In-Suite Marble Tub

As I sit here this morning, mulling over in my head all of the glorious luxury hotels we’ve been honored to experience, I must say that the Four Seasons Hotel Firenze offered us our first experience staying in a 15th century Italian palace.

Four Seasons Hotel Firenze is the equivalent of time-traveling back to the Florentine Renaissance but bringing with you all of the modern conveniences that luxury baby boomer travelers have come to expect.

Set behind its classical but unassuming facade, a walk through the front door will unfold a living museum of art history offering two stunningly beautiful palaces all walled together with Florence’s largest private garden.

Click for larger view!

As we walked through the beautifully manicured gardens our guide informed us that this very property was previously home to a Pope, an order of nuns, five centuries of Florentine nobility and a Viceroy of Egypt who sold the property when his harem was barred from moving in.

If marble statues could talk, imagine the stories they could tell.

The Four Seasons Hotel Firenze’s grand courtyard lobby features its most valuable artwork comprising of 12 intricate bas-reliefs flanked by porticos and barrel-vaults decorated with  ornamental coffered ceilings comprising thousands of painted, sunken panels.

When the palace (Palazzo Della Gherardesca) was purchased in 2000 to ultimately become the Four Seasons Hotel Firenze, restoration of the hotels precious artworks was strictly overseen by the Superintendant for Artistic Historical Patrimony and their painstaking efforts are certain to take your breath away.

Note: if you can’t see the video, click here.

Impressions from our stay at Four Seasons Hotel Firenze

• First impressions are incredibly important and hard to change.  The Four Seasons Hotel Firenze hit the ball out of the park in the first impressions department.  The hotel arranged to pick us up at the train station and the four of us arrived in a comfortable Mercedes.  The moment the driver hit park, the Four Seasons bellmen immediately hopped to our attention, attended to our luggage, quickly whisked us through the beautiful surroundings to the front desk, and in two shakes of a fish’s tail, we stood dazzled by the jaw-dropping beauty of our suites.  Bravo!
• When we’re sharing with close friends about our travel experience in Florence, one of the first things that comes from our mouths are the beautiful suites we enjoyed at the Four Seasons Hotel Firenze (see video above).   Just walking down the hallway to our rooms was unbelievable, but when the door opened to 20′ ceilings adorned with beautiful Italian frescos, we knew we were in for the stay of a lifetime.
• Magnificent dining is a critical element in the luxury traveler’s experience.  A wonderful breakfast was included each morning with our stay, but our chef-created tasting menu at Il Palagio was worthy of a standing ovation.  We expected a lot from the Four Seasons culinary team, and they delivered in spades (see video above).
• Location. Location. Location.  As the Four Seasons Hotel Firenze is a former palace, the hotel is located in a predominantly residential area.  When we walked out the front door of the hotel, we found ourselves walking among the locals.  Our neighborhood was filled with local restaurants, pubs, coffee shops, grocery store and much more.  Yet, the Duomo of Florence was only a short 15-20 minute walk away.
• Gardens, Pool, & Spa.  We were visiting Florence in the shoulder season, so unfortunately it was a bit chilly for our Arizona blood to experience the pool.  Although, there were some hearty souls soaking in the warm November sun and greatly enjoying it.  Walking the gardens of this 15th century palace is in itself a remarkable experience, and we heard good things about the spa.  Although,our time schedule prevented us from experiencing it; next time, we’ll slow down a bit and take it in.

As we’ve traveled around the world, we’ve found that the Four Seasons brand is capable of delivering a luxury hotel experience, flavored with the best of local customs, that is consistently excellent regardless of where we might be in the world.

Bravo Four Seasons, and bravo Four Seasons Hotel Firenze!

We LOVED our stay and highly recommend it.

Link: Four Seasons Hotel Firenze

Disclosure: a portion of our delightful experience was provided by the kind folks at Four Seasons Hotel Firenze.  Thanks!

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