JMN57

I would agree with PWMTrav. Hilton has some nice properties in Italy but nothing in a good location in Florence. I remember staying at Piazza Ognissanti a couple of times 20+ years ago (both the Westin Excelsior and the St. Regis are on the Piazza). Great hotels but the walk in was a pain and everything we wanted to do was closer in. As nice as those hotels are it is much more convenient to just be able to pop back into your hotel, relax a bit and then go back out. Hard to do with a long walk (and the Anglo American is a bit further out). Comparatively, we stayed a couple of days at the Brunelleschi (just south of the Martelli 6) for a couple of days before Christmas which was great as we could do what we want and take a break when we wanted with little overhead.

As said, where you are is a pretty good location (albeit touristy). Personally, I like Oltrarno across the Ponte Vecchio from central Florence. It used to be a quiet neighborhood with solid restaurants, cafes, etc which has become trendier. That said, the quality of life is more of a neighborhood (think Greenwich Village) but all the touristy things are a very short walk across the Ponte Vecchio. While we stayed in central Florence at Christmas (just to change things up and also as I got a good deal which netted me some AA Loyalty Points), we'll likely stay in Oltarno in the future.

Smyd

Thank you both for your thoughts. Do you remember where you stayed in Oltrano? I didn't see any locations that caught my eye so I'll probably keep Martelli 6. It does look like there are some nice restaurants in the Oltrano area like you mentioned so we'll most likely walk over there to check things out.

PWMTrav

I've stayed at Hotel Lungarno and enjoyed it. But it's now 1000 euro a night in May - I just looked. That is absolutely absurd and I don't recommend it at that price. I've heard good things about Ponte Vecchio Suites and Spa, but I haven't stayed there myself. There are also a good number of Airbnbs in that area if you're into that.

JMN57

My favorite hotel in Florence (The Lungarno) is over there but it's expensive and I only stay there on a good deal (more likely off-season) and as we have a house in Tuscany we're only there for a night, maybe two. That said, when we've gone to Florence with friends where we're conscience of budget (we'll sometimes go with people visiting us) we've stayed at some other places. Both the Pitti Palace (right at the foot of the Ponte Vecchio) and Hotel La Scaletta are perfectly fine for a night (but not at the level of the Martelli 6 from the picture I saw). Since you're there for 4 nights, you definitely should stay at a place which has some luxe and pampering. While I have some hotel loyalty/preference I'm more loyal to my wallet so I generally shop for good value. There are a number of places in Oltarno I'd stay but only if there's a good deal to be had. Look around and price options. Realize a) Tripadvisor is not a reliable resource for hotels and restaurants in Italy (too many fake reviews) and b) some properties that look good in Florence have adjunct spaces and some of their better prices may put you in them. Michelin lists some good hotels but you can try to price them outside of Michelin and often get a better price.

Phillbsb1979

I'd recommend looking into Hotel Oltrano Splendid too...