Santa Monaca Hostel

The worst hostel in my life. I was put up with boys. The room itself stank of urine or something else rotten, not to mention the whole hotel in general. When I asked to be moved to another room where there were more girls, I was refused. The atmosphere was like a prison. The kitchen was extremely inconvenient and dirty. Dirty dishes and no cooking supplies such as oil and salt. The common room had uncomfortable wooden seats. Overall, it resembled a prison. On the second day, they put an alcoholic in the room, who shouted at night and polluted the air. In other words, the hostel does not check who it accommodates. They also charged extra money for a tourist tax, which they had absolutely no right to do, because Booking stated that the price was final and no additional fees would be charged. Despite the nice architecture and potential, they didn't make a hostel, but some kind of animal shed. It's horrible, I don't recommend it at all.

Very negative experience: theft, bad smells, and insecurity. The service is poor, and the facilities are even worse. There's a bad smell throughout the hostel. The people you might end up with in your room are dangerous; in our case, we were robbed in a single night. Overall, a dangerous and unpleasant atmosphere. To top it all off, the reception staff were incredibly rude; one of them asked us for cigarettes as if we were on the street.

I booked this hostel from October 29th to November 14th of 2025. It was my first hostel (pretty much) and first time solo traveling. I needed a place cheap where to stay for 2 weeks. I thought that the fact that it was an old convent was cool. I was in boarding school back in Cuba (worst than this hostel), so I knew I could do it. On top of everything I stayed in a 16 mix bed. The smells was the first that hit me, I bough incense to mitigate. But it’s not due to lack of cleanliness (which it does have), it’s other people’s cloth and themselves smelling like old sweat. After a few days someone left and the smell was gone. Then it came back an even worst smell, putrid under-armpit smell from an African person. I almost puke 🤮 also he was extremely rude and not someone who was solo traveling, just visiting places, like a backpacker, it was a guy just trying to survive in a foreign country. Like him there are a lot in this hostel, because is the cheapest one in town. There are also quite a good amount of long term guests here, Italian and immigrants alike. This means that the vibe of the place is not like you will find in a medium to high end hostel (like I stayed after this one): solo travelers and backpackers. The bathroom was really far away from my room, the showers are dingy and moldy. The shower itself is great! It’s a rain bird! Despite all at first, at least in my room, I felt safe, but not for long. There was a creepy guy at some point, so I put a sheet as a curtain, and in the last days during an afternoon while I was charging my battery bank, it was stolen. Will I stay here again? No, unless I have no choice. Do I recommend it? No, but if this I the only thing you can afford, go for it. I learn a lot in this place, my first stop of a 2.5 months trip thru Italy, so I’m appreciative and I don’t regret it. I won’t be back!!!! After this, everything feels like a 5 star 💫 (which is great 😆… but I’m not getting the cheapest hostel again 🤞). Like the old aging goes: you get what you pay for. The staff was very kind to me and there is a kitchen with two fridges, one stove with four elements and a kettle. You can cook your meals here and save money by doing so. The bedsheets were cleaned, felt and smelled nice. Finally, there is no elevator and lot of stairs.

It’s a fine hostel to stay in Florence and quite well located. The facilities were also good with separate bathrooms and showers. I stayed at a 16 people mixed dorm, and although the amount of people, it didn’t feel suffocating or hot, due to the AC. From personal experience, there were times that i felt unsafe and quite anxious staying at a mixed dorm, yet that is not the hostels fault. It’s what is expected of a hostel, but is good to be mentally prepared.

Definitely not a modern hostel but still a fair place to stay at. It’s very central and good if all you need is a place to sleep and to shower. The environment is a kinda dark which made me feel a bit unsafe, since I was in a mixed dorm and felt a little uncomfortable, but that’s just personal experience and not the hostels fault. The hostel is what you’d expect from one, with the essentials you need

genuinely quite a good hostel apart from the fact that the ac does not work in the slightest. we stayed in a room of 16 where people had to fight for small fans to get the slightest bit of cold air as the ac was stuck at 33 degrees for our entire stay (during a heatwave with temperatures at 39 degrees) if you are fine with staying in boiling rooms then the rest of the hostel is totally fine, apart from the fact they don’t let you in or out between the hours of 3am-6am, meaning we couldn’t even go outside for fresh air to get away from the heat.

Location was very good but thats pretty much it. The kitchen and toilets were dirty, the showers were very far from our room. The terrase felt like being in a poor village in south America, everything is used and old. If you don't have much money and dont mind the overcrowded rooms, it can be a good choice for its location. Otherwise, avoid it

Felt safe and comfortable, completely fine place to stay in Florence! Stayed in the female only 10 bed dorm. The washroom is separate and is female only. As you can see in the pictures, and I’m sure have read about in other reviews, the showers just have curtains. I was a little weary after reading reviews but this was not an issue for me at all and the bathroom felt super comfortable! Lockers for every bunk, outlets nearby every bunk bed, and a big common space downstairs with tables and a kitchen (not the mooost equipt in terms of bowls/plates/cutlery etc but totally fine!) with a fridge. Location also felt super safe at night and it was close enough to all the attractions that I walked everywhere. Also supposedly had a terrace but I completely forgot to check it out lol Totally chill. Would stay here again and would have no problem recommending it to other people!

I stayed in a large room with 18 other people...it was very inexpensive, but you get what you pay for. The building is old and historic, no AC, but there are some fans. With any hostel experience, you are at the mercy of others to get sleep. The more people you add, the less likely your odds are of sleeping so keep this in mind if you're booking a room with lots of other people. I am a light sleeper so even with ear plus I slept very little. People were turning on the lights, coming and going all night and the doors here slam. This is not the fault of the facility though. The place was kept clean and there was bedding included and a large common area, kitchen and even a washer. Free WiFi too and towel rentals available. Location is great, right by many stores and cafes and near the beautiful bridges and Arno river which is a great running route.

Historically a monastery, this converted hostel is quite comfortable if you go at the right time. I wish there was a separate review option for the winter months, because this hostel would get an extra star (at least!) if it weren't for the unbearable heat present in these rooms. Comfort: We stayed here during the summer months and although there is a fan and the window is open, there is literally no circulation in this room, making it impossible to sleep. As soon as you lie down you are dripping sweat. If you do stay here, book post August time and make sure you 'shot-gun' the top bunk so you can at least be near the high-ceiling fan! The rooms are closed and you need to clear out between 10am-2pm which, though annoying for some, works for those site-seeing during the day. There is access to luggage room when you request a key. Amenities: Otherwise, the hostel is pretty much worth the price, with a room being about €22 a night for a 10 person room (though there is an extra 2 euro cash tax on top). The rooms range from doubles, all the way up to 22-person dormitories. We had the 8 and 10 person rooms. The beds and rooms are spacious and clean and bed linen is included. There are lockers for valuables which require a refundable deposit. They are very generous with allotted internet time, though there are only 2 computers. The bathrooms are clean and large, though the girl's one is a few flights up. There aren't many of them, but I found the availability high and never had to wait. The dining areas are big, with 2 fridges, a kitchen, and lots of large benches at which to eat. Location: Well situated next to the Palazzo Pitti and about 5 minutes from the Ponte Vecchio (the old bridge and river area). Some nice cafes and little restaurants are in the area but it isn't at all touristy and has a more calm feel. Also very close to a *great* gelatto place. Social: Staff was fairly friendly and helpful. Most travellers are quite friendly and it's not uncommon to start up a conversation at the nice (but small) outside terrace or to end up having dinner with another group. Though I didn't find the meeting room very sociable. I would really recommend this place during the colder months or if you are immune to very hot sleeping conditions.