PWMTrav

I just checked Sept 18-22, 2015 as a shot in the dark. 25k points per night, but cash+points is available, 10k+$180. That's a nice value.

The only thing I'd say about that is I personally don't enjoy American hotel brands outside of the US. The problem isn't that they're different or substandard, but that they are too consistent - it feels like you never left home. Starwood particularly does a good job of incorporating some local feel to their Italian hotels, but even at that it still feels 75% SPG, 25% local.

1readyset2go

I would love to do cash and points as that looks like good value, but I will be using almost all of my points (80k) for 5 nights at the Westin in Rome, which we will head to right after Florence

That Westin does look really nice though!

dkelly1110

I liked the Westin in Rome better than the one in Florence when I was there in May. Nice little upgrade for a lowly Gold.

1readyset2go

Really? That is interesting. The Florence Westin always runs more too. I will keep checking this Westin's prices every so often. Who knows maybe I can score a great hot escape rate if I wait.

I will say from reading both properties master threads they both seem to be very nice upper end Westin's. I too am just a Gold but the Rome property seems to even treats us rather generously with upgrades so fingers crossed .

Forstbetrieb

Thanks to BRG I do have a rate near 250 € in August 2015.

1readyset2go

Wow that is a great rate! ^

I would book it too if I can get that rate,but I have not seen anything close to that yet for the dates I checked next Sept (I don't know my exact dates just sometime next Sept). I can't move on it until I book my air and I am waiting on United to open up their award calendar. I could be very happy there, or at the Lungarno. Hopefully I can score a room at one of those two for that price.

PWMTrav

I posted some alternatives to Hotel Lungarno as well. Not sure if any of those looked good to you, but let me know if you need more hotel options.

pkerr

Just got back from staying at both the Westin Florence and Rome. Both are pretty decent places. Our rooms were nice. Not perfect but still nice. We were upgraded a notch as I am a Gold. So there can be some benefits for mid level.

We were at the Park Hyatt Milan before these so our expectations were a bit out of whack after staying at the Park Hyatt. But I liked these properties.

I did find the staff at the Westin Rome to be pretty indifferent to our presence there. No greeting after returning from being out for the day or when wandering around the property. Not rude, just no greeting or acknowledgement of our presence.

Location for both are great and easy to walk to all the "good stuff" Westin Rome is a 10 min walk to the metro if you wanted to venture further out. Westin Florence is an easy 10-15 min walk from the train station.

View from our room at the Westin Florence


Our room at the Westin Rome


Our balcony/terrace/portico?


View from our room. Back side of the hotel. Pretty quite.

1readyset2go

Thanks for the pictures. The Westin looks pretty nice
I am surprised to hear that about the staff. Did you use the concierge at all, and if so, how where their recommendations?

Right now for mid sept the Westin is showing $476 USD which is more than I want to pay. I will keep watching it and maybe later they will have a better deal. Lungarno just loaded rates for August now and it is $315 USD for most of the month. That it quite a big difference for each hotel's respective lowest cat room. Hopefully those rates will hold into Sept there. At this point from all the suggestions those 2 are my top choices. I did just get Rick Steve's Florence/Tuscany book and I am going though his recommendations to see if I can find any other alternatives that are in the same league (or at least close to) these two.

Perche

Hmm. There's been a bit of discussion in a thread related to dining in Rome. I think it is generally thought to be a bad idea to use the hotel concierge for recommendations about where to eat. That generally holds true everywhere in Italy. The concierge is more interested in pleasing their friends, or some restaurant where they know someone and get freebies, than they are in making sure a tourist whom they'll never see again eats great food. It's especially true because most tourists will rate the third rate tourist food they usually wind up eating as absolutely incredible anyway.

Relying on a concierge for food recommendations is probably just a little better than using TripAdvisor. You have almost a year to find out which restaurants are the great ones, at any price point.

You will almost certainly need a reservation for any good restaurant, even economical ones. Italians generally take a few hours to eat, so there's just not that much table turnover. At most, the concierge may be able to get you reservations at a restaurant that you want to eat at.

I'm not an expert at Florence, but I know the Lugarno is part of the small luxury hotel group. I've stayed at some of their other places, and they have been excellent. If you can get it for $315, and then are staying at the Westin in Rome on points, you'll be doing well. Just make sure you know the full rate, meaning with tax and fees. The VAT is almost always included, but I don't know what your website source is. There is also a city tax/charge of about $6.75 per night. $315 for the Lugarno sounds like a very good deal.

PWMTrav

FWIW, I haven't stayed at the Westin, but I would recommend the Lungarno on that price difference. I like being in Oltrarno anyway. $315 for Lungarno is a good rate. If nothing else, don't stay at an American hotel if you want to feel better immersed. Don't get me wrong, not a dig at the Westin, I just wouldn't pay a premium for it over the local options.
It's a nice Westin, but it's a Westin.

But anyway, if you can get Hotel Lungarno for $315, do it - a Superior apartment at Granduomo is $366 for late Sept, if that gives you any context.

In any case, please don't use your concierge. I realize I'm just some rando on the internet, but if it comes down to the concierge, I'll tell you where to eat. Perche is right about the concierge and he's right about reservations too. If you want to eat at Ora d'Aria, you'll want to make that well in advance, but for other places even same day or the day before might work. Some others - especially some lunch spots that (IMHO) you have to visit, don't take reservations at all.

Perche

I second PWMTrav, no Westin if possible. You travel to leave the USA behind and experience something new, not to bring the USA with you. However, I said the Westin in Rome is a good idea because you said you could get it all on points. I wouldn't question someone trying to save a thousand or more dollars. The Westin in Rome is not in the best location, but at least it's in a very reasonable one, especially if you're not having to pay cash for it. I also agree that reservations the day before or even the same day usually work for the most places. But you just can't do walk up at a decent restaurant in Italy. You either need a reservation or a whole lot of luck, as in someone just called in and canceled. And that doesn't just mean Michelin star places, it means any place decent.

JMN57

Both Starwood properties in Florence (Westin and St. Regis - which face each other across a square) are fine hotels that are really cut out for business travel. I've stayed at both and it is just like staying in a top tier hotel in many places in the world.

For us, the Lungarno is cosier and more romantic. The artwork is great with print work from Cocteau, Picasso and Braque. Waking up to the river, Ponte Vecchio and the Arno and then walking out onto Borgo San Jacopo and into the Oltarno. The neighborhood and the city envelop you in a way that is more intimate than visiting. And then to return home and nurse an amaro while seeing the darkness settle over the city...

pkerr

Just a thought on your dates... we thought things might be "less" crowded in mid to late Sept. It wasn't. Still jam packed with tourists. Our trip was fantastic. In hindsight, if I could change anything, it would have been to go in October.

pkerr

Just curious as to where a better location would be? I guess it depends on what you want to see?