Unbelievably friendly and warm staff who gladly gave expert travel advice and recommendations that only a Roman would normally be privy to. - Loic Diels
I LOVE this website and will gladly recommend it to anyone headed this way. Nothing disappointed us! - Mary-Iris Taylor
I have been using Cross-Pollinate for about 10 years now. The service is consistently great and I can always find just the kind of apartment we like, at the right price. - Hirani Himona
A really great idea - with a network of hand picked little rooms/guesthouses. If only we could have this in more city destinations! - Zoe Buck
I love Cross-Pollinate and every time we go to a new city I look to see whether they have some accommodations over there. - Arantza Aldea
The two places I have stayed at from Cross-Pollinate have been among the best across Europe. Highly recommended. - Nicholas Burn
Thanks a lot to Cross-Pollinate for the opportunity to experience a city as an insider! We really enjoyed our stay in Rome and Venice and look forward to more. - Tatiana Marchenko
Cross-Pollinate was very helpful when the owner of the B&B wanted to charge us for the baby under 2 y o. It would have been difficult without them since the owners did not speak any english. - Yulia Pichugina
This was our only stay with a C-P apartment and we were very pleased with the entire process. Will look to use them again on our next Europe trip! - Anthony Giglio
Great web site and quick response from the team a CP made the whole experience easy and hassle free. I have already recommended CP to quite of few of my airline industry colleagues and I'm sure they will make use of their excellent service. - Shane Pickles
Cross-Pollinate was extremely helpful! They found us a place to stay in our price range when many other places of business couldn't help us. - Sarah Seminutin
Cross-Pollinate was very easy to use, and it is so much better to stay in places like these than big corporate hotels; you get a much better feel for the place. - Kaspar Deane
Very straight forward. Well done. Definitely would use it again. Love these type of alternatives to hotels! - John White
Cross-Pollinate was fantastic and easy to use. We used Cross-Pollinate to book a room in Florence (the second leg of our trip), which was everything I thought it would be. We have recommended Cross-Pollinate to our friends. - Barbara Carlin
Cross-Pollinate are great - the descriptions are accurate and they are very responsive to questions. - Dominique Bayne
Cross Pollinate was just the best. I had tried a couple of places before coming upon them. As soon as I sent the first email I stopped looking for any more websites. I just wish they expanded to every city in Europe. Their knowledge, helpfulness, etc. was second to none. - Caroline Collis
Natural Home Apartment
This apartment is located up a steep hill that runs right down to the Ponte Vecchio and Pitti Palace. In the other direction it connects to the Boboli Gardens. The area is very calm and quiet - very different from the rest of Florence where at times you can barely walk down the street as there are so many tourists.

Located in a small apartment building on the ground floor, the apartment has a bedroom area to the left when you enter with 2 single beds. There's also a balcony that overlooks the street below, which is a bit raised up since the street is steep. In the entrance of the apartment is a TV, the small bathroom with shower, and the kitchen with a table for 2.

The vibe is good here. It's all light, natural wood and white linens. It feels clean and airy and bright, thanks to the two big windows that face the street. The owner, Flavio, lives next door with his Japanese wife who came to Italy to train as a sommelier. Both are super sweet and friendly.
Amenities
  • ground floor
  • full kitchen
  • linen and towels provided
  • WiFi
  • private balcony
  • TV
  • washing machine/dryer
Reviews
K on Apr 2018:


The Natural Home Apartment is a perfectly situated, peaceful refuge a 5-10 minute walk from the Ponte Vecchio and busy Florence. It is bright, spacious and well appointed. Flavio is quite pleasant, accessible and thorough in his explanations (All in fluent English, Thank you, Flavio!) of how to best utilize the apartment. All amenities are close by and the Oltrarno, major Florence sights and even the train station are within a 10-30 minute walk away. The quiet evenings, singular balcony and pleasant breeze with laundry on the line make the uphill location a bonus. I look forward to staying in The Natural Home Apartment when I return to Florence.
The entertainment area is oddly situated. Access closer to the main room may be an improvement.
I am a loyal Cross-Pollinate customer and will use their services in all my relevant travels. I have never had a problem. More locations would be great!
Chelsea on Apr 2017:
Flavio's place was wonderful! The location was perfect, within walking distance of everything, close to shops, restaurants, a grocery story, Ponte Vecchio, and museums. The Firenze SMN train station was 20 min walking distance. The room was clean, and had a nice size kitchen to cook meals and even had laundry that we could hang outside to dry. Flavio and his wife provided us with recommendations for food, gelato and wine, and checked in with us as well as printing off tickets when we needed them. Our stay was fantastic, would definitely recommend!
Merri Monks on Oct 2016:


The Natural Home was comfortable, clean and in a great location. I was traveling alone and felt very safe there. I didn't use the washing machine but it's great that it's provided for guests, right in the apartment's full kitchen. I enjoyed staying there and would stay again, and am recommending to friends. I also liked that it was in a relatively quiet residential neighborhood, not downtown. The owners are extremely nice people.
Nothing that I can think of. Wonderful owners and excellent accommodation.
It's an excellent service. I will use Cross-Pollinate again and am recommending to friends.
Fred and Jamie from Austin, Texas. on Apr 2015:

