Garibaldi Blu

We checked in late at night, around 23:30. I booked the accommodation through Agoda, and my reservation clearly stated a double bed for a couple, including breakfast. There was no mention of any city tax. I understand that tourist tax is common in Italy, but most online booking platforms clearly break this down and show how much you will pay at the property upon arrival. When we arrived, there was a young man at reception who gave us a room with two single beds. After checking the room, we immediately returned to reception and explained that we had booked a double bed. After about 30 minutes of back and forth, especially frustrating at that time of night, we were finally given another room downstairs. The next morning, there was another receptionist, I believe his name was Danieli (apologies if I misspelled it). He was very rude and aggressive when I tried to explain that my reservation showed no tourist tax to be paid. I even showed him screenshots and my confirmation email as evidence. He would not listen and kept arguing, even threatening to call the police. I told him he was welcome to do so, as I had clear proof. It was upsetting to experience this during a short stay of less than three days. After this unpleasant conversation, I went to breakfast and later approached the general manager, whom I believe was named Fabio. I explained the situation and showed him the same evidence. He was fantastic — calm, professional, and understanding. He reviewed the confirmation email and immediately resolved the issue. Thanks to him, we were able to continue our holiday normally. If it wasn’t for Fabio, our stay would have been very difficult. I truly believe that good listening skills are essential in hospitality. Staff should review evidence carefully before making decisions. Being told to check out when I had fully paid for my accommodation was disrespectful and upsetting. As guests, we pay money, contribute to the local economy, and travel to enjoy sightseeing — facing unnecessary conflict in a foreign place is not a pleasant experience. Overall, apart from this incident, the stay was good. The hotel had premium bathroom amenities and recognizable branded water bottles in the room. We were welcomed with two glasses of Prosecco, which was a nice touch. The room was clean and well presented, although the bathroom was very small and the pillows were very hard. The continental breakfast offered good variety. The staff were friendly and helpful, and the cold cuts and cheese selection were good. The only weakness was the bakery section, which lacked high-quality patisserie or fresh baguettes. In my opinion, considering the excellent location — everything is within walking distance — a price range of €85–€110 per night for a couple including breakfast would be justified. For higher rates, it would be nice to see improvements such as an à la carte breakfast option (fried eggs, custom omelettes, pancakes), softer pillow choices (soft, medium, and firm), and slightly larger showers. Despite the difficult start, the issue was resolved professionally by management, and we were able to enjoy the rest of our stay.

The rooms were fine. The lobby was spectacular. Palm trees made from tires. Beautiful. The service was wonderful. Our bags were late into Firenze, and the manager did everything in his power try to arrange their delivery. We were out to dinner when they arrived and the staff delivered them to our room. The location on Piazza Santa Maria Novella was beyond belief. Every morning the Piazza would be jammed-- a slight exaggeration-- with tours. How beautiful it was though.

Very nice hotel, very clean, staff were very attentive and polite. They were happy to help with any request you may have. The gentleman that checked us in was very knowledgeable about local restaurants and guided trips. The decor was a bit different with super hero statues dotted around the floors, who can you spot? The bar isn’t open for very long but then it wasn’t very busy as so much hospitality is right outside. Great location to walk everywhere with transport links very close by. Can’t go wrong with this choice for a few days in Florence.

Exelent hotelGreat breakfastThe font desk called Mateo was  very niveI will came back and recommend this hotel fromSure

Stayed here for 4 nights in November 2025. Perfect location, beautiful design and wonderful staff. Breakfast buffet very nice. I have absolutely no hesitation in recommending this hotel.

May 2025 visit: Our stay at Garabaldo Blu was enjoyable for the most part although we question whether we would choose to stay again, next visit to Florence. It gets 4 stars for location, comfort of room, beds and shower amenities. We had an issue with the single beds pushed together although not secure which staff handled immediately. The room temperature control did not operate manually (set to 25C) which staff said they could adjust remotely, which they did or went and adjusted. The hotel itself for us was fun, and cool. It has a dark stone, almost gothic presence inside with unique art offerings throughout the lobby. Art on each floor I was absolutely not expecting but thought it was fun, and fitting for the design. Other reviews mention the bathroom door window pane being less private and allowing light to extend to the room at night. We didn't find the window an issue for privacy and did leave only the bathroom mirror sconce lights on overnight, acting as a night light because the rooms are pitch dark with the blinds closed. I mean blind baby steps, hands out in front of you to find your way dark. Breakfast services were staffed by very kind and helpful staff members who went out of their way to prepare additional food items outside of buffet choices. Here is where we give three stars. Outside of our initial check in and assistance request with the desk manager (she was great), we never felt welcome with any other staff members. My bar for basic courtesy is truly not that high although bottoms out when a hotel designs entry and exit directly in front of reception staff desk and they choose to not even look up, greet or ask if they can help with anything. Basic customer service can be improved. Having noted whether we would stay again, considering this hotels daily rate versus others in the Basilica Santa Maria Novella location, access to the train station, security and walkability for sight seeing, Garibaldi Blu remains an option over double the price, nearby.

