Antica Torre di Via Tornabuoni

This hotel is all about the great location with all the top sights a mere 10 minute stroll away. Grand interiors feature marble work and quality artisanal pieces, while chic rooms have designer furnishings and modern, comfy beds. A superb choice for sophisticated and discerning travellers. A stone’s throw from the river and surrounded by the city’s most fashionable shops, this boutique hotel has, possibly, the prime position in Florence. Yet, the entrance is so discreet you can walk past and not notice. Result? It feels like your private palazzo. An elegant stone staircase with ironwork balustrade takes you to the top floors (there's also a lift) where the 24 rooms spread across the two adjoining palazzi, one medieval, the other 17th-century. Rooms and suites are elegant with parquet floors, Islamic rugs, a scattering of antiques and hand-painted, softly colour-washed walls. Decoration is spare so the feeling is light and uncluttered; bathrooms are grandly traditional in marble. Three rooms have balconies while all have views, either over the river, or across the rooftops to the Duomo and the lovely Florentine skyline. But the real treats are the roof-top terraces; one looks to the Duomo and hills behind, the other over the river with its bridges and handsome townhouses and then up to the Pitti Palace and gorgeous church of San Miniato al Monte. If it’s warm you can breakfast out here; and what a feast it is! Fruit salads, yogurts, cheeses, cured meats, focaccia breads, croissants, cakes … The hotel doesn’t have a restaurant, but there’s a short choice of crostini, ciabatta sandwiches and mixed-platters available in the bar. And staff are warm and welcoming. Discreet yet unstuffy, this is a great choice if you want luxury without the fuss, and a plum location.

 

Written by Helen Pickles

• Rooms with balcony/terrace
• Book the Presidential Suite or Panoramic Suite for a private terrace
• Walking distance restaurants
• Bath robes
• In room DVD
• Airport transfer
• Roof terrace
• Bar
• Family Suites
• Meeting Room
• Massage
• Library
• Bicycle hire

• Sit-out Terrace
• Restaurant
• Child friendly
• Sitting Room
• Room service
• Disabled access
• Safe
• Concierge
• Satellite / Cable TV
• Four poster beds
• Wifi
• Air conditioning

• Museums
• Visit the Palazzo Pitti, the Uffizi Palace and the Bargello Museum for some great art collections
• Sights nearby
• Next door is the church of Santa Trinita with Ghirlandaio frescoes
• Designer Shopping
• Via de’ Tornabuoni has all the designer names you could want
• Local markets
• Wander around the huge San Lorenzo central market

• Theatre
• Cycling
• Close to nightlife

Why do people love staying in your hotel? They can live in an authentic Tower-house from the 18th-century, mentioned on the Divina Commedia (in the Inferno). Is there anything more “emotional” that living in the history?

What is there to do in the area or on site? Via Tornabuoni is famous for the “fashion street” where all the main brands are located. Uffizi Gallery and the Ponte Vecchio are not more than 3 minutes walking distance so all the main monuments are within a few minutes walk. The perfect location for travellers because it’s right in the middle of Florence into the pedestrian area.

What kind of breakfast do you offer? In our property, all the food is short chain, as we work with local business like Palagiaccio, La Collina di Arturo for jams, the l’Antica Spezieria delle Monache Benedettine for the bitter orange marmalades, the Ballerini patisserie for the brioche and the Michelangelo for the bread, these are just few example but we really invest a lot in the quality of our product for breakfast. We also are proud to prepare our cakes every morning with fresh, organic products. It’s a wonderful buffet and à la carte breakfast, served in porcelain Antico Doccia of Richard Ginori.

Do you offer other meals? And can you recommend good places to eat out locally? Our restaurant The Tower is open for lunch with a “light-menu” of salads and sandwiches and for dinner we offer a tribute to the Tuscan food. The same attention is given to all the ingredients which come from a wide selection of local farms.

Which is your most popular room, and why? The Romantic Jr. Suite is special, as the name suggests, because it has 2 wide windows overlooking the Arno river and a huge Jacuzzi bathtub in the bedroom.

What facilities do you have for children and can you fit extra beds in your rooms? Kids are welcome and we offer 2 boxes of games, including a guitar and a tent for “little explorers”. We also offer silver cutlery and album and colour pens with colouring books.

What message would you like to give The Hotel Guru readers? The Tower is the place where watches are just accessories. It's a place steeped in history and where luxury is not simply a status symbol but a state of mind.