Great location away from the main tourist spots but close to everything on the south side and a short walk to the city center. Our hosts gave us helpful recommendations for where to eat, shop, and walk and were close at hand when we had questions. we will return!!
Amazingly helpful and website is easy to use
Ed Krol on Oct 2014:


Location: Hard to beat location for the price Kitchen: If you enjoy cooking and food, having a kitchen albeit small was a treat The owners: Couldn't be more helpful
TV: Seemed to be a work in progress but wasn't a big deal
It worked as advertised. Made the reservation and the apartment worked so I had no real dealings with them other than that. Just what you would have wanted
Jan on Sep 2014:


This wonderful, historic building was a pleasure for us. The owners who live across the hall have respected the building's charm and have given it a special presence. There is a small balcony, good natural light and ventilation, and handmade mosquito net curtains. We felt warmly welcomed here. Owners provided helpful information about the city. A good value!
Nothing that I would change! Just be aware that some people could have a hard time with the walk uphill to get to the apartment.
Excellent service. I would definitely use them again.
Claudia Jovel on Sep 2014:


We loved the neighborhood. You feel like you're a local when you stay at Natural Home Apartment. Flavio and Yukari were the nicest hosts, and very attentive. The apartment was clean, and Flavio and Yukari had a map of Florence with their favorite restaurants highlighted. The apartment was very comfortable and we loved that we had access to a washing machine, a stove/oven, and refrigerator.
There's no AC, but we stayed during the month of September so we had a nice cool breeze at night with the window open. Maybe install an AC for the warmer months. Other than that, no improvements are necessary. We really enjoyed our stay and we hope to return in the near future.
Cross-Pollinate was user-friendly and easy to use.
on May 2014:

Flavio and Yukari are wonderful. Flavio provided a list of restaurants, cafe's, etc. with a map higlighting the locations - follow his recommendations as they are all great! We had not planned to trek up to Piazzale Michelangelo (going through the rose gardens), but did because he suggested it we can't think of a better way to start our time in Firenze. Having access to their washer allowed us to pack much lighter.
Cross-Pollinate is easy to use and the staff is very responsive.
Jayne on Apr 2014:


Very, very clean. Great location, up on the hillside, so be prepared to walk up hill.
Only addition would be an electric tea kettle, otherwise we loved it.
Great resource for traveling in Italy
Sallie on Oct 2013:


The apartment is in a great location for visiting the Florence sites. Flavio and Yukari, apartment owners, were very helpful to us by providing maps and suggestions for restaurants and hikes. The apartment was very clean and furnished with useful kitchen items. It is a perfect spot for two people who want to see Florence.
no suggestion
Cross-Pollinate was easy to use and very responsive.
Michael on May 2013:


The location was great. It was a very short walk to Ponte Vecchio and then to the center of the attractions and had good access to the next bridge which crosses right at the Uffizi. The apartment is outside the crowded tourist area that can be very noisy and tiring. The apartment itself has anything you would need. It has a well appointed kitchen to cook if you like (even some coffee and other edibles). There is a table and chair by the windows to eat. The bathroom is larger than most rentals. The apartment is homey and has a nice feel. The owners met us and provided information about getting around, restaurants, and the neighborhood. They were exceptionally helpful and friendly. There is a washer/dryer that was certainly helpful during a trip. They even provided some detergent to use. My wife and I would love to go back and stay here.
Nothing
The recommendation to stay in Oltrarno was right on. It is great fantastic being in Florence but just as good being able to leave the tourist area behind to relax.
Chris on May 2013:


Flavio and Yukari were terrific hosts, they provided us with a great orientation to the unit and neighborhood, complete with maps, suggested destinations, and a long list of restaurant and shopping recommendations. They offered to assist the start of our laundry as the washer/dryer unit is a bit complicated. Don't forget to review and contribute to their guest book which has great comments from past tenants.
A quick instruction to operating the washer/dryer so that tenants can do their own laundry, but Flavio is certainly willing to assist.
Thank you for helping connect landlords such as these great people with those of us looking for an affordable and unique accommodation option!
Ratings
average score
4.9 / 5.0
Price/Value
4.9
Comfort
4.5
Cleanliness
5.0
Accuracy of listing
5.0
Location
4.8
Helpfulness of owner / staff / host
5.0
Helpfulness of Cross-Pollinate
4.7
Booking details
Booking details: vacation rental apartment (1 bedroom / 1 bathroom), sleeps max. 2 people
Payment accepted: cash on arrival in euro
Minimum stay: no minimum stay
Cancellations allowed up to: 5 days before arrival
Occupancy: double
Bed options: 2 singles or 1 queen (160 cm)
Policies & Extra Charges: non-smoking, check-out time is 10 am, apartment will be clean by 4 pm on day of check-in, city tourist tax €3.00 per person per night (not included in price)
Spoken Language(s):
Rates and Availability
Location
 Natural Home Apartment
A
Stazione Santa Maria Novella
B
Duomo
C
Uffizi
D
Boboli Gardens
E
Ponte Vecchio
F
Piazza della Signoria
G
Galleria dell’Accademia
H
Pitti Palace
I
Piazza Santo Spirito
J
Mercato Centrale