The hotel was clean and the staff were somewhat friendly, but the room was extremely noisy due to ongoing renovations with constant drilling and hammering. The air conditioning was extremely poor, the breakfast area was far too small for the number of guests, and we were given only one key for three people, which was very inconvenient. There is no policy or effort to address guest complaints. Very bad experience – never again.

We spent 2 nights at this hotel. It's a great location, the service is impeccable, the provisions (soap, shampoo, etc) were nice. Breakfast was very good with a fantastic staff. |The mattress was over the top firm which we love, everything was good EXCEPT...||The room was extremely small! The room was also VERY dark! There was no room to place your toiletries in the bathroom! The shower stall was also very small... even by European standards. (Water pressure was great!) |Because it is basically inside the city center, close to the train station and the Duomo, it's quite expensive. For that kind of money, it would have been nice to see! The light bulbs also put out quite a bit heat.

I stayed at the Garibaldi Blu with 9 other family members during the heatwave in Italy in July 2023. We all enjoyed our stay, and all felt the service was helpful and friendly. The location is key, close to attractions, shops, and restaurants. We really appreciated the air conditioning, and we found our room and bathroom to be comfortable.

Stayed there for 3 nights and it's a nicely decorated place. A few oddities in the room weren't quite up to par but overall it's a good experience in a great location. I should add the staff was fantastic and talked to us every time we were in the lobby even bought us a bottle of Prosecco one night. Great people.

The staff could have been nicer and known more. The location was good though 10 minute walk to ponte vecchio. The bathroom was very small and so was the room. The bathroom doesn't have a small mirror and is not big for 3 in a room. The breakfast was bad very limited especially since my party doesn't eat pork and no omelet or hard boiled eggs were an option. The hotel was overpriced for what we received and I wouldn't stay here again. The man with the glasses who was at the front desk wasn't very nice and didn't give good directions. Service and breakfast could have been better overall and location was the best part of the only.

I've heard about Garibaldi Blu since I used to work in the travel industry. I had the chance to stay here for one night in Florence with a buddy of mine so here's my review. First, you can't beat the location! Right in the middle of the square and a few steps away from the train station, you can't go wrong. We had a balcony, so we could sit there and listen to the church bells and people watch. Check in was a breeze: they take a photo of your passport, give you a key, show you to your room, and leave you be. Housekeeping was on point, too. Breakfast was not bad with your usual fare of cereals, bread, eggs, cheese, and meat. The room itself is massive compared to the other places I've been. We had two beds, spacious closet space, flat screen TV, and your other regular amenities. The bathroom is really cool; there's built in speakers so you can hear what's happening on the TV. What I don't get is the door window, don't think I want to see or have anyone see me doing anything in the bathroom. Checkout was super convenient as well and I enjoyed my stay here very much.

We had #128 with a balcony overlooking the Piazza Square and a view of the live musicians and people buzzing about. We had 5-6 restaurants directly below us and were a quick 4 minute walk to the train station. We were able to check in a few hours early and immediately walked into our suite which had like 20'+ ceilings (painted beautifully), modern decor, ample space, and a gorgeous bathroom! The elevator was super slow so after our initial luggage drop off we became best friends with the staircase. We got a 10% voucher at the bar downstairs and had a great time with our bartender, Massimo. He was hilarious, gave us some history, and even sang to country music together :). He deserves a raise! Breakfast is complimentary and the spread was insane. I expected Cheeses, meats, pastries, and juices but then bacon and perfectly scrambled eggs, tons of cereals, tons of breakfast bars, parfaits, prosecco.... all complimentary! We found a few cool super hero statues throughout the hotel which was cool. Overall a great experience, centrally located, clean & priced reasonably!

We stayed in this hotel for 3 nights, things you should know. 1. The bathrooms within the rooms have a strong sewer smell. 2. The sound carries throughout the hotel. You could hear people above you and in the hallways as if they were in your room. 3. For rooms facing the courtyard, you can hear the restaurants carry on as if you were in them and the church releases a high pitched eagle sound effect from 7pm to 10pm. Other than that it was fairly modern and stark.