***Are you thinking about a trip to beautiful Florence, Italy? Many tourists choose to travel to this city for its wonderful culture, art, and food, but make one major mistake: choosing to stay in a hotel rather than one of the many luxury apartments in Florence. Below, we’ve listed 10 of the best reasons for deciding on the latter.

Cost: Most people will find that renting an apartment works out to be less money in the long run than staying in a hotel. This is especially true for larger parties.

An Authentic Experience: The Sheraton, Marriot, or Hyatt in Italy will give you much the same experience as the Sheraton, Marriot, or Hyatt in whatever country you’re from. These global behemoths have standardized service and décor.

Luxury: A lavishly appointed Florence apartment will 9 times out of 10 blow away a similar offering from a hotel of the same cost, because homeowners take much more pride in their accommodation, and have much more imagination when it comes to decorating.

Location: A small residence is likely to be closer to the major attractions, especially in the tight streets of Florence that forbid the building of enormous hotels.

A Kitchen: Save your family money by cooking in some of the nights of your vacation, rather than eating out. Nearly all rental apartments in Florence come fully equipped to satisfy your every culinary whim, with a full set of pots, pans, dishes, and utensils.

The Personal Touch: Who knows Italy better? A hotel designer flown in from out of country, or someone who has grown up in Florence, immersed in the culture? By choosing one of the vacation apartments in Florence, you’ll enjoy the personal touch of a real human being.

Meet the Neighbors: Would you rather stay next door to hotel guests, or real Italians who can show you exactly what it means to live the Bella Vita? Staying in an apartment will put you into contact with locals, who can recommend the local spots that the concierge at the hotel keeps to himself.

Privacy: Especially important for couples looking for a romantic retreat, a private apartment provides much more privacy and seclusion. There’s no need to walk through a busy hotel lobby, subject to the glances of everyone around. With your own private residency, you can come and go as you please without having to deal with others. And of course, you’ll never be kept up late at night by loud parties.

Keep Your Party Together: If you’re traveling with more than a few people, Florence apartment rentals are a great way to go because everyone can stay together, enjoying meals and relaxing, instead of holed up in their rooms all day.

Flexibility: Most apartment renters will be much more willing to work with your needs than their counterparts at large hotels. Arriving earlier than expected? While a hotel would have you wait in the lobby, it is likely that you’ll be able to check into your apartment ahead of the scheduled time.

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Andrea Fibbi works as press officer for http://www.apetouring.com , a Tuscan Real Estate Agency specialized in the offer of vacation apartments in Florence and other types of Tuscany holiday rentals.

Source: http://www.articletrader.com

***I must be the luckiest person alive right now. So the other day Ania’s cousin Karoline called her and asked if I could help her translate something. I of course agreed, so we meet up with her at a local pub that night. Turns out she wants me to read two scientific articles entitled Molecular biology of inflammation and sepsis: A primer and Leukocyte apoptosis and its significance in sepsis and shock. She wants me to read them, write a summary of them and explain them to her so she can write a paper on sepsis and apoptosis. Did I tell you I was the luckiest person alive or what.