2013

Awards:

Frommer's

•  Very Highly Recommended 2010