Grand Hotel Villa Medici

The Grand Villa Medici is possibly the most relaxing hotel in Florence, for two simple reasons: Its slightly out-of-the-way location, and its swimming pool. Florence is lovely, but in the summer, with tourists jamming the streets and aggressively hot temperatures, you may easily reach your limit of cathedrals and Botticellis. And if this is indeed the case, the Grand Villa Medici is the perfect place—at least in the city center—to retire.

Though this former palazzo is decorated in eighteenth-century fashion, which may not be everybody’s favorite, it is without that blinding baroque heavy-handedness so often associated with that period. The gold brocade on the walls lends an unexpectedly light and summery feel. Most of the rooms have terraces—just stay away from the rooms at the back, which offer up the cheerless prospect of a convent under renovation.

Also, in a city where hotel gyms are few and far between, there’s a fitness center where you can whittle away those few pounds you got from indulging in the local pasta. Though you can work them off on the half a dozen or so exercise machines, we prefer sweating them off in the sauna. Carrot-chewing health freaks take note. You can book yourself into a non-smoking bedroom, which, in Florence, is the only thing harder to find than a gym.

And of course, there’s the pool—the only sizeable, outdoor hotel pool in Florence, surrounded by a small but lovely garden. Lunch at the poolside is a truly soothing experience, and they have a piano player (a touch chintzy, true, but enjoyable all the same) here for cocktail hour.

While some people find its location (west of the historic center) a slight drawback, we appreciate the quiet. The Teatro Comunale is nearby, with its regular opera, ballet and concert performances. For American visitors, the American church is just round the corner in Via B. Rucellai, should they have a sudden Catholic attack of guilt. Which, apparently occurs quite frequently here, regardless of your beliefs or your denomination—it may be the gelato, the shopping, or just the very large number of churches.

• 103 Rooms
• Style: Traditional Elegance
• Atmosphere: Secluded
• 15 Guest Reviews

Tweet