In 1400, Filippo Brunelleschi — the architect who would go on to solve the engineering problem of the Florence cathedral’s dome, a problem that had been considered unsolvable for over a century — designed a private palazzo for the Giuntini family on what is now Piazza Ognissanti, on the north bank of the Arno, facing south toward the hills of Tuscany.

In 1866, the palazzo became Florence’s first luxury hotel.

In the twenty-first century, it became The St. Regis Florence, which is the best luxury hotel in the city, and has been since the day it opened under that name.

The Location

Piazza Ognissanti. Ten minutes on foot to the Ponte Vecchio. Thirteen minutes to the Uffizi Gallery. Ten minutes to the Duomo. Five minutes across the Ponte Santa Trinita to the Oltrarno — the quieter, less touristed left bank with its artisan workshops, neighbourhood wine bars and the Santo Spirito square, which is the best place in Florence to be on a summer evening.

This is not a hotel from which you take a taxi to see Florence. From the front steps, Florence is a walk.

The Building

The historic layers are visible throughout: coffered ceilings, original frescoes in the suite-level rooms whose restoration was supervised by the Italian Fine Art Commission, crystal chandeliers of the scale that only buildings with these ceiling heights can accommodate, antique furniture and gilded mirrors.

The hotel has 80 rooms and 19 suites. The public spaces never carry the loaded atmosphere of a high-occupancy hotel. There is always a comfortable armchair available.

The Arno View

Not all rooms face the river. The ones that do are the ones to book.

An Arno River view room at The St. Regis Florence, on an upper floor, with the balcony doors open on a warm evening, the Ponte Vecchio visible downstream and the hills of Tuscany rising behind it, the lights of the Oltrarno coming on one by one across the water — this is one of the five or six definitive hotel views in Europe. The soaking tub in the Premium Deluxe suites faces the river, which means that a bath here is an experience conducted in full conversation with the city of Florence.

The Butler

The St. Regis Butler Service, delivered in Florence with the particular warmth of Italian hospitality applied to a framework of genuine professional rigour, is what most guests cite when asked why they return. The butler operates on WhatsApp, contactable at any hour. They unpack luggage, press garments, deliver the morning newspaper with the weather forecast, arrange restaurant bookings throughout the city, and curate bespoke experiences — private after-hours access to Uffizi galleries, guided truffle hunts in the Chianti hills.

The Sabrage ceremony — champagne opened with a sabre in the bar each evening, to a live pianist — is for all guests, and is the St. Regis ritual that, of all the brand’s global signatures, most perfectly fits its setting.

The room key is a physical key on a heavy tassel, surrendered to the concierge desk at departure and retrieved on return. It is a small detail. It is a detail that is entirely correct.

The Winter Garden by Caino

The hotel’s restaurant serves innovative Tuscan cuisine in a room overlooking the internal garden. The breakfast service — extending onto the balcony in warmer months — is among the finest hotel breakfasts in Italy: eggs Florentine with truffle, fresh berries and local yogurt, pastries made in the hotel’s own kitchen.

WLV Perspective

WLV Verdict: ★★★★★
Recommended Room: Premium Deluxe Arno River View Room with Balcony
Best For: Honeymoons, anniversary stays, guests who want Florence properly

For honeymoons and anniversary stays, this is the standard against which all other Florence hotels are measured and found slightly wanting. Book the Premium Deluxe Arno View room with balcony, minimum four nights, and spend one evening simply sitting on that balcony with a glass of Vernaccia di San Gimignano while Florence does what it has been doing for six hundred years.

To discuss how The St. Regis Florence fits within a broader Italian itinerary curated for your travel style, contact Wanderlux Velari — hello@wanderluxvelari.com | +61 459 958 247