My Friends
450 metres from the station, 8.8-rated quiet alternative on Florence's hostel row
8.8-rated small family-run hostel on Via Faenza, 450 metres from Santa Maria Novella and the same block as Ostello Bello and Archi Rossi. Classic-style rooms, warm welcome, small shared kitchen, no bar and no events — the quiet alternative on Florence's hostel street.
My Friends occupies a narrow Via Faenza building in the Santa Maria Novella district — the same block as Ostello Bello Firenze and Hostel Archi Rossi, but at a fraction of the footprint. The whole property is fewer than twenty beds. It's family-run in the literal sense: the owners live on the top floor and run the front desk across the three shifts.
Dorms are 4, 6 and 8-bed, mostly with shared bathrooms on the corridor (2 bathrooms per floor, never a proper queue). A handful of private singles, doubles and triples have en-suite. Linens included, towels on request. AC in every room — Florence summers are non-negotiable on this. The walls are classic palazzo-thick so noise from Via Faenza doesn't travel into the rooms.
A small common area + kitchen with hob, fridge and kettle sits on the second floor, enough to make pasta and coffee but not a proper group dinner. No bar, no events, no free-pasta night — if that's your Florence plan, the larger hostels on the same block (Ostello Bello, YellowSquare) are built for it. What My Friends does well is the thing a small family-run hostel always does well: staff that remembers your name after day two, recommendations that aren't just the Duomo, and a genuine sense that you're a houseguest rather than a bed-night.
Value is the headline. My Friends sits in the same 300-metre radius as properties charging 35+ EUR a bed, for 28. The Central-for-less pick.
- 01Family-run under 20 beds — genuine warmth, not a hostel-chain script
- 02450 metres from Santa Maria Novella station, same block as the big-name hostels
- 03Classic-style rooms with thick old-palazzo walls — quieter than the modern refurbs
- 04Small shared kitchen with hob and fridge on the second floor
- 05Value under 30 EUR a bed in a central-central location
- 450 metres to Santa Maria Novella station
- 650 metres to the Duomo (8 min on foot)
- Same block as Mercato Centrale food hall
- Classic 1920s-palazzo interior, not a modern refurb
“Very central, right next to the station and close to all the museums. They provided everything we needed. Staff really warm, not the usual receptionist energy.”
“Staff was really nice, the women in my dorm were respectful. Perfect for its price, honestly. Felt safe at all times.”
“The location is very close to the train station. Staff are warm and nice. Breakfast is basic but included in some rates.”
- Santa Maria Novella station5 min on foot
- Mercato Centrale food hall3 min on foot
- Duomo di Firenze8 min on foot
- Fortezza da Basso10 min on foot
- Conad supermarket Via Nazionale4 min on foot
- Piazza della Signoria12 min on foot
