One of Florence’s most renowned luxury hotels, the Hotel Savoy wears its high-end status lightly. Sure, it's got genial doormen who’ll trip over themselves to make sure you don’t have to open a single door yourself, as well as plush, elegant suites and an acclaimed restaurant, but it’s the understated glamour of the place that makes it truly appealing. And that’s before you even consider the superlative location – it’s find it right in the middle of the stunning and almost hilariously historic old city, as well as a short stroll from every fabulous Florentine attraction you’ll likely be checking out, from the Uffizi Gallery to the Duomo and Ponto Vecchio.
Why stay at Hotel Savoy?
For convenience with a touch of class. The Hotel Savoy is only a 20 minute drive from Florence airport, and not much longer if you take the tram into town. Located on the ornate Piazza della Repubblica (but to be honest, there’s not much about Florence that isn’t ornate), you’re basically staying in a mini Mayfair; Gucci, Mui Mui and Pucci are all within stumbling distance, and speaking of Pucci, the storied Florentine fashion house have actually collaborated with the hotel. Emilio Pucci’s daughter Laudomia designed the lobby and a colourful Pucci print of Piazza della Repubblica can be found on the cushions in the small foyer as well as on the chic scarves of the helpful check-in assistants. The hotel dates back to 1893, but was relaunched in 1998 as a Rocce Forte hotel, the luxury Anglo-Italian hotel group who are also behind Brown’s Hotel in London and the Balmoral in Edinburgh. Your fellow hotel guests will likely be wealthy families with teenage kids, retired couples and monied shopaholics.
What are the rooms like at Hotel Savoy?
When the hotel was remodelled in the late 1990s the amount of rooms was cut down to make the remaining ones bigger, now 79 rooms, including 30 suites – and for truly big spenders, there’s the sprawling Duomo Presidential Suite, covering 177 sq metres and situated in its own wing of the hotel. Most rooms have big windows and look out onto either the Duomo or Piazza della Repubblica, as well as clean, marble bathrooms, rainfall showers (ours has a handsome marble head), double sinks and powerful hairdryers and straighteners – so you’ll always be able to match the serious glamour rules that many Florence tourists adhere to.
Our second-floor suite has extremely high ceilings, parquet floors and is decked out in shades of duck egg blue, sage and grey, all adding to the airy feel of the space. There’s also a selection of unthumbed classics on cream shelves, just in case the need to read some PG Woodhouse or Mary Woolstonecraft overtakes your yearning to see the Duomo. If you fancy a night in, then there’s a comfy velvet sofa and armchairs, and a massive tv screen (one in the bedroom, one in the lounge). There are SMEG kettles, Ily coffee machines and Marshall speakers, and full room cleans every day, with re-stocks of bottled water and coffee. A class act, basically.
What is the food like at Hotel Savoy?
In 2025 the Savoy relaunched its bar and restaurant. Irene Restaurant – with a covered terrace on the edge of the Piazza della Repubblica – isn’t just a pretty space. Inside, the walls are covered with framed art, Venetian glass chandeliers, Loro Piana fabrics, walnut wood panelling, marble flooring, and staff wafting through gracefully, but despite the elegant trappings it’s relaxed and not overly formal. The inclusive breakfast buffet is immaculate, with eggs to order, fresh cut fruits, cakes, cheeses, smoked salmon and fresh juice which we see behind whisked regularly so as not to separate.
The menu has been devised by Fulvio Pierangelini, Rocco Forte Hotels' Creative Director of Food, and is a gentle take on Tuscan and Florentine cuisine - you’re more likely to find polite pasta dishes here than the earthier tripe dishes the city is known for. With cocktails from the shaker of world-renowned mixologist Salvatore Calabrese, Bar Artemisia is named after renowned Italian artist Artemisia Gentileschi whose brutal Baroque masterpiece Judith Slaying Holofernes can be found in the nearby Uffizi. What she’d have quite made of the slightly incongruous wall fresco