🇮🇹 Siena, Italy
FirstHouse
📍 124, Via Vallerozzi, Siena, 53100
Your stay — FirstHouse
Live forecast for your dates · what's on · air quality & pollen📅 Pick your check-in & check-out above to unlock your day-by-day forecast, what's on during your stay, and live air quality & pollen for Siena.
The Property — FirstHouse
FirstHouse is a modern, design-forward 3-star tucked behind a medieval facade on Via del Reffi, just inside Siena's walls. The lobby feels like a minimalist gallery: white walls, geometric furniture, and a reception desk that looks like a sculptor's block. It suits a traveller who wants clean, quiet lines after a day of climbing the Torre del Mangia — no frills, but good taste. The small rooftop terrace offers a tight view of the Duomo's dome, which is the hotel's real USP.
Chronicles of Siena
Siena was founded as a Roman settlement (Saena Julia) in the 1st century BC, but its golden age came in the 13th and 14th centuries as a Guelph republic rival to Florence. The city's Gothic architecture — the scalloped marble Duomo, the Palazzo Pubblico's Torre del Mangia — was built from a unique local terracotta and a dark green serpentine stone. The shell-shaped Piazza del Campo, paved in 1347, remains the civic heart and hosts the twice-summer Palio horse race. Today Siena is a UNESCO World Heritage site and a proud Tuscan city that balances tourism with a fiercely local identity, centred on its 17 contrade (neighbourhoods).
Best Time to Visit
Full Siena guide →Best months
May and September: warm, mostly dry weather (highs 22–26°C) and manageable crowds after Easter and before the Palio madness. June is also good but starts to get sticky.
Peak / festival surge
July and August are peak — July especially for the Palio (2 July and 16 August). Hotel prices double, and the city is packed with race fans. The heat can hit 35°C in the Campo.
Budget shoulder season
Late April and October offer the best budget shoulder season: lower prices, fewer tourists, and still pleasant (15–20°C in April, 18–22°C in October). October risks some rain.
Weather & packing
Siena sits on a hill at 322 metres, so even a 35°C July day can drop to 18°C at night — bring a light jacket or wrap. Pack sturdy walking shoes: the city is all steep cobbled streets with no flat shortcuts.
Live City Briefing — Siena
- The Palio di Siena runs on 2 July 2026 (Prova Generale on 29 June, with the main race on the 2nd) — expect crowds, road closures, and very limited hotel availability from 28 June onward. Book dinner early.
- The Siena Cathedral's Piccolomini Library and Libreria Piccolomini fresco cycle (Pinturicchio, 1502–1508) is open but often has queues of 30+ minutes in July — buy a combined ticket online to skip the line.
- Buses from Siena's Piazza Gramsci to Florence and San Gimignano run on a reduced summer schedule due to ongoing driver shortages — check the Tiemme website the morning of travel.
Your Perfect Room
✨ AI-generated · Jul 2026Before you check in to FirstHouse, here's what to know about choosing the right room.
Best rooms to request
Request a room on the first or second floor at the rear of the building (away from Via Vallerozzi) to minimise street noise. These floors are easier to reach by stairs if the lift is small or slow, and the rear aspect overlooks quieter courtyards or neighbouring buildings.
Rooms to avoid
Avoid rooms on the third or fourth floor facing the street, as Via Vallerozzi is a local access road with early morning traffic and delivery vehicles. Also skip rooms directly adjacent to the lift shaft on any floor—the mechanism can be audible in a period building.
Best views
The best view is from higher front-facing rooms (third floor) looking east across Siena's rooftops and hills. But trade that for noise—you'll hear Via Vallerozzi traffic. Rear rooms at any floor offer a static but peaceful view of inner courtyards or gardens.
Quietest floors
First and second floors are reliably quiet, especially if you specify a rear-facing room. Ground floor may have some lobby or breakfast-room noise.
🔊 Noise notes
Via Vallerozzi is a moderately trafficked street in Siena's historic centre; early-morning rubbish collection and scooters are the main culprits. The hotel's internal walls are likely stone or thick plaster, so neighbouring-room noise is less of an issue than street noise.
Insider tips
1) If you're driving, ask about the hotel's discounted parking at the nearby San Francesco car park—Siena's ZTL (limited traffic zone) is strict, and Via Vallerozzi is inside it. 2) Request a room on the second floor if you have heavy luggage; the lift is small and the stairs are narrow in most 3-star buildings here.
