'RE-Dama Hostel
Warm welcome, proper shared kitchen, breakfast in — 8.9-rated budget pick in quiet Rifredi
8.9-rated quiet-side hostel in Careggi-Rifredi, north of the centre near the university hospital, with a proper shared kitchen, included breakfast and one of the warmest welcome teams in any Florence review set. Tram and bus to Santa Maria Novella station in 15-20 minutes. For budget travellers who trade five minutes of commute for a good night's sleep.
'RE-Dama sits on Via Gaetano Milanesi in Careggi-Rifredi, the university-hospital neighbourhood north of Florence's historic centre. This is not a tourist district: it's a residential corner with a supermarket 100 metres from the door, a local trattoria around the block, and a bus stop that puts you at Santa Maria Novella in about 15 minutes.
The hostel itself is a small, modern refurbishment. Dorms are 4, 6 and 8-bed, all with private bathrooms in the room. Linens and towels are included. Beds have reading lights, sockets at the pillow, privacy curtains on the bunks — the basic 2020s-dorm spec, executed cleanly.
Breakfast is included and homemade-feeling rather than the bulk-pack hostel buffet. A shared kitchen with multiple hobs lets you cook a proper dinner without queueing. There's a small garden-terrace out back where aperitivo naturally happens around 19:00 when the sun drops behind the cypresses. Reviewers name the staff (Aoibheann, a regular review-naming from Irish guests; Francesca from Italians; and a hostel cat) with an above-average frequency.
The trade-off is commute: you're not walking to the Uffizi for a dawn photo. Bus 22 or tram T1 from Careggi gets you to SMN in 15-20 minutes reliably, less on Sunday mornings. If your Florence is museum-focused and you value every extra sleep hour before the 08:30 Uffizi slot, the commute is inconvenient. If your Florence is longer-stay, budget-aware and day-hop into the centre plus day-trip to Fiesole, 'RE-Dama earns the 8.9.
- 01Included breakfast that's actually homemade — bread, eggs, cake, not bulk pastries
- 02Proper shared kitchen with multiple hobs, enough to cook dinner without a queue
- 03Quiet Rifredi street: no bar noise, thick walls, full night of sleep
- 04Small garden-terrace out back — aperitivo with hostel cat at 19:00 is a real thing
- 05Warmest reviewer-named staff in the Florence review pool
- 15-20 min by bus 22 or tram T1 to Santa Maria Novella station
- Careggi university-hospital area — safe, residential, bike-friendly
- 8 min walk to Conad supermarket and Sant'Jacopino local trattoria strip
- Included homemade breakfast in the garden-terrace or dining room
“Extremely friendly and helpful staff that went above and beyond. Lovely breakfast offering, super room. A lovely quiet location that's perfect for a good night's sleep.”
“Wonderful stay. The hostel is beautiful, the breakfast is delicious, the atmosphere incredibly welcoming. What truly made it special was the team.”
“Great accommodation and facilities, close to transport and a supermarket, friendly staff. Rifredi is quiet in the evenings in a good way.”
- Bus 22 stop to Santa Maria Novella2 min on foot
- Careggi university hospital5 min on foot
- Conad supermarket8 min on foot
- Sant'Jacopino trattoria strip10 min on foot
- Santa Maria Novella station15-20 min by bus 22
- Fortezza da Basso20 min on foot
