Our accommodations were lovely. When we arrived, we were greeted by Maurizio. He took the time to tell us the history of his home, gave us directions to make a perfect cup of espresso and told us where to dine and shop. There are maps and tour books in the apartment (no need to bring them along). The best part about traveling during the first week of January ... holiday lights decorate the streets! (and less crowds). Our favorite restaurants were Bardinos and Trattoria Mama Gina. For gelato, Bar Vivoli near Santa Croce is by far the best. We would definitely recommend Italy Perfect to a friend. We plan on returning to Casetta Bonsi very soon! Thank you Lisa at Italy Perfect, you took the time to answer many of my questions. And, Maurizio & Gabriella - grazie!

We had a wonderful stay at the Casseta Bonsi. The place is very nicely furnished. Everything is within easy walking distance. The house is located among local people in a less touristy area and you get the real flavor of Italy. We were amazed how quiet the place was at night. We arrived during a heat wave and the temperatures were over 95 deg many days during our stay, the air conditioner in the bedroom was a real lifesaver.

We tried a new seafood restaurant (Bistro del Mare) on the south bank the river between Ponte Veccio and Ponte S. Trinita. The food was excellent and the prices reasonable.

The Casetta Bonsi was actually more than we had expected and the service and information provided by Italy perfect topped our travel experience. With our delayed arrival we were met with sympathetic understanding. Awaiting us was a chilled bottle of wine, A selection of fruits and ice cream. What a pleasant beginning. The house was spotless and very well appointed. It is tucked away from the local foot traffic and the roof top terrace is a window on the neighborhood. The location is excellent for traversing the entire city on foot and for providing the local amenities for a variety of shopping needs with excellent restaurants and Cafes . There were no glitches in preparation for our stay or unpleasant surprises. We were well prepared by Lisa and a very professional Italy perfect team. We will use Italy perfect for future travel and will be guests of Casetta Bonsi again in the future. Trust is a major factor when you travel and Italy perfect was this factor for excellence.

We have just returned from a magical month in Italy. The highlight was definitely our week in Florence. Casetta Bonsi was in an ideal location, literally 100m from the Ponte Vecchio. We walked everywhere, shopped at the local supermarket, found a new gelateria just around the corner, ate with the locals on 'our' side of the Arno & couldn't have been happier.The house has everything you could ask for. Maurizio contacted us during the week to check that all was ok. We arrived to find a bottle of wine, biscuits, fresh flowers & a few basics. A very gracious host!

Every positive point by previous reviewers is seconded by this senior couple who spent ten wonderful nights at this "small" house. You will find Maurizio most friendly, helpful and responsive to every need. While the first time walking up the hill to the house seems daunting (especially to Floridians who never see hills at home) you are rewarded with the comforts of the house and soon forget the steep grade. There is everything you might need in the house and the photos provided are a mediocre substitute for the real thing. It is spotlessly clean and comfortable.

Casetta Bonsi certainly lived up to all I was expecting. The location is perfect and the local restaurants, bars, and grocery made it ideal.

I had a wonderful time in Florence walking everywhere.

It was my fault, however, to choose such a cold time of year to come. The house was quite cold in the afternoon. After about 6 or 8 hours of sight seeing, I would come back about 3:00 and it would be about 16 or 17 C in the house. The heat wouldn't come on until 6:00 and it took a long time to warm up after that. I got the impression from Maurizio that there was nothing I could do about it so I didn't complain. He is a wonderful host. I'm not sure how others deal with this.

Italy Perfect did a wonderful job of preparing me for my first trip to Italy and I have nothing but praise for this company.

[We're pleased Mr. Jones enjoyed his time in Florence, which can indeed be cold in late February-early March. We so wish he had contacted Maurizio during his stay to ask him to adjust the thermostat since this could have been done quite readily. Unfortunately he never contacted Maurizio to ask for the thermostat and timer to be adjusted. It is programmed for 20.5C, equivalent to 69F for 9 hours/day and can be adjusted upon request. Lisa, Italy Perfect]

From the minute Maurizio met us at the Casetta with wine, cookies, fruit and flowers, we knew this was the place for us. Spent a little over a month in a comfortable, well located,historical surrounding. There were groceries, bakery, gellatti, restaurants all within a few minutes walk. Ponte Vechicco was less than 10 minutes away making the center of Firenze about 15-20 minutes walk. The Casetta was spotlessly clean and well equipped with kitchen needs. We hired Maurizio as a guide one day to travel through the Chianti /Tuscan countryside and he was a knowledgeable, interesting guide. "Discovered" a wonderful wine bar with great home cooking across the Pitti Palace Piazza called GOLA PITTI E CANTINA. Tell the guys that Mark and Ethel sent you. From start to finish, Lisa and Italy Perfect and the Mirandas (owners of Casetta) were molto bene.

We loved our stay at Casetta Bonsi. The accommodations themselves were very comfortable and perfect for the two of us. The location of the Casetta in Oltrarno was reasonably secluded and quiet but within walking distance of virtually everything we wanted to see and do in Florence. Guests should be mindful that there is a steep street to walk up to the Casetta. We found it to be manageable but some may not.

We tried many of the restaurants recommended by Maurizio and enjoyed all of them. We particularly enjoyed the restaurant Bordino a short walk from the Casetta. For pizza, we liked Baldovino. For local flavor for lunch we had a fun experience at Mario in the Mercato Centrale area. Near Santo Spirito is Trattoria Borgo Antico where we had incredible wild boar stew and cheesecake. For our special evening, La Giostra was perfect.

Our eight day visit to Florence was one of the most stimulating yet relaxing vacations we have had in many years no small measure to our accommodations at the Casetta and the guidance of Maurizio and Italy Perfect.

We would unqualifiedly recommend Italy Perfect to friends.

There could be no better home base for a visit to Florence than Casetta Bonsi. Tucked away on the "Oltrarno," you feel part of the real life of the city -- yet all the cultural destinations are just a short walk away. The local markets and restaurants are convenient and pleasant. The owners are the soul of hospitality; they take loving care of their property, and those who stay there. Lisa made sure all the arrangements were truly "Italy Perfect," and supplemented the extensive information package with some helpful extra advice about trains; we would recommend them without hesitation, and plan to use their sister organization in Paris in the near future.