Novoli is not exactly close to downtown, and the full service Hilton they have in Florence is also quite a ways from all the toursit attractions (and still a cat. 6 IIRC!!). The Hilton is probably a good location if you need to spend a night not far from the main tollway. I couldn't quite figure out how far the HGI is from downtown from the Hilton map, but it might be a bit closer than the Hilton. There are buses and taxis, of course, or, if you're driving yourself, you can enjoy the traffic, the inevitable one-ways, and the hard-to-find parking...