B&B is far too pedestrian a term to describe these two award-winners 10-rooms extravaganzas in old palazzi just yards from the Spanish Steps in Rome and Piazza Santa Maria Novella in Florence.

That means burying blandness in favour of original and imaginatively themed rooms. Twin this with all the warmth of a private home plus can’t-do-enough service and you’re in clover. Ancient features are axiomatic in Florence or Rome and there’s no cheating at Casa Howard; parquet and stone floors, heavy wood doors, marble chimney pieces and fine artworks. However it’s the striking decor and luxurious little extras (breakfast is brought to your room) that turn a stay here into a treat. "Casa Howard provides the charm of a private house with the standard of personal service you would expect from a 5 star hotel."
CONCEPT http://www.casahoward.com/eng/popup/concept.htm

Exclusivity ? A word that is very abused these days! The Casa Howard membership means priority booking and also access to the "secret city tips" section in our website (only people who have stayed at Casa Howard can become members). At Casa Howard we offer our guests really exclusive presents that cannot be bought - for example our home-made olive oil from Tuscany and our custom made ecological shopping bags; We also have low season price treats - and they are really appealing we should say!; Our rates do not vary according to markets whims, therefore you can be sure you'll never be cheated at Casa Howard!

What the press say ? http://www.casahoward.com/eng/press-reviews/english.htm

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Casa Howard Services

Even though Casa Howard is not a hotel and is not in the hotel category (e.g. please note that we do not provide porters) we offer the following services:

The Breakfast at Casa Howard
If you choose to have breakfast at Casa Howard it will be served to you in your bedroom. Breakfast consists of a freshly squeezed orange juice, home made jam and honey (from our Tuscan farm) and freshly baked cake and hot cornetti (croissant). Breakfast is served in Ginori china, and tea in Indian glasses.

The breakfast at the Via Sistina & Capo le Case Guesthouses in Rome costs 10 Euro per person.

The breakfast at the Florence Guesthouse costs 15 Euro per person.

If you rather have breakfast in a café ('bar' in Italian) there are many just round the corner from all three guesthouses.

Turkish Hammam at Casa Howard
Tired from walking the Art Cities of Italy? A private Turkish Hammam (or Steam Bath) awaits you at Casa Howard.

The Hammam in Via Sistina is large enough for 3 people and costs 50 Euro. In Via Capo le Case, the Hammam is subject to booking, unless you are guests of the Chinese Room. The Hammam in via Capo le Case costs 25 Euro for both guests and non-guests of the Chinese room.

Casa Howard Florence has a large Turkish Bath (max 5 people). It is for exclusive use 24/24 when you stay in the Garden Room and have booked it in advance (+ Euro 200 per day), or when you rent all the apartment.

If the apartment is not booked, or other Guests haven't reserved it, the Turkish Bath can be used at the cost of Euro 100.

House Keepers (or House-Genies)
Meet Cristy, the house keeper of Via Capo le Case, Edgar, the house keeper of Via Sistina and Bernie and MaryJean, the house keepers of the Florence Guesthouse. They have been trained in-house and will bring you breakfast & fresh flowers when available, arrange dinner reservations, car hire, masseurs, personal shopping guides, babysitting, laundry, dry-cleaning and anything else you can think of...

As guests, you get the keys of the house (just in case you come in late).

Concierge Service in Florence
From tours to shopping, concert tickets, horseriding, cookery classes and massages, our Concierge Service in Florence can organise it all! Make the most out of your visit to Florence!
Visit our Concierge Service page for more information... http://www.casahoward.com/eng/services/concierge.htm

ADSL Wi-Fi Connection
All of our houses have ADSL WI FI connection, should you need to surf the web with your laptop.
A PC with ADSL Internet is also available at the entrance in Via Capo le Case, in Via Sistina and in Florence.

Kimonos & Sleepers
Some rooms in Via Capo le Case do not have en-suite bathrooms, and we therefore provide you with fine "yukata" (kimonos) specially shipped from Japan, and slippers to reach your private bathroom which is just down the corridor.

Airport Greeting (Rome)Feel like a movie star!
Our Greeter will be right at the door of your flight at Fiumicino (Roma) airport. When disembarking your plane the first thing you will see will be our greeter holding a flower. You will be lead through custom and luggage retrieval. In a glance you will be in the car taking you to Casa Howard.

