Is it cheaper to rent an apartment or stay in a hotel in Florence? We ran the numbers for a typical 5-night trip for two people in April 2026 — and the results are clear. Renting a direct-book apartment saves €170–300 for the same trip, depending on how much you eat out.

The math: 5 nights in Florence

Option A: Hotel (3-star, Centro Storico)

A decent 3-star hotel in Florence's city center costs €160–200/night for a double room in April. Let's use €180/night as our baseline.

  • 5 nights × €180 = €900
  • Room size: typically 20–28 sqm
  • No kitchen: eating out every meal
  • Breakfast included (value ~€15/person)

Dining costs with hotel stay: breakfast included (€0), lunch and dinner out every day. Budget €40/person/day for lunches and dinners = €80/day × 5 days = €400 in dining.

Total hotel stay: €900 + €400 = €1,300

Option B: Direct-book apartment (Centro Storico)

A quality 2-bedroom apartment in Centro Storico with a full kitchen, booked directly (no platform fees) costs €150/night. One-time cleaning fee of €80.

  • 5 nights × €150 = €750
  • Cleaning fee: €80
  • Total accommodation: €830
  • Apartment size: 85 sqm — over 3× more space
  • Full kitchen: cook breakfast and dinner at home

Dining costs with apartment: buy breakfast supplies from Sant'Ambrogio market (~€5/person/day = €50 total), cook 3 dinners at home (~€15/meal = €45), eat out for 5 lunches and 2 dinners (€25 × 7 = €175). Total dining: €270.

Total apartment stay: €830 + €270 = €1,100

The savings: €200 on a 5-night trip

Staying in a direct-book apartment saves approximately €200 on a 5-night trip for two — without sacrificing quality. In fact, you gain significantly: 3× more space, a terrace (in many apartments), and the experience of living like a local.

Why direct booking matters

Booking the same apartment through Airbnb adds a 14–17% service fee on top of the nightly rate. On a €750 accommodation bill, that's €105–127 extra. Direct booking eliminates this entirely.

Additionally, direct booking often gets you better communication with the host — they may offer early check-in, restaurant recommendations, and local tips that Airbnb hosts are reluctant to share through the platform's messaging system.

When hotels win

Hotels make sense for: single-night stays (cleaning fees make short apartment stays expensive), business trips where you need 24/7 reception and daily cleaning, or if you genuinely don't plan to spend any time in the room. For leisure travel of 3+ nights, apartments almost always win on value.

What to look for in a Florence apartment

  • Verified reviews from multiple platforms — look for Trust Cards showing Airbnb, Booking.com, and Google ratings together
  • Terrace or outdoor space — Florence in spring and autumn is spectacular outdoors
  • AC + heating — summers can be hot, winters chilly
  • Washing machine — saves on packing for longer trips
  • Full kitchen — allows market shopping and home cooking
Featured
La Corsa Suite Firenze
Centro Storico

La Corsa Suite Firenze

Ferrari heritage penthouse · 2 terraces · views

★ 4.94 (48 reviews) · 3 bed · 7 guests

Jacuzzi · BBQ · Private chef available

From €250/night
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