Florence Hotel and Restaurant Recommendation

Ryan Cooper, about.com's Punk Music guide, recommends the Hotel Donatello (book direct) in Florence. Here's what he said about Hotel Donatello:

It was a nice comfortable hotel, and the staff were very friendly. They spoke English but were also very patient about allowing me to stumble through my Italian. The breakfasts were also great. Probably the best thing about the hotel was its location, though. It was just a few blocks from Santa Maria Novella train station and all of the other big sights in Florence were just a few blocks in the other direction. Even better than that was where it faced: Piazza Indipendenza.

Ryan recommends eating at Tratorria ZaZa in Florence, where he and his wife enjoyed dinner two nights. Dinner was $10-$20 and the tratorria has a nice outdoor dining area. Ryan said the ribollita, a Tuscan bread soup, was the best they had anywhere.

Related Florence Travel: Florence Hotels | Top Florence Attractions
Related Italy Travel: Eating Out in Italy | Italy Restaurant Recommendations

_{Photo - View of Piazza Indipendenza from window of Hotel Donatello by Ryan Cooper}