Best 5-Star Hotels in Florence 2026: Grand Historic Icons
Updated: 7 days ago
Updated 4 November 2026
Florence's grand hotels are part of the city's story. Most sit in old palazzi on the Arno or the main piazzas, so you step out of the lobby into the centro storico.
This guide covers the large, classic five-star flagships. For every type of stay, see my Where to Stay guides.
At a glance: Florence's grand hotels compared
Here is every hotel in this guide side by side. The facts come from each hotel's own website, checked in November 2026, and I measured the walking times on the map.
Hotel | Where, and walk to the Duomo | Best for |
|---|---|---|
Hotel Savoy | Piazza della Repubblica, about 4 min | Being in the middle of everything |
The St. Regis Florence | On the Arno at Ognissanti, about 15 min | Classic grandeur and butler service |
The Excelsior | On the Arno at Ognissanti, about 15 min | A rooftop with 360 degree views |
Il Tornabuoni | Via de' Tornabuoni, about 9 min | Shopping and a rooftop terrace |
Sina Villa Medici | Il Prato, about 19 min | A garden pool near the station |
Four Seasons Hotel Firenze | Borgo Pinti, about 16 min | A huge garden, a pool and a spa |
Portrait Firenze | By the Ponte Vecchio, about 10 min | All suites, couples, privacy |
Villa San Michele | Fiesole hill, by shuttle | Views, a pool and the hills |
How to choose a grand hotel in Florence
Location: the Arno at Ognissanti, Piazza della Repubblica and Via de' Tornabuoni are all walkable to the main sights.
Space: want a pool or a garden? Look slightly outside the core.
Style: classic grandeur or a more modern luxury feel.
Prefer something smaller and more personal? My guide to Boutique Hotels in Florence has a completely different list.
The grand five-star hotels
Hotel Savoy, a Rocco Forte Hotel
Address: Piazza della Repubblica 7.
Right on Piazza della Repubblica, in the very center. You can walk to the Duomo in minutes. A strong pick for families who want true luxury in the middle of everything.
Best for: couples and families who want to walk everywhere. By my map the Duomo is about 4 minutes away on foot and the Ponte Vecchio about 6.
Skip it if: you want a pool, a garden or a river view.
Room to ask for: a room facing the Duomo or the piazza. Most rooms look onto one or the other.
Good to know: 80 rooms and suites, Irene restaurant with its terrace on the piazza and chef Fulvio Pierangelini's Tuscan cooking, Bar Artemisia, a spa suite on the fifth floor with city views and a 24 hour gym.
The St. Regis Florence
Address: Piazza Ognissanti 1.
A classic grand hotel in a palazzo on Piazza Ognissanti, facing the Arno. Chandeliers, frescoes and butler service. It sits next to the Church of Ognissanti, where Botticelli is buried.
Best for: classic grandeur, river views and the St. Regis butler service. Families do well here too, with connecting rooms facing the Arno and activities for children.
Skip it if: you want to step out onto the Duomo square. It is about 15 minutes on foot, and about 12 to the Ponte Vecchio.
Room to ask for: a Deluxe Suite, with a balcony over the Arno and frescoes of Renaissance life on the living room walls.
Good to know: the Winter Garden restaurant and bar sits under Art Deco arches from around 1922, Café Ginori serves afternoon tea, and there are Spa Suites and a fitness studio open around the clock. Check in is from 3 pm and check out by noon.
The Excelsior, a Luxury Collection Hotel
Address: Piazza Ognissanti 3.
Across the piazza from the St. Regis, also on the river. It changed from The Westin Excelsior to the Luxury Collection in July 2025, and it has a rooftop bar with views over the city.
Best for: rooftop lovers. Cosimo, the hotel's glass roof garden restaurant and bar, has 360 degree views over the city and the hills. Many of the 171 rooms and suites have a balcony or a terrace.
Skip it if: you want a small, intimate hotel. With 171 rooms and suites, it is a big hotel by Florence standards.
Room to ask for: the Belvedere Suite for the Arno view, or any room with a furnished terrace.
Walking times: about 15 minutes to the Duomo, 11 to the Ponte Vecchio and 11 to Santa Maria Novella station.
Il Tornabuoni, The Unbound Collection by Hyatt
Address: Via de' Tornabuoni 3.
On Via de' Tornabuoni, the city's most elegant shopping street, in a historic palazzo with a rooftop terrace.
