Portrait Firenze

"On the Ponte Vecchio on the water, so not quite in the throes of the tourist crowds, Portrait Firenze is slick and stylish, modern with a twist of Florentine style. Inside are luxurious, contemporary designed suites that feel like you have stepped into a movie set where you are the fabulous protagonist in an equally fabulous film about being gorgeous and Italian. Design is modern Italian: think high quality materials, dark woods, light metals, all by Italy's top design firms—as well as hand-crafted pieces from Ferragamo. It's also super high-tech, but with white glove service. Everything is seamless, easily explained, and catered to you. You feel like you have your own personal concierge. Between that standard of attention and the view, it's worth it." - Nicky Swallow, Erica Firpo

"How did it strike you on arrival? First impression: Slick and stylish, modern with a twist of Florentine style. Rich colors—21st century Italian. It stands on the north bank of the Arno, just downstream from the Ponte Vecchio; all suites have river views. Who stays here? Models, reclusive rock stars, Pulitzer novelists. How was check-in? Super high-tech, with white glove service. Everything is seamless, easily explained and catered to you. You feel like you have your own personal concierge. The good stuff: What are the rooms like? The design of the luxurious, contemporary suites make you feel like you have stepped into a movie set where you are the fabulous protagonist in an equally fabulous film about being gorgeous and Italian. Think high-end textiles, dark woods, light metals by Italy's top design firms—as well as hand-crafted pieces from Ferragamo. All rooms include a kitchenette complete with mini-dishwasher and hob, cleaverly hidden from view behind wardrobe doors. Any other particular standout details? Fresh flowers every day! Apart from the top of the class in-room amenities (excellent bar, Nespresso coffee, Salvatore Ferragamo deluxe bathroom soaps and hair care) and smart tech, Portrait has the best beauty amenities I have experienced in a hotel: great kits that include state-of-the-art hair dryers and flat irons, and personal brushes. What about room service and food: Worth it? The ground floor Caffe d'Oro is a chic morning caffe, and restaurant for lunch and dinner. Breakfast buffet included in certain rates. Anything stand out about other services and features? Whether it’s childcare, gyms, spas, even parking—whatever stuck with you. Free entrance to the nearby Museo Salvatore Ferragamo. Access to sister hotel Continentale's White Iris Beauty spa. Bottom line: worth it? Yes, for the service and view." - Erica Firpo

"In Florence, we stayed at the Portrait Hotel, which was great. It’s right on the river and it is absolutely beautiful."

"Like most buildings in the heart of Florence , the building that houses Portrait Firenze comes from a much older time, around the 13th century. But the modern hotel is decidedly different than its counterparts in the luxury accommodation space, which tends to be a bit obsessed with its own Renaissance (and older) roots. That doesn’t mean the hotel lacks history; in fact, the building that stood on this spot for centuries before its destruction in World War II spent the last century and a half of its life as the opulent Grand Hotel Royal de l’Arno, lodging of choice for royalty, renowned writers, famous artists, and other luminaries of its day. When the Ferragamo family turned the building into the jewel in the crown of its Lungarno hotel collection, celebrated Florentine architect and designer Michele Bönan created an homage to both the Ferragamo patriarch and the world he helped create in the 1950s and 60s. Per the hotel’s name, the walls throughout are lined with black-and-white photographic portraits of personalities of the era, from Sophia Loren and Franco Zeffirelli to Grace Kelly and Elsa Schiaparelli. Between the see-and-be-seen restaurant and the elegant and clean-lined midcentury decor, these jet-set celebrities would have felt right at home here in this modern palace outfitted with hardwood floors, angular gray sofas, and gilded glass doors opening onto private balconies overlooking the Arno."

"On the Ponte Vecchio on the water, so not quite in the throes of the tourist crowds, Portrait Firenze is slick and stylish, modern with a twist of Florentine style. Inside are luxurious, contemporary designed suites that feel like you have stepped into a movie set where you are the fabulous protagonist in an equally fabulous film about being gorgeous and Italian. Design is modern Italian: think high quality materials, dark woods, light metals, all by Italy's top design firms—as well as hand-crafted pieces from Ferragamo. It's also super high-tech, but with white glove service. Everything is seamless, easily explained and catered to you. You feel like you have your own personal concierge. Between that standard of attention and the view, it's worth it." - CNT Editors