Florence Travel Guide: Best Boutique Hotels & Restaurants

2026-02-18 · By Splendid

In: Italy · Travel Guides

Florence is a city where every corner is a canvas: Renaissance façades, marble piazzas, and light that turns even quiet streets into works of art. For the design-minded traveler, two hotels capture the city’s soul - The James and Hotel Savoy - each offering a unique lens on this timeless city.

The James Suite Hotel Firenze 1564

The newest jewel in Manfredi Fine Hotels’ crown, The James is a love letter to Florence, hidden away on Via di Mezzo in Florence’s Sant’Ambrogio quarter, this 16th-century residence feels like stepping into a living story - where time slows and the city’s past whispers through frescoed ceilings, design-led suites, and terraces that open to the Florentine sky. Intimate common spaces invite lingering, from the softly lit restaurant serving seasonal Florentine plates to the convivial bar where evenings unfold over negronis and conversation.

“In the heart of my childhood home - a Renaissance residence built in 1564, adorned with vaulted ceilings and fading frescoes - I set out to create more than just a boutique hotel: a narrative retreat where each suite whispers its own story.” – James Cavagnari

Architect James Cavagnari has transformed the home of his childhood into a temple of quiet beauty. Every suite is its own narrative: curated objects, custom-made furniture, rare fabrics, and light calibrated to create atmosphere rather than simply illuminate. It is a place where architecture becomes storytelling and hospitality an art - intimate, rare, and profoundly moving.

The James Restaurant is an intimate dining room where Mediterranean culture and Tuscan tradition meet with a contemporary twist. Refined brass accents and honeyed woods play against a punchy, modern palette, while sumptuous textiles soften every edge. The lighting is low and flattering, casting a golden glow that makes the room feel like a secret you’ve just been let in on. Regional art punctuates the space, lending soul and a sense of place; so that by the time your plate arrives, the design has already become part of the story you’re tasting. Menus celebrate the region, with seasonal produce and refined Tuscan classics reimagined with a light, modern touch - each dish as considered as the space itself.

1564 Lounge Bar complements with its own distinctive style -perfect for early-evening cocktails or a lingering nightcap, and an ideal backdrop for intimate conversation beneath soft light. The mood is shaded and cinematic: moody velvet, candlelight that flickers like memory, and playlists that drift through the room like perfume.

For the design-minded traveler, The James is an address of pure intention - a hidden sanctuary where history, art, and contemporary craft converge. This is more than a stay; it is a journey through memory, proportion, and feeling - an experience that lingers long after you depart. Luxury here is quiet and deeply personal, expressed through bespoke furniture, hand-picked vintage treasures, and light that shapes mood as much as it illuminates. As evening falls, the rooftop terrace beckons - the Arno glinting in the distance, the city bathed in gold - the perfect setting for aperitivo and quiet reflection.

The Details The James Suite Hotel Firenze 1564 Via Faenza 20, Florence, Italy The newest jewel in Manfredi Fine Hotels’ crown, The James is a love letter to Renaissance grandeur and contemporary luxury. thejameshotel.it

Hotel Savoy, a Rocco Forte Hotel

Overlooking Piazza della Repubblica, Hotel Savoy is a timeless landmark offering a front-row seat to Florence’s energy. Interiors by Olga Polizzi mix Renaissance inspirations with bold Emilio Pucci patterns, bringing a playful yet polished spirit to this historic address. Rooms and suites are elegant, light-filled, and many offer views of the Duomo or the square.

Hotel Savoy is ideal for travelers seeking traditional luxury - refined service, a prime location steps from Florence’s major landmarks, and a lively yet sophisticated atmosphere. The ground-floor Irene offers Tuscan cuisine with a contemporary twist, perfect for those who want to taste the city without leaving the comfort of the hotel.

Service is refined but warm, the kind that remembers how you take your espresso. Step outside and you’re mere moments from the Uffizi, the Duomo, and Via de’ Tornabuoni’s elegant boutiques.

Hotel Savoy has partnered with storied jeweller Cassetti to craft “Golden Hour on the Arno” - an experience that distills Florence’s beauty into one unforgettable evening: the journey begins with a guided stroll through the city’s historic heart, ending at Cassetti’s prestigious Ponte Vecchio atelier, where guests enjoy private access to its archive of vintage brooches, rings, and necklaces - each piece a glittering fragment of Florence’s goldsmithing history.

As the sun begins to set, a traditional renaiolo boat awaits on the Arno. Guests drift along the river as palazzi glow in the golden light, accompanied by live violin music and a perfectly chilled aperitivo. The evening concludes back at Hotel Savoy with a late dinner at Irene, where Chef Pierangelini serves Tuscan specialities paired with golden-hued wines - a fitting finale to a night steeped in beauty, craft, and Florentine soul.

