Villa San Michele

Italy
Europe

The Experience

Set 1,200 feet above sea level in the Tuscan hills, 20 minutes from Florence's center, this former Renaissance Franciscan monastery was transformed into a Tuscan Garden of Eden in the 1950s and is today an easy-access weekend retreat for an atmospheric alternative to Florence's hotel palaces along the Arno. The hotel's Michelangelo-designed facade gives it unrivaled authenticity, and helps with its ultimate "My Own Private Palazzo" feel. It's also a registered National Trust Monument, fittingly teeming with original antiques, but also with high-tech comforts amid the rustic landscaping.

The Rooms

Thirty-six guest rooms--all with Jacuzzis and some with kitchens--are spread among terraced hillside gardens, many in former monks' quarters, renovated fruit cellars and even the original communal chapel. Most rooms face straight to Florence's Duomo down below, while others look onto the surrounding hillside and the hotel's elaborate gardens. Two Limonaia Suites lead to sizable, lemon-filled terraces and gardens, one with its own waterfall, while the Michelangelo Suite has been recently renovated with new Cararra marble baths.

The Service

A small army of waiters, bellboys and concierges ensures every need is met--from private museum tours and shopping sprees to ample in-room amenities and comprehensive room service for solitude seekers.

The Highlights

Outside, a large pool also faces the city down below, while a smallish gym helps burn off that last spoonful of gelato. A free shuttle runs to the city for those seeking more than a mere peek, but its early end time (6:30 p.m.) is far from ideal. Enjoy snacks and drinks in the bar, wine cellar and frescoed sitting room, and if you like what you eat, learn to make it back home at the Villa's Tuscan cooking school. But the hotel's restaurant is the place to become most inspired, with traditional Tuscan classics along an elegant outdoor loggia with panoramic views of the Arno Valley and the rooftops of Florence. In the summer of 2008, the hotel introduced wine tastings inside the hotel, new cooking classes and special engagement and wedding packages.

 

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