Hi Flenser, Just saw this post about hotels in Munich and Florence.
I tried to get into a SPG hotel downtown Munich but it didn't work out. But now I am staying at Hotel Schlicker
http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Rev...h_Bavaria.html with the recommendation from a friend. The hotel is not too big but it is located right at the city center by Marienplatz. I got a room at the back side so I don't hear any street noises at all. The hotel offers a quint Germany breakfast with the stay. I am paying avg 96 euro a night for staying here. The price is not bad at all compared to SPG hotels and for the location you can't go wrong either. The hotel is wedged between a BK and McDonald's. I don't think I've seen anything like that even in North America. There's also a huge grocery store across the street called Rewe City. You can get all of your snacks and water there. I walked to the BWM Welt and Museum from the hotel. That's because I like walking. There is an outdoor market just around the corner from the hotel and not to mention the nice shopping plaza at Marienplatz. If you are spending the weekend here just remember every places are closed on Sunday (today!)
As for Florence, I stayed at a family owned hotel called Hotel Lorena.
http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Rev...e_Tuscany.html It was also quite nice, located in the middle of the city center. I had a room which looked out to the Duomo and it was not noisy at all. The staff at the hotel were extremely nice and accommodating. Again, I walked from the hotel location all the way to the top of the Piazzale Michellangelo. What can I say? I can't really walk much when I am in Florida. Europe is a much friendly and fun place to walk around.
I've had good luck staying at local hotels from my European travels. If you don't mind put a pause to collect hotel pts during your Euro vacation then it's definitely worth it. Both hotels are in centralized locations with lots to offer. The one thing I look for is when traveling in Europe is convenience. We North Americans take that for granted when visiting Europe.
Safe travels!
Jane