The Details Hotel Savoy, a Rocco Forte Hotel Piazza della Repubblica 7, Florence, Italy Occupying a prime position on Piazza della Repubblica, the Savoy seamlessly combines Florentine heritage with Sir Rocco Forte’s signature contemporary elegance. Irene restaurant serves exceptional Tuscan cuisine. roccofortehotels.com

Every time I go to Florence, I realize how much I have missed it. - Henry James

Florence is a city that reveals itself slowly, like a canvas brushed by light - where Renaissance façades, marble piazzas, and quiet alleys become living works of art. Whether it’s the curated intimacy of The James Suite Hotel Firenze 1564 or the timeless glamour of Hotel Savoy, each offers its own perspective on the city’s soul.

Our Editors’ Top Picks | Florence Local Highlights

To Eat & Drink.

Ristorante La Giostra Borgo Pinti, 10/12r, 50121 Firenze Romantic and intimate, with candlelit interiors and classic Tuscan cuisine. ristorantelagiostra.com

4Leoni Via de' Vellutini, 1R, 50125 Firenze A beloved trattoria serving authentic Tuscan dishes in a lively piazza setting. 4leoni.com

Atelier De Nerli Piazza de’ Nerli, 6R, 50124 Firenze A design-driven restaurant where the interiors are as inspiring as the menu. atelierdenerli.com

Gucci Osteria da Massimo Bottura Piazza della Signoria, 10, 50122 Firenze A Michelin-starred experience inside Gucci Garden. Expect playful, inventive dishes on custom Ginori porcelain. gucciosteria.com

La Terrazza Rooftop Bar Vicolo dell’Oro, 6r, 50123 Firenze Perched on the medieval Consorti tower, this is the place for sunset cocktails with sweeping Arno and Ponte Vecchio views. hotelcontinental.it

Spirituum Piazza Santo Spirito, 16R, 50125 Firenze An artistic cocktail bar in Santo Spirito that design lovers will adore. instagram.com/spirituumspiritsclub

Caffè dell’Oro Lungarno degli Acciaiuoli, 2P, 50123 Firenze On the most charming stretch of the Arno, perfect for a morning espresso and pastry or a Tuscan-leaning lunch. The best place in the city to soak up the winter sun. lungarnocollection.com

Caffè Gilli Piazza della Repubblica, 50123 Firenze Florence’s oldest café, perfect for espresso and people-watching near Hotel Savoy. gilli.it

Art & Culture.

Duomo Piazza del Duomo, 50122 Firenze Florence’s most iconic landmark, just steps from Hotel Savoy. duomo.firenze.it

Uffizi Gallery Piazzale degli Uffizi, 6, 50122 Firenze Home to Botticelli, Leonardo da Vinci, and Michelangelo. uffizi.it

Palazzo Pitti Piazza de' Pitti, 1, 50125 Firenze A Renaissance palace housing four museums. uffizi.it/palazzo-pitti

Boboli Gardens Piazza de' Pitti, 1, 50125 Firenze The Medici’s spectacular gardens behind Palazzo Pitti. uffizi.it/boboli-garden

Museo Salvatore Ferragamo Piazza di Santa Trinita, 5R, 50123 Firenze A fashion museum dedicated to the legendary shoemaker. ferragamo.com/museo

San Miniato al Monte Via delle Porte Sante, 34, 50125 Firenze One of the most beautiful viewpoints in Florence, perfect at sunset. sanminiatoalmonte.it

Shopping & Design.

Officina Profumo, Santa Maria Novella Via della Scala, 16, 50123 Firenze The world’s oldest pharmacy, crafting fragrances & herbal remedies since 1221. eu.smnovella.com/it

LuisaViaRoma Via Roma, 19/21r, 50123 Firenze Recently reopened with a minimalist, gallery-like design. luisaviaroma.com

Il Papiro Flagship at Via de’ Tavolini, 13R, 50122 Firenze A Florentine favourite for artisanal paper goods and marbled notebooks. ilpapirofirenze.it

Ginori 1735 Via dei Rondinelli, 17/R, 50123 Firenze Florence’s most beautiful porcelain house, with collections displayed like art. ginori1735.com

We hope this guide helps you see Florence in all her moods - elegant, expressive, and endlessly inspiring - inviting you to wander slowly, linger longer, and experience the city through a designer’s eye. Come for the galleries, stay for the architecture, and leave with a little of Florence’s magic stitched into your memory.

- Team Splendid x

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