Florence's hotel scene is compact and characterful: Renaissance palazzi by the Duomo, river-view rooms on the Arno, and a famous hostel with a pool.
Stay inside the old city walls and everything is on foot: the Duomo district for monument views, Oltrarno (south of the river) for artisan workshops and the Santo Spirito scene, and the Santa Maria Novella quarter for the station and the food market. Rates peak in spring and autumn; July and August are actually cheaper.
Rocco Forte's elegant five-star on the city's grandest square - a palazzo with contemporary interiors, a rooftop terrace and the best people-watching in town.
A 16th-century patrician palazzo whose windows frame the Duomo's flank - frescoed ceilings, family antiques and a garden terrace, all a few steps from the cathedral.
On the Arno with rooms that look straight at the river - a warm, family-run hotel inside a former church, with vaulted stone ceilings and the Uffizi around the corner.
One of Europe's most-loved hostels: a summer rooftop pool, a lively bar, dorms and private rooms. The budget classic, done brilliantly.