Savoy Hotel, Florence

LOCATION: Sitting between the Duomo and the Ponte Vecchio, Florence’s Piazza della Repubblica is the city’s epicentre.

LOCATION: Sitting between the Duomo and the Ponte Vecchio, Florence’s Piazza della Repubblica is the city’s epicentre. Behind tourists poring over maps and Italians indulging their love for la passeggiata, you’ll spot the ram-rod straight backs of the Savoy’s top-hatted doormen. There couldn’t really be a better spot for guests who want to be walking distance from everything you’d want to see in Florence, and it’s a particularly good choice for shoppers – a mere totter from the city’s designer stores.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS: There’s an immediate air of calm elegance to the Savoy, from the classic proportions of its façade to the solicitous reception staff who have you checked in and whisked up to your room before you can say pronto. The look is vintage Olga Polizzi, soothing guests with harmonious neutral tones. Solid bones of marble and dark wood are prettily dressed with light fabrics, and occasionally punctuated by bright details – many of which are fashion images inspired by the legendary Florentine design houses.

THE FACTS: There are 88 rooms and 14 suites, all light, bright and white-walled. The standard rooms aren’t huge, but the space isn’t wasted so they don’t feel cramped, and the marble mosaic bathrooms add a vintage feel. Breakfast is served both in the restaurant, a dignified, high-ceilinged room set at the back of the hotel, and in the bar, where, weather permitting, the doors are thrown open and guests can people-watch with pastries, papers and strong Italian coffee.

A GOOD BASE FOR: This is a brilliant city break hotel for those who like to be in the thick of the action. There’s no annoying hiatus between leaving the hotel and starting your sightseeing; it begins right on the doorstep.

WOW: The piazza-facing rooms and the pavement-front bar mean you can sightsee without leaving the hotel, soaking up the Florentine feeling effortlessly.

HOW MUCH: €345 per room, per night

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