Santa Monaca Hostel

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.

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.

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

The heat in the room is unbearable to sleep in. Although there is a portable and a built in AC unit the room does not cool down at all unless you’re directly in front of a fan (there was 3 fans in a room of 18 people). The remote was set at 16 degrees yet the room was almost always between 30 and 33 degrees. I asked the receptionist if it was broke to which he responded he would take a look, he never did and nothing came of this. He told us the temperature display was broken however the temperature display did fluctuate between these high heats. Completely unable to sleep comfortably especially in the middle of a heatwave which made this leg of the holiday generally quite bad as everyone was so tired from being unable to sleep properly.

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!

My advice? Don't even consider this place for your trip. My friends and I arrived extremely tired at 12:30 AM on June 8th to spend three nights at this hostel. From the beginning, the check-in host was extremely rude and impolite. The situation escalated when he started to yell at us and threaten to fight us and pull us out of the hostel because we were supposedly "touching his desk items." To make matters worse, the desk clerk insulted us with racist remarks like, "I've never seen such ill-mannered nationality," perhaps referring to the fact that two of the guests are Brazilian. That behavior is completely unacceptable and irrational. We tried to contact the hostel management the next morning, but the most we received was a promise of an email from the manager, which has not yet arrived. The accommodations are fairly decent, though the bathrooms could be cleaner. Also, they close the hostel between 3 AM and 6 AM, so if you go out to a club, you'll have to wait on the street until it opens. It's very unprofessional that we haven't even received an apology from the management.

Location was good, but that’s about it. The AC in my room was broken, and the room was way too warm to sleep in. Bed was too short and mine was right next to a door that slammed closed every time one of the 20 people left the room waking me up. If you want a good nights sleep don’t choose this hostel

Well located but the rooms are very crowded. We were sharing a dorm of 10 people and it was too much considering the size of the room. It would be nice to have some privacy curtains or reading lights. The bathroom were clean.

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.