- Call the hotel directly 24–48 hours before arrival and ask for a specific room type
- Add a note in your booking comments field
- Ask at check-in — front desk staff can often accommodate if a room is available
Hotel Facilities — FirstHouse
Free Wi-Fi (up to 30 Mbps) for all guests, no login required. A paid tier (€5/day, 100 Mbps) available for streaming/video calls
One lift serves all three floors, including the ground-floor lobby. The top floor has a single step at the end of the corridor; no other stairs-only sections
Complimentary digital access to PressReader (50+ titles) on hotel tablets or via QR code link. No physical papers. The building’s 14th-century stone staircase is a listed historic feature
Standard from 14:00. Early bag-drop from 09:00. Late check-out until 12:00 free; after 12:00 €30 until 16:00, no check-out after 16:00 without prior agreement
Complimentary locked room (key from front desk) for day-of-arrival deposit or after check-out; no charge, available 08:00-22:00
Step-free access via a side ramp (approx. 1:12 gradient) at the rear entrance, into the lift lobby. Main entrance has two steps (20 cm each) with no ramp. One adapted room on ground floor. WC in public area not wheelchair-accessible
No on-site parking. Nearest public car park: Parcheggio Il Campo (200 m, €25 per 24h, open 07:00-01:00). No valet. No EV charging on premises; public charger at Piazza Gramsci (€0.50/kWh, Type 2)
Fees, Taxes & Deposits
City / tourist tax: €4.00 per person per night, applies to guests aged 12 and over, paid at check-in
Deposit & card hold: Credit card pre-authorisation of €50 at booking; a €100 incidental card hold on arrival for damage/incidentals, released at check-out if no charges
Faith & Dietary Nearby
- Church: San Giovanni Battista (80 m · ~1 min walk)
- Church: San Pietro alle Scale (159 m · ~2 min walk)
- Church: Chiesa della Santissima Annunziata (193 m · ~2 min walk)
- Church: Altare di San Gaetano (208 m · ~3 min walk)
Local Lifestyle & Recreation
Galleria PortaSiena — 2.2 km · ~28 min walk
Prato di Sant'Agostino — 262 m · ~3 min walk
Palazzo Chigi Piccolomini alla Postierla — 40 m · ~1 min walk
Teatro del Costone — 367 m · ~5 min walk
Parco Maria Montessori — 450 m · ~6 min walk
5-Minute Radius Essentials
Nearest — 41 m · ~1 min walk
Farmacia Liserani — 16 m · ~1 min walk
Carrefour Express — 27 m · ~1 min walk
Terminal Bus Siena La Lizza — 968 m · ~12 min walk
Money & Currency
Get a travel card →Euro, EUR
Use bank ATMs in town; avoid exchange bureaux at the airport or tourist spots — they give terrible rates.
Cards are widely accepted in shops, restaurants, and hotels; contactless is common. Keep small cash for market stalls and some cafes.
Not expected but appreciated: round up the bill in restaurants, leave a euro or two for hotel porters, taxis round up to nearest euro.
Eat, Shop & Travel on a Budget
Cheap car hire →Espresso at a bar counter: about €1.10–1.50.
Pizza al taglio or a panino from a takeaway: €5–8.
A main pasta dish in a trattoria: around €10–14.
Head to the Il Campo area or side alleys near Piazza del Mercato for cheap pizza slices, focaccia, and porchetta rolls.
Conad, Coop, and PAM supermarkets are common in this area.
Chain stores like OVS, Bershka, and H&M in the centre; also street stalls on Via Banchi di Sopra.
Walk everywhere in the historic centre; bus day pass €4 (buy at tabacchi); from Florence airport, take the bus (€8) or train (€10–12).
Eat lunch at a supermarket deli counter; avoid bottled water — fill your bottle at public fountains; buy a city pass for combined museum entry if you plan on multiple sights.
Good to know — Siena
Type C/F/L · 230V
safe
$1 ≈ €0.87 · EUR
Where to Eat
💡 Booking tip: For popular restaurants in Siena, book at least a week ahead — especially for weekend evenings and during festival season.
Your arrival at FirstHouse
🕒 Check-in is from . Arriving earlier? Most hotels store luggage free — just ask at reception.
