Floroom

Funky B&Bs in central neighbourhoods, whose owners will put you on the inside track in Florence

While the travel press salivated over the long-awaited opening of Florence’s sumptuous Four Seasons, several other new places worth writing home about opened without fanfare. One was Floroom 1, billed as a ‘premium B&B’ - which, in Florence, translates as slick and cosy (certainly not the kind of place you'd find a tea cosy). Essentially, it’s a funky apartment at the top of a residential building in Oltrarno, the district ‘beyond the Arno’, with 4 double bedrooms and an open-plan kitchen-living room up in the eaves. Its sister apartment, Floroom 2, opened a year later and whilst similar in conception, is considerably more modern and based in central Florence, a short walk from the train station and the Duomo. Both are owned, designed and run by a friendly young Florentine couple, Giacomo Fantini and Francesca Pecci. He has a fashion label; her family is in tourism.

Combining contemporary design with the best of Florence’s traditional produce – delicious jams, biscotti and a Dr Vranjes candle burning on the reception desk – the B&Bs manage to be both homely and chic. Staying here feels more like borrowing a friend’s flat than being in a hotel (albeit a particularly stylish Italian friend!).

Highs

• Cool, cosy pads in a great location: one on the less-touristy bank of the Arno, but moments from the Ponte Vecchio; the other right in the bustling centre
• Welcoming, design-conscious owners who hand out their own eating and shopping guide and are generous with insider tips
• Good, fresh, light breakfast, with jars of cantucci, and a fresh cake left out for guests to pick at whenever they like
• The feeling of having your own apartment, with a key pad entry system and a living room to relax in
• Free WiFi throughout

Lows

• Being under the eaves, Floroom 1 is really very small. If all 4 rooms were occupied, 8 people could be fighting for 2 tables and banging their heads on the attic beams at breakfast
• Reception is manned for just a few hours a day, though someone is always reachable by mobile
• No outside space; could be a bit stifling in summer
• No lift and both apartments are at the top of their building