Best for: shoppers, and anyone who wants a drink above the rooftops without leaving the hotel. The Butterfly Terrace has views across the city.
Skip it if: you want big public rooms, a pool or a spa. There is a gym, with yoga and personal training on request.
Room to ask for: a suite. Suites come with a small wine cellar, and the top floor Tornabuoni Suite has a large terrace.
Good to know: 62 rooms and suites in the old Palazzo Minerbetti, Il Magnifico restaurant and café, and La Cave wine cellar. The Duomo is about 9 minutes away on foot and the Ponte Vecchio about 6.
Sina Villa Medici, Autograph Collection
Address: Via Il Prato 42.
West of Santa Maria Novella in the Il Prato area, it has a garden and one of the few outdoor pools within walking distance of the center.
Walking times: about 10 minutes to Santa Maria Novella station and 19 to the Duomo. For the rooms, the pool season and the suite I would book, read my full Sina Villa Medici review.
More five-star icons worth knowing
For the classic river view: The St. Regis or The Excelsior.
For the center of everything: Hotel Savoy.
For shopping: Il Tornabuoni.
For a pool: Sina Villa Medici.
Still deciding between a hotel and a rental? Read Hotel or Apartment in Florence? How to Choose. Want to see the dome from your window? Look at my guide to Florence hotels with Duomo views. Celebrating? Pair your stay with one of the places in my guide to romantic restaurants in Florence.
Comparing more hotels? My Hotel Regency review covers a quiet villa with a garden east of the Duomo, my map of luxury hotels by neighborhood pins every hotel, and my new luxury hotel openings tracker shows what is coming next. For dinner and drinks inside these hotels, see the best hotel restaurants and bars in Florence.
Booking tips
Book early for spring, summer and holidays.
Ask for a river or Duomo view room. They are limited.
Ask the concierge to book restaurants and museum slots before you arrive.
Most central hotels are inside the ZTL traffic zone. Ask the hotel before you drive.
Where to stay nearby
Santa Maria Novella and the Ognissanti riverfront are home to several of these hotels and close to the train station. See where to stay near Santa Maria Novella.
What sets a grand hotel apart in Florence
I have stayed in and visited all of these, and what separates them is not the marble.
It is the concierge who gets you a table at a trattoria that does not take bookings, the doorman who knows which taxi rank works at 11 pm and the breakfast room that looks out at the dome. In a city this small, a great hotel acts like a local friend.
Three things I look for:
The view. Florence is a city of views, and the best rooms frame the Arno, the dome or the hills. Always ask which room category has the view you want.
Outdoor space. A rooftop, a garden or a terrace changes a summer stay. After a day of museums, a drink above the rooftops is the reward.
Quiet. The center is lively until late. Courtyard-facing rooms and heavy shutters matter more than you think.
Bigger gardens and the hills
Four Seasons Hotel Firenze
Address: Borgo Pinti 99. Two Renaissance palaces set in the Giardino della Gherardesca, one of the largest private gardens in Florence at about 4.5 hectares. Frescoed suites, a spa, an outdoor pool and a lawn lined up with the dome. It feels like a country estate ten minutes' walk from the Duomo.
Best for: families and anyone who wants a resort in the city: an outdoor pool in the 15th century garden, a spa, and Il Palagio, which has a Michelin star.
Skip it if: you want to walk out onto the Duomo square or the river. By my map the Duomo is about 16 minutes on foot and the Ponte Vecchio about 23.
Room to ask for: the Duomo View Executive Suite, a bi-level suite with the dome in view. For a big occasion, the Garden Suite in the old limonaia has its own garden and a private pool in season.
Portrait Firenze
Address: Lungarno degli Acciaiuoli 4. The Ferragamo family's suite hotel, right beside the Ponte Vecchio. Every room is a suite, and the river views from the upper floors are some of the best in the city. I recommend it to couples and to anyone who wants space and privacy in the very center.
Skip it if: you want a pool, a garden or a full spa.
Room to ask for: the Ponte Vecchio Suite, or a two bedroom Superior Suite with a river view for a family.
Good to know: 37 rooms and suites, Caffè dell'Oro beside the bridge, and pets are welcome. The Ponte Vecchio is about 2 minutes away on foot and the Duomo about 10.
