Located 1/2 block south of Union Square, fronting the Powell Street cable car line, the seven-story Villa Florence is in one of the liveliest sections of the city (no need to drive, 'cause you're already here). The Villa Florence provides guests a taste of contemporary Italian decor—designed by Cheryl Rowley of Beverly Hills—with cherrywood furniture, plantation shutters, windows that actually open, and perks such as 27-inch flatscreen TVs with DVD players and CD players. You'll like the large, comfortable beds draped in down comforters with Frette duvets, as well as such luxury touches as Aveda bath products and Frette bathrobes. The hotel's ground-floor restaurant, Kuleto's (one of downtown's most bustling and stylish Italian restaurants), helps make it a worthy contender among Union Square's medium-priced inns—as if the location alone weren't reason enough to book a room.