The St. Regis Florence

"An opulent hotel set in an aristocratic palazzo on the banks of the Arno River, featuring canopied beds, crystal chandeliers, and custom furniture. Amenities include butler service, a spa, the Winter Garden Restaurant, and a bar for aperitivos or Champagne sabering." - Travel + Leisure Editors

"There’s no shortage of elegant hotels in Florence, but something about The St. Regis keeps it a perennial favorite. It might be that, for a palazzo of 15th-century frescoes and crystal chandeliers, it is just so cozy, full of stained-glass-lit nooks in which to disappear for hours with a copy of La Repubblica. Of course, the Renaissance never feels far away. Filippo Brunelleschi, the brains behind the Duomo, designed the original palazzo in the early 1400s, and it became a hotel in 1866. If the exquisitely detailed cherubs on the ceiling of the Salone delle Feste ballroom could talk, they might tell tales that the wonderful staff here are mostly too tactful to divulge: of Botticelli and Amerigo Vespucci (the explorer who gave America its name), but also of Madonna and Keith Richards. Still, it’s not just the great and the good who are treated exquisitely: Clothes are magically unpacked and ironed, tickets awarded to skip the queues for the Diocesan Museum or Santa Maria del Fiore’s dome. Rooms, all brocades and canopied beds, mostly have views of the River Arno, while the Winter Garden restaurant is at the reverential end of Italian cooking, with dishes served under a great glass ceiling. Still, this is also a hotel that can let its hair down. Last Christmas, during the nightly Champagne ritual that kicks off with a waiter popping a bottle with a saber, a giant teddy bear was given pride of place by the fire. This is a hotel where the royal treatment is for everyone. —Sara Magro" - Nicky Swallow, Erica Firpo

"Start us off with an overview.The St. Regis Florence is grand hotel style all the way, set along the banks of the Arno River. Picture renovated grandeur in a beautiful lobby with classic Florentine architecture, frescoes, and crystal chandeliers. Its central location, on Piazza Ognissanti, make it a 10-minute walk from all the action. Sounds luxe. Who else is staying here?SPG diehards: people who prefer big brand quality, not quirky hotels. Also lots of families, and first-timers to Florence. How's check-in? Very simple check-in, easy functionality, nothing unclear. The good stuff: Tell us about your room.Insist on getting a room that faces the Arno (they cost more of course!). Rooms are richly decorated in that time-piece grandeur: brocade, gilding, period-inspired furniture like four poster beds, lavish chandeliers, and Renaissance-era artwork reproductions. Bathrooms are spacious and modern, with lots of marble. How about the little things, like mini-bar, or shower goodies. Anything that made the stay more comfortable?Standard in-room amenities, well-stocked mini-bar, reliable wifi, and in-house Remède bath products all are perks. Room service and food: Worth it?Winter Garden Bar with wraparound gallery hosts a well-stocked international breakfast—lots of fresh fruit, cheeses and cold cuts, salads, smoked salmon and fresh bagels, and freshly made omelettes. Restaurant Winter Garden by Caino is the sit-down dining option—the space is beautiful—a large open area with vaulted painted glass ceilings and crystal chandeliers. Anything else especially stand out to you during your stay?There's a great fitness center, and spa, and the hotel offers parking. Bonus: I had fresh fruit in my room every day. Bottom line: worth it, and why?If you are familiar with SPG and the St. Regis line, and are a Marriott-SPG Rewards loyalist, this is the very best. Top quality, and you get the points for your stay." - Erica Firpo

"If every Renaissance palazzo had been as luxurious as the St. Regis Florence , it seems unlikely the Renaissance would ever have ended. Designed in 1432 by Filippo Brunelleschi, this riverside palace just northwest of Florence ’s centro storico spent some time as the grande dame Grand Hotel Firenze before being reborn as a modern luxury hotel—with all the trappings of a Florentine noble’s palazzo, of course (think antique Murano chandeliers, and 16th-century frescoes and tapestries). Each of the 99 rooms and suites has been adorned with rich velvets and brocades, the famously comfortable beds crowned with drapes like a king’s boudoir, and, in some rooms, floor-to-ceiling windows open onto Juliet balconies overlooking the Arno, some with views all the way to the picturesque Ponte Vecchio. In the restaurant and bar, latter-day royalty dine on Michelin-starred Tuscan cuisine and eye one another over bubbles and classic cocktails. A decadent spa awaits to soothe away the stresses of a day running around town, and the St. Regis’ signature butler service ensures that even the smallest of whims can be satisfied. This is Old World luxury as it should be."

"There’s no shortage of elegant hotels in Florence, but something about The St. Regis keeps it a perennial favorite. It might be that, for a palazzo of 15th-century frescoes and crystal chandeliers, it is just so cozy, full of stained-glass-lit nooks in which to disappear for hours with a copy of La Repubblica. Of course, the Renaissance never feels far away. Filippo Brunelleschi, the brains behind the Duomo, designed the original palazzo in the early 1400s, and it became a hotel in 1866. If the exquisitely detailed cherubs on the ceiling of the Salone delle Feste ballroom could talk, they might tell tales that the wonderful staff here are mostly too tactful to divulge: of Botticelli and Amerigo Vespucci (the explorer who gave America its name), but also of Madonna and Keith Richards. Still, it’s not just the great and the good who are treated exquisitely: Clothes are magically unpacked and ironed, tickets awarded to skip the queues for the Diocesan Museum or Santa Maria del Fiore’s dome. Rooms, all brocades and canopied beds, mostly have views of the River Arno, while the Winter Garden restaurant is at the reverential end of Italian cooking, with dishes served under a great glass ceiling. Still, this is also a hotel that can let its hair down. Last Christmas, during the nightly Champagne ritual that kicks off with a waiter popping a bottle with a saber, a giant teddy bear was given pride of place by the fire. This is a hotel where the royal treatment is for everyone. —Sara Magro" - CNT Editors