Villa San Michele, A Belmond Hotel
Address: Via Doccia 4, Fiesole. A former convent with a facade attributed to Michelangelo's circle, high on the Fiesole hill with the whole city spread below.
It reopened on 28 April 2026 after an 18-month renovation, with a new Guerlain spa and 39 rooms and suites. This year, for the first time, it stays open through autumn and the festive season, until 3 January 2027. The hotel runs a complimentary shuttle down to the center.
Best for: views over the whole city, a heated panoramic pool and terraced 15th century gardens.
Skip it if: you want to walk out of the door into the city. It sits about 6 km up the hill, so you rely on the shuttle or a taxi.
Prefer a private villa?
For families and groups, a five-star hotel is not always the best fit. A private villa in the hills above Florence gives you your own pool, chef and gardens, with a driver to bring you into the city. I help clients find them through Exclusive Villa Collection.
A perfect day from a grand hotel
My ideal day at one of these hotels starts with breakfast by a window, then a short walk to an early timed slot at the Uffizi or the Accademia, booked by the concierge before I arrived. Lunch is light, at a wine bar a few streets away.
In the afternoon I go back for an hour of rest, because Florence on foot is tiring. At sunset there is a drink on the rooftop, with the dome turning pink, and then a dinner the hotel has reserved somewhere I could never have found on my own.
That is what you are paying for in a grand hotel: not the thread count but the hours it gives back to you. For more ideas, see my Florence hotels by neighborhood and my list of rooftop bars for sunset.
When to book a grand hotel
Spring and early autumn fill first, especially weekends in May, June, September and October. River view and dome view rooms go earliest of all. If you are traveling for a special date, book as soon as you know it. In November and from January to early March, the city is calmer and the best rooms are easier to get.
What I look for in the room
In a grand Florence hotel, the room category matters more than the brand. I ask for a room on a higher floor, facing the river, a garden or the dome rather than the street. I ask whether the ceilings are frescoed or coffered, because some of the historic palazzo rooms are works of art in their own right.
I check the bathroom size, since old buildings vary a lot, and I ask about soundproofing if the hotel sits on a busy piazza. A good concierge team will tell you honestly which rooms are the best of each category.
The concierge is the real luxury
The best five-star hotels in Florence have concierges who know the city deeply. They can find a table at a trattoria that is full, arrange a private visit to an artisan workshop, book a guide for the Vasari Corridor or a driver for Chianti.
I always write to the concierge a week before I arrive, with my interests and any special dates, so they can plan ahead.
FAQ
Which five-star hotels in Florence are on the Arno?
The St. Regis Florence and The Excelsior, facing each other on Piazza Ognissanti, and Portrait Firenze on the Lungarno beside the Ponte Vecchio.
Which is the most central five-star hotel in Florence?
Hotel Savoy, on Piazza della Repubblica. By my map the Duomo is about 4 minutes away on foot and the Ponte Vecchio about 6.
Is there a five-star hotel with a pool in central Florence?
Yes. Sina Villa Medici has an outdoor garden pool in summer, about 10 minutes on foot from Santa Maria Novella station, and the Four Seasons Hotel Firenze has an outdoor pool in its private garden. Up on the Fiesole hill, Villa San Michele has a heated panoramic pool.
Which five-star hotels in Florence have a rooftop bar?
The Excelsior has Cosimo, a glass roof garden with 360 degree views over the city, and Il Tornabuoni has the Butterfly Terrace.
Which luxury hotel in Florence has the biggest garden?
The Four Seasons Hotel Firenze, set in the Giardino della Gherardesca on Borgo Pinti, one of the largest private gardens in the city.
Which grand hotel in Florence is best for families?
The Four Seasons for its garden and pool, The St. Regis for its connecting rooms with river views and children's program, and Sina Villa Medici for interconnecting rooms, babysitting and the summer pool.
Can I drive to my hotel?
Most are inside the ZTL limited traffic zone. Ask your hotel to register your car or arrange parking, and read my Florence parking and driving guide first.
Is Villa San Michele open in 2026?
Yes. It reopened on 28 April 2026 after a renovation, and this year, for the first time, it stays open through autumn and the festive season, until 3 January 2027.
About the author
I'm Jason GaNung, and I write every guide on Florence Life. I have spent extensive time in Florence over many trips, and I have stayed in many of the hotels and villas I cover, so my picks come from my own stays, not press releases. More about me.
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