aussieinsf

Here you go:

http://www.intuscany.net/guides/the_mall.htm

It's a very nice center with an upscale feel located in nice country side. I'd say 10-15 minutes from the Sheraton. Allowing for a wrong turn along the way.

We enjoyed our one night stop over at the Sheraton during the summer, it's very convenient if you need to overnight between northern Italy and Rome. It's located at the Inciesa exit metioned in the directions for "the mall" outlets.

chanp

Says TO and not FROM. Do they provide both ways? I'm guessing yes, but just curious.

cbrown5294

I just got back from a trip to Italy and stayed here 1 night. Yes the bus is both ways but I was left high and dry on the return because they were preparing for NYE at the train station and the driver has no specific stop so I had no idea where to meet them. Typical Italian response from front desk manager when I brought it up was shruging his shoulders and saying nothing.
On another note, this place is pretty dumpy! As a Plat. I was upgraded to what they said was suite (more like Jr. Suite) and the room was awful. TV was a 15" tube tv with not even CNN. Only english station was some movie channel. The thing that got me the most upset was you have to pay for the Sheraton link in the lobby! I did get free wifi for my i phone but was told you have to pay for the link computers. Does this happen at other Sheratons? Of the dozen I have stayed at in Europe never had to pay

allset2travel

Thanks for the info & link. ^

dilbertsdaddy

Shuttle runs every hour and on-time, but not in the middle of the day. If you want to come back too early you have to take a cab. Same thing after 9ish at night.

Basic hotel, but my room was rather large by Europe standards.

Nothing around the hotel, you must go in town to do anything.

Internet in lobby is not free.

Total pain in the you know what just to get coffee. If you wake up early you are coffee-less.

Staff is not very service oriented.

Nice pool.

No a/c or water in the gym, reported several times to no avail.

Can't really beat it at this price, but it comes with some inconvenience.

soap_bubbles

Considering 20000 SPG points for the Westin, which is little too much and I am not going to spend 50000 SPG points for 10 hour stay each day. I have made reservation at Sheraton Florence using 7000 points each night but looks like it is little far from everything.

We will be at Florence for 2.5 days and plan to go to Pisa, Florence city center and Tuscany rural visits. Not sure that Sheraton is an ideal location for all these activities.

1. Is there a train station near this Sheraton? Or any shuttle service between the station & Sheraton?
2. Any transportation provided between Pisa, Florence city center and Sheraton?
3. Or is there a better place (apart from SPG properties) that will better suit us.

Forstbetrieb

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/starw...er-thread.html

Bus-shuttle yes ( sheraton < --- > station firenze )

No near train station

Transportation

sheraton - station by bus
Firenze - Pisa by train

Better places?! Sure, but if the places are nearer to the station, may be more noise, higher prices...

jschutz

We will be there in April and are staying at the Excelsior, primarily because of the location. We are on the 50% rack rate now as they have still not opened up their C&P rate - in fact none of the Italy Starwood hotels have opened up their C&P rates - so hoping they will do so in next week or so.

peroorim

C&P rates are available for Venice in May.
Do you think that C&P will actually open for Florence in April or May?

jschutz

Hopefully so - we will be doing Italy the first 2 weeks of April so am hoping the rates will open up by the 1st of March.

Forstbetrieb

I don't think that c&p will be available at the Westin in April, may be not even in May, because the Grand Hotel will be already closed in April and at least the beginning of May for renovation. So there will be only one Starwood Hotel available in Firenze at this time.

Dagny T.

The Sheraton on the outskirts is pretty tired. Even as a platinum, the room was '80s, and worst bed I have ever seen in Starwood. Shuttle is good, very adept at negotiating the holes in the parking asphalt. If you are driving, location is good, for the day trips, right by the autostrada.

honu

If you plan to visit the countryside(St. Gimignano, Siena, etc.), the SITA bus terminal is located right next to the main train station. There are local trains which all the way to Siena, but generally they take twice as long (2+hrs) than the bus.

dilbertsdaddy

For the difference in points I think it is worth it.

This hotel is out in the middle of nowhere so make sure to eat dinner before you go back to the hotel.

The shuttle runs on time and is very convenient. The last one leaves town around 9-9:30 so if you get back late from Pisa or elsewhere you might have to take a cab back.

Nothing particularly good or bad about the hotel but the pool is pretty nice.

Don't try to find coffee early in the morning or you will be in trouble.

They gave me a corner room which was pretty big. The TV was not very good.

For 7K a night I can't complain.

kevinsac

For the location alone .... the Excelsior and Grand are worth it.