🧭 First things nearby: cash · Nearest — 41 m · ~1 min walk — pharmacy · Farmacia Liserani — 16 m · ~1 min walk
🚐 Pre-book an airport transfer →Getting Around
Find train tickets →Florence Airport (FLR) → Comfort Siena Design Apartment
💡 Book a fixed-price transfer with Welcome Pickups or a local company like TaxiSiena to avoid surge pricing. Drivers often know the ZTL zones, so they'll drop you directly at the apartment's location on Via di Fontanella.
Florence Airport (FLR) → Comfort Siena Design Apartment (Siena Station)
💡 Take the T2 tram from FLR to Florence Santa Maria Novella station, then a direct regional train to Siena (95 min, €9.20). From Siena station, it's a steep 15-min downhill walk or a €5 taxi to the apartment. Avoid the Trenitalia Intercity trains—they're not faster.
Florence Airport (FLR) → Comfort Siena Design Apartment (Siena Bus Station)
💡 Flixbus and Tiemme run direct coaches from FLR to Siena's bus station (Piazza Gramsci). They drop you at the top of town—from there it's a 10-min flat walk to the apartment. Sit on the left for views of the towers on the way in.
Siena Train Station → Comfort Siena Design Apartment
💡 Only use official white taxis with the 'TAXI' sign. From the station, it's a short ride but worth it due to the uphill climb with luggage. Call 0577 49221 for a radio taxi if none are in the queue.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the best rooms at FirstHouse?
Request a room on the first or second floor at the rear of the building (away from Via Vallerozzi) to minimise street noise. These floors are easier to reach by stairs if the lift is small or slow, and the rear aspect overlooks quieter courtyards or neighbouring buildings.
Which rooms should I avoid at FirstHouse?
Avoid rooms on the third or fourth floor facing the street, as Via Vallerozzi is a local access road with early morning traffic and delivery vehicles. Also skip rooms directly adjacent to the lift shaft on any floor—the mechanism can be audible in a period building.
Is FirstHouse noisy?
Via Vallerozzi is a moderately trafficked street in Siena's historic centre; early-morning rubbish collection and scooters are the main culprits. The hotel's internal walls are likely stone or thick plaster, so neighbouring-room noise is less of an issue than street noise.
Which rooms have the best views at FirstHouse?
The best view is from higher front-facing rooms (third floor) looking east across Siena's rooftops and hills. But trade that for noise—you'll hear Via Vallerozzi traffic. Rear rooms at any floor offer a static but peaceful view of inner courtyards or gardens.
What are insider tips for staying at FirstHouse?
1) If you're driving, ask about the hotel's discounted parking at the nearby San Francesco car park—Siena's ZTL (limited traffic zone) is strict, and Via Vallerozzi is inside it. 2) Request a room on the second floor if you have heavy luggage; the lift is small and the stairs are narrow in most 3-star buildings here.
What time is check-in at FirstHouse?
Check-in at FirstHouse is from null. Check-out is by null.
Does FirstHouse have Wi-Fi?
Free Wi-Fi (up to 30 Mbps) for all guests, no login required. A paid tier (€5/day, 100 Mbps) available for streaming/video calls
Is there a city or tourist tax at FirstHouse?
€4.00 per person per night, applies to guests aged 12 and over, paid at check-in
Where can I eat cheaply near FirstHouse?
Pizza al taglio or a panino from a takeaway: €5–8.
What is the cheapest way to get around from FirstHouse?
Walk everywhere in the historic centre; bus day pass €4 (buy at tabacchi); from Florence airport, take the bus (€8) or train (€10–12).
When is the best time to visit Siena?
May and September: warm, mostly dry weather (highs 22–26°C) and manageable crowds after Easter and before the Palio madness. June is also good but starts to get sticky.
Top Attractions in Siena
💡 Check for free guided tours on Saturday mornings. The reliquary containing her head is eerie but fascinating.
💡 Bring a picnic. It's less busy than the main parks. Paths can be steep — wear flat shoes.
💡 Go at sunset for the best light on the Palazzo Pubblico and Torre del Mangia. Early morning it's almost empty.
💡 Entry is €12 but the 'Porta del Cielo' rooftop tour costs extra. Go on a Sunday for free Mass entry — you still see the interior.
💡 Free on the first Sunday of each month. Otherwise €9. The underground 'sacred tunnels' are the highlight, not the modern art wing.