The day of departure our greeter will meet you at the airport again. You will be escorted to the check-in and through security up until the door of your plane. On departure one of the tasks our Greeter can take on is to assist you to get cash refund for the sales taxes you paid whle shopping in Rome (when applicable). Ask for cost when booking – free for more then 6 nights staying!

Toiletries

In the summer Mint Soaps & in the winter Pomegranate Soaps. We are the only Guesthouse that the Officina Profumo di Santa Maria Novella in Florence provides soaps to.

Pomis stones from Filicudi (Aeolian Islands - Sicily)

Fresh Flowers
When available we place fresh flowers in room. They come from our garden in Frascati, just outside Rome.

Olive Oil
In our Florence guesthouse Casa Howard members are given a complimentary sample of our Olive Oil, made on our Tuscan estate in Sarteano (until end of production).

Casa Howard Eco Bag
Our Eco Bag "..and Casa Howard is not a Hotel" is full of best wishes for the future! It is given to guests staying more than 3 nights (until end of production).

Address

Via due Macelli 97 Roma

Rooms

Casa Howard, Florence.

Casa Howard in Florence has 10 rooms and 2 suites. It is on 3 floors of a magnificent Palazzo, at walking distance between the train station and the elegant area of the city. The famous ‘Officina dei profumi di Santa Maria Novella’ is next door and provides the guest house exclusively with its world famous toiletries. Many of the rooms have working fireplaces and it is possible to combine some of the rooms to create large private suites. A Turkish bath, a library bedroom, heated bathroom floors, wi-fi, sat TV, all contribute to ensure a comfortable stay for the most demanding guests. There is a room for families with a climbing wall and a Walt Disney video library. Small dogs are welcome in some rooms. Guests are hard pushed to decide between the impressive Drawing room in soigné black; the lavish Oriental room, the Hidden room with its emperor-sized bed and erotic prints or the impressively tome-lined Library. There’s even a Turkish bath – exclusively yours when staying in both the Studio and Garden room.

Casa Howard, Rome

Casa Howard is a hidden gem right in the centre of Rome, close to the Spanish steps. The formula, again, is location, privacy, personal service, high comfort, excellent value. Exclusive and fashionable, each with 5 stylish bedrooms, in two different locations it is neither a hotel or a guesthouse, it’s more like an elegant private residence full of family antiques and paintings. Located in the shopping area (Gucci and Prada only a few minutes away), in beautiful buildings, Casa Howard provides the charm of a private house with the standard of personal service you would expect from a 5 star hotel. Every room features parquet or lacquered floors, beamed ceilings, satellite TV, tea making facilities, air-conditioning, Ginori china and complimentary WIFI access in each room. Guests fight themselves to decide between the quirky Zebra room in black and white; the lavish Flower’s room with its padded walls and photo prints, or the more sober Green Room. There are Turkish baths in both the Case – exclusively yours when staying in the small Chinese room.

Facilities

CASA HOWARD Guest House - residenza d’epoca in Florence

Location
Via della Scala, 50123 Florence

Parking
There's no guest parking but we have an agreement with International Garage 80 meters off.

Trains
Santa Maria Novella station – a 3 minute walk

Taxis
it is not worth taking a taxi from the Train Station

Airport
Florence – 20 minutes by taxi (€ 20), or Pisa (with far more air services) – 80 minutes by direct train

CASA HOWARD Guest House - Rome

Location
Via Capo le Case, 18 and Via Sistina,149 (both at 150 metrs off the Spanish Steps and Via Veneto)

Parking

Parcheggio Ludovisi is at 150 meters. Both Houses are in a restricted area, live there your car !

Trains

Termini Station is EUR 10-12 by taxi

Taxis

EUR 10-12 by taxi from the station

Airport
Fiumicino Leonardo da Vinci : 30-50 minutes by taxi, or with our limousine service– 35 minutes by direct train

Ciampino : 25-40 minutes by taxi, with our limousine service.

Places to Visit

Casa Howard Florence is at walking distance between the train station and the elegant area of the city. Casa Howard Rome is a hidden gem right in the centre of Rome, close to the Spanish steps.