The pensione is fabulous, with furniture and an air of true old Italian villa (as I imagine it). The food in in house restaurant was good. And view from restaurant terrace is breathtaking! Reception was very nice. They also sell bus tickets - very useful if you do not use car (as us).

There are lots of mosquitoes. Reception has supplied us with diffuser, yet it did not work. First night we hardly slept due to mosquitoes coming (annoying). Then we decided a strategy and would spends 30-60 min killing them every night before going to sleep. It allowed us to sleep well. Thing to know: it is ~17 min by bus to the city center, bus is almost always late, and it is ~5-10 min walking uphill to the nearest bus stop. Overall, it’s either to have a car or be prepared to spend all day in Florence as the road to/from hotel is so long.

Second visit. View is remarkable. Nice to be in the hills where it's a little cooler. Breakfast and dinner were both good value.

It's not luxurious but doesn't pretend to be. So, all good.

Outstanding location and a beautiful historic building with a nice mediterranean atmosphere. The views over olive trees towards Florence are wonderful. Despite the age of the building the rooms and house were well maintained and the garden is a treat and very calm. The breakfast is very good - high quality food and excellent coffees. The staff and receptionists were absolutely great and very friendly.

If you travel by public transport, the walk from the Pensione to the bus station can be a bit cumbersome, in particular with luggage. We had one dinner here and the food was fine - and good value for money. It would be nice, if the open wine would be poured by measure - or indicated elsewhere that is was just 100 ml. However, I could have mentioned it and I am sure they would have fixed it. We have stayed here before and personally like this special place very much, even at a rather high room rate.

The old world charm, The views, The quiet, The staff, The history, The room and bed, The AC

We eat at the restaurant on both evenings, I don’t think the restaurant is living up to the rest of the place. The menu is too restricting and minimalist. We ordered need medium and it was rare. I ordered pasta and it was slightly hard. We had the breakfast on the first morning. The fruit salad and pastry options are bare minimum. You are paying a premium for the food at this wonderful place and it is just not meeting the expectation and example of the rest of the hotel.

Very nice location outside the city center but amazing views of Florence. The hotel is in an old villa, the atmosphere of the whole place is just fantastic. My room was not very big, but the room and bathroom were clean and the bed comfortable. The breakfast is on a terrace with city view, perfect start for a day. If you need to, you can park your car at the hotel, the city is reachable by bus or taxi in 25-30 minutes. The staff was very friendly and helpful, internet connection also worked for me. I will definitely try to come back again!

Charming building steeped in history. Incredible views down to Florence from the terrace - we had an early dinner and enjoyed the view privately for most of it. Bed comfy and cleaned well even though we were only in for two nights. A welcome retreat from the teeming crowds of Florence centre. Lemon trees in the garden smell lovely and we saw leaves being picked for the kitchen. Staff polite.

Bus to Florence is less handy than it sounds. In traffic it took us over an hour to get back. It can be fast outside rush hour though. Restaurant a bit expensive although it had some nice dishes. Quite a "western tourist" vibe among the guests so perhaps lacking a bit of authentic Italian warmth. Overall it was great (hence the score) but do not, in any circumstances, order the Old Fashioned! Worst €12 drink of my life. Stick to Italian cocktails.

The view was spectacular, in particular, having breakfast overlooking Florence was phenomenal. The rooms were well-appointed, and the building is so quaint. The check-in and check-out process were easy. Make sure to ask for a cappuccino or similar at breakfast! So delicious.

As mentioned in some other reviews, the room's sound-proofing was not great (but we expected this from an older building). The staff were not 100% friendly some of the time, but nothing major.

Pensione Bencista is a wonderful place to stay with absolutely magnificent views of Florence from many windows, and from the terrace restaurant. The gourmet food at the restaurant was superb and the staff attentive. Letitzia the manager who welcomed us was a delight, and very helpful with arranging a medical referral as well ( much appreciated!), and bus tickets too! It is a very special place and we highly recommend it and won’t hesitate to stay again!! Laura also is a wonderful host and you feel like a personal guest in her home!

Gorgeous 14th century villa, view directly over Florence is stunning and a number of terraces to sit and enjoy, great location for day trips to Florence (20 mins on bus) or out to Tuscan countryside. Village of Fiesole has ruins and a selection of restaurants. Excellent breakfast available.

Staff were very slow attending to drinks orders on the terrace, not always serving in order of arrival. Description indicated a guest laundry, however we had to use a laundry service.

The views were amazing! There are so many little outdoor sitting areas, each lovely with gorgeous views of Firenze. The hotel itself had different rooms every time one turned a corner! It was a great place to base ourselves while exploring Florence, and so nice to return to in the evening to relax, sip wine on the terrace and unwind.

Because of the location, it was a bit more work to get transportation. However, they were quite helpful in arranging taxis for us, which was extremely important as it was Mens Fashion Week and cabs were hard to come by.