The Place Firenze
"What's the story with this hotel? Erstwhile JK Place and Italy’s original townhouse hotel, this stylish and cultivated urban bolthole—now The Place—lies a stone's throw away from the train station and shares piazza space with the glorious church of Santa Maria Novella. A stay here feels like being the guest of an extremely cultured collector friend. Nice. What’s the crowd like? Fashion insiders, style hounds, sophisticated globe-trotters, clued-up families, regulars who wouldn’t dream of staying anywhere else in Florence Got it. And how's check-in? Check-ins are carried out in a small library over an antique desk surrounded by arty books. We can get behind that. The good stuff: Tell us about your room. The 20 rooms over four floors range from the compact-but cocooning Superiors (‘intimate and cozy’) to the panoramic Duomo Rooftop Loft, but our favorites are the spacious Master Suites overlooking the piazza to Alberti’s glorious swirling church façade. The hotel was redone under local architect Luigi Fragola in 2021, but long-standing JK fans will be pleased to hear that the clean, contemporary aesthetic hasn’t essentially changed too much although Fragola has added pops of color (forest green, regal purple) and flashes of brass and velvet to the neutral background palette. Rooms have wood floors, squishy sofas and armchairs (the larger ones at least) and luxurious cashmere throws. It’s all in the detail here; top-quality bed linens are embroidered with the pretty green hotel logo (inspired by Alberti’s façade) as is the stationery and little cloth bags holding slippers and hair dryers. Good to know. How about the little things, like mini-bar, or shower goodies. Any of that worth noting? Minibars are stocked with complimentary soft drinks and room service will deliver tea and coffee at no extra charge. Travertine marble bathrooms are supplied with heavy towels and robes in white or pale green and delicious Votary and Floris products. We like it. Room service and food: Worth it? The ground floor communal space includes a relaxed lounge bar and restaurant area with an open fire and comfy arm chairs, although in warm weather you will want to be outside on the fabulous terrace overlooking the piazza for your Campari Spritz. The all-day menu includes sea bass ceviche, beef tartare, and black tortelli stuffed with shrimp. And if you don’t feel like being sociable, you can order dinner on the private roof terrace which can be booked for exclusive use. A fabulous breakfast with made-to-order savory and sweet dishes is served on exquisite bespoke Ginori china. We're sold. As for staff: If you could award one a trophy, who gets it, and why? Seasoned Florentine GM Claudio Meli is one of the best in the business, and his Little Black Book of insider contacts, built up over many years, is second to none. The Place sells itself as a home-from-home, ‘Your Place in Florence’, and Claudio will do his best to make it all happen. ‘No’ is not a word included in his vocabulary. Anything stand out about other services and features? Whether it’s childcare, gyms, spas, even parking—whatever stuck with you. Basically, whatever you want, The Place will get it for you. Yearning for a custom-made brass lamp? A phone-call to a local artisan. Traveling by car? Valet parking will whisk your wheels off to a nearby garage. Craving cashmere? Claudio Meli knows where to go. Want to dine in the company of Michelangelo’s David? Not a problem. Bottom line: worth it, and why? Sure, prices are among the highest in the city, but the service is second to none and you get a lot of bang for your buck. And don’t be put off by the near-the-station location; Piazza Santa Maria Novella lies minutes walk from Via Tornabuoni (one of Florence’s most exclusive streets) and within easy reach of most of what you will want to see." - Nicky Swallow
