We used the Villa San Michele as our home base for a family vacation. We loved the villa and the…read morestaff was super accommodating but to be fair staying outside of Florence had many challenges. The taxis are completely unreliable in Florence and we hope Uber and other ride sharing services will successfully fill the massive service void as soon as possible! We were unable to get a taxi on several occasions during our stay. The Villa San Michele jumped into action and the staff repeatedly dialed the taxi companies with either no answer or 'we have no cars available' as the result. The VSM does run a shuttle from the Plaza della Repubblica so in hindsight it would be wise to schedule excursions during the shuttle hours and make sure dinners were within easy walking distance to the stop and within service hours. It was extremely stressful each time we left the hotel not knowing if we would make it back. The best dinner we had was the night we stayed at the Villa and enjoyed a beautiful view of Florence coupled with absolutely delicious food. We enjoyed the vegetarian Zucchini, amberjack tartar, seabass carpaccio and seabream, ravioli stuffed with potato and seafood gnocchi. Everyone in the group agreed it was our best dinner in Florence! We should have eaten on several nights at the hotel. There were a few small problems with water pressure (it's an old Villa) but the staff was quick to respond and were as accommodating as possible. We would absolutely stay again and perhaps rent a car so we are not subject to the Florence Taxi union.

This was the most beautiful setting we could could have asked for during our last night in…read moreFlorence. I called ahead and made a dinner reservation as it was our honeymoon. The service was extremely professional and friendly throughout our visit. There were a couple snafus during our time. For instance, two drinks we didn't order were added to the bill, however we were able to get them taken off eventually. In addition, I was hoping that a congratulations would be offered on our special occasion. We weren't expecting anything free, but for a fine dining experience and the occasion it would have been lovely to have the dinner individualized a bit more.

I've stayed here twice. Once was 20 years ago and once again last month. This time it was a…read morefamily trip. We stayed in one of the family rooms and it worked out nicely for the four of us, including two teenagers. Breakfast was great - there was lots of variety. The staff keeps the breakfast room tidy and interacted with us in very friendly ways. This place drips with charm. The staff is friendly and helpful (and spoke English). They have a great big lazy dog who loves attention. The furnishings are old but charming. I like the public spaces such as the terrace and the sitting rooms. The location is picturesque but outside of the city of Florence. If you come and are planning on tourism in the city, please understand that Bencista is a charming retreat outside the city. I recommend this place highly.

This review is on the restaurant only…read more Recommended by the Michelin Guide, we were eagerly anticipating our 11th Anniversary dinner at Pensione Bencista's restaurant. Arriving by bus (€1.20/person each way) from our apartment in Florence, it was a short walk down the road from Bus #7's stop "Regresso" following the signs. The pensione is a beautiful 14th Century villa, overlooking the valley and Florence below. The Duomo and other landmarks are clearly evident from the terrace where we were taken and our reserved table awaited us. The tables were a bit too close to one another and the back of a chair from the table next to us made it awkward to sit comfortably. One of the owners finally moved the table when the guests arrived and it became clear that it was not going to work very well for either party. A nice young lady took our order from the fixed-price (€25 per person) menu with just four primi (pasta) selections and three choices of secondi (meat), including the tagliata (sliced steak - €40/kilo with one kilo minimum). The wine list was reasonable and we ordered a Syrah (€32) from northern Tuscany which was very good. Wine is extra, but water, dessert, service, and coperto are all included in the fixed-price. The Syrah was good, a robust, deep red with hints of berry, complimenting the meal very nicely. For our primi (first course), my wife had the penne con zucchini and I had the penne al ragu (meat sauce). They boast about serving only De Cecco pasta on their website which I found a bit odd because De Cecco is good pasta, but it is mass produced, not locally produced or handmade. My wife's pasta with zucchini was swimming in olive oil, a bit off-putting, but otherwise the dish was fair, nothing special, with small chunks of zucchini, onion, and little else. She had to add grated cheese to the dish to give it flavor, something she almost never does at her mother's house in Napoli or in restaurants. My ragu was very good, but like my wife's dish, there was very little pasta and it took little time to consume. Not overly impressive, after all De Cecco is not expensive pasta. While eating our pasta, the family next to us received their secondi (main courses), porchetta, which is one of my favorites and not offered as an option by our server. They were also served their contorni individually by the waiter whereas ours arrived on our plates from the kitchen. Maybe they were French celebrities, the King of France perhaps? I am joking obviously, but I thought it a bit odd in any case. When our secondi arrived, there were the potatoes, peperoni (sauteed red bell peppers), and a small portion of melanzane alla parmigiana (eggplant parmigiana) even though I had specified in my reservation that my wife was allergic to tomatoes. We pointed out the faux pas, they apologized, and her plate was removed. My tacchino rollatini arrived shortly thereafter, but we waited and waited, seemingly forever, until her veal sans tomato finally arrived. The owner also asked if we were having the porchetta, but I told him that the server had not given us that option, so he promised to bring a few slices as a courtesy. The tacchino (turkey breast) was rolled with ham and cheese inside, then lightly pan-fried. It was delicious, but extremely small once again with just one little rolled breast. The potatoes, melanzane, and peppers were all very good as you would expect at any decent restaurant in Italy. The scaloppine was also quite delicious, a reasonable portion, not small, not huge, white and tender as real veal should be. It is just a shame that we could not enjoy our anniversary main courses together. For dessert we were offered a choice of plum cake, torta di mele (apple pie), or biscotti (hard cookies with almonds) and a small glass of Vin Santo. We shared the torta di mele and biscotti con Vin Santo. The apple pie was simple and tasty, an Italian version slightly similar to American apple pie but drier. The biscotti were good, looking store-bought, and the glass of Vin Santo, a sweet white wine famous in this region, was very small, but big enough to dip the three cookies in as is the tradition. Again, the French family received dessert and something we were not offered by our server, fruit and cheese. Why our server failed to tell us about the additional options for secondi and dolce (dessert) is still a mystery. For the price, the meal was good and a fair value in Florence where comparable fixed-price meals start in the €30 to €40 range (including wine however). The setting idyllic, a beautiful ancient villa with an incredible view, the experience was better than the meal alone. The food was very average, with very few basic selections and small portions. The service was very friendly and punctual, but the numerous mistakes detracted greatly from our overall experience, particularly being our wedding anniversary. CombatCritic Gives Pensione Bencista 6 Bombs Out Of 10 ... More Bombs Are Better!

This place was AMAZING! its pretty rare that I give out five stars but this place had it all PLUS…read morethe extras! My room was beautiful with one of the most comfortable beds! It has big windows I could open and enjoy the fresh air. Their breakfast included champagne and was solid, good food. Their patio had an amazing view and the wait staff was so friendly! As was the check in counter folks. The pool was small but nice and cozy. They got their five stars from me because of the extra toiletries they provided: robes, slippers, LOTION (thats a big one for me), the standard body wash and shampoo, AND an essentials kit with shower caps, q tips, etc. This place is not in the heart of Florence but it deserves a round of applause and is worth the 20 minute bus ride to Florence. Plus Fiesole is a town much older than Florence so it has it's charm and history to enjoy as well.

We loved our hotel. It was up in the hills of Fiesole looking over Florence below. Delicious…read morerestaurant for dinner, heated pool, ample outdoor seating. We had a great stay. Bus stop right below the hotel, Regresso stop. Main road by the hotel can be noisy.

Hotel Spadai was highly recommended to us by my sister-in-law. She constantly raves about the…read moreplace, and I could totally see why. The hotel was centrally located, and it's one of the more modern, elegant hotels we've stayed at during our trip. The Duomo and Piazza Santa Maria Novella were steps away from the hotel, and it's a less than 10 minute taxi to the train station. Their complimentary breakfast was amazing. They offered a huge variety of items including hot food, tortes, cereals, fruit, cheeses, parfaits, quiches, etc. I enjoyed a latte every morning with them. Our room at Hotel Spadai was excellent. Very spacious with tall ceilings and had plenty of room for us to lay out 2 large pieces of luggage and 2 small carry-ons. The bathroom was big as well, but the shower was disproportionate to it. The shower felt so much smaller, and what's weird was its two double doors. The doors met at the corner of the shower and didn't close all the way, so water could easily escape to the floor. Other than that, I would 1000% stay at this hotel again next time I'm in Florence.

The best hotel I've ever had the pleasure of staying at! From check-in to check-out, everything was…read moreabsolutely top-notch. The room and bathroom were spacious, luxurious, and beautifully designed. The staff was incredibly friendly and welcoming, and every detail of the experience felt thoughtful and elevated. The amenities were fantastic -- especially the unexpected happy hour at the bar, which was such a lovely touch. And the breakfast buffet? Truly unmatched. I'm convinced every future hotel breakfast will pale in comparison. I still think about the incredibly fresh raspberries and strawberries I had every morning! I also loved the robes and slippers provided in the room, which made the stay feel even more comfortable and indulgent. The location is perfect -- close to everything and just steps from the Duomo, yet surprisingly peaceful and not overly noisy. The hotel itself smells amazing and is decorated in such a beautiful, modern style. I honestly can't say enough wonderful things about this hotel. It was worth every penny, and I would stay here again in a heartbeat!

We had a group dinner in a private dinning area in the villa…read more I met the owners daughter, who is the mgr. She is very sweet and knowledgeable. I didn't get to see this property in the daylight but, its a 300 acre farm and vineyard with a restaurant We had pork medallions with veggies, red wine, fresh bread w/olive oil [all of which was homegrown] I had to buy some of their biscotti and cooking olive oil to bring back to the States Highly recommend

This place is definitely lovely to visit! The food, however, is hit or miss. I think we enjoyed…read moremost of there pasta and vegetable items, but the chicken was way over cooked. My mother-in-law even thought they might have reheated it.

I booked this hotel last minute at 1am. I booked based on reviews. Now there are a few things I…read moremust say it is NOT your typical hotel no boutique no BnB I can't explain it. I checked in the hotel very late the caretaker was helpful and nice. He even lugged my heavy ass luggage to my room. Getting to rooms is where it starts to get weird ... it's like you have to leave bread crumbs down to make sure you find your way back to where you started. Literally out down over through up turn left right I was like wtf where am I going. Yes it is a very old hotel or whatever. It is like a scary movie I felt Norman Bates or Jack Nicholson was waiting for me at any second. The place is huge and very very eclectic. It's very unique I mean if it were a house I would love to live there because of the uniqueness. But I have to admit pretty spooky at night but the room is comfortable clean the AC blasted water pressure cool. I find in Europe most Queen beds are twins together so that didn't bother me the tub was clean I didn't have to wear shower shoes. The only drawback was NO IRON so most of my clothes I wore stretched since I couldn't iron. No coffee machine it had a fridge. They mentioned something about misquotes but I didn't have an issue. All in all it is different yet cool and very close to a lot of stuff.

This was our second time staying here in the last 3 months, total of 3 nights. We absolutely loved…read morethe stays and the interactions with our lovely hotel staff! Although we had a number of non-standard needs due to multiple family members arriving at different days and times, everything went very smoothly and the staff were gracious and accommodating. Special thanks to Erika and Laura who helped us set up some storage for our luggage for the several hours post-checkout as well as arranging a cab for travel outside the city. Really everyone was super helpful and we intend to return at the next opportunity! The hotel itself is also fantastic and represents the classical Italian aesthetic ina very appealing way. Good WiFi, excellent breakfast buffet, no hotel restaurant but super nice courtyard. Reasonable cost, 10 minute walk to the Duomo and Central Market. Decent AC and bathrooms! Thanks for the experience Hotel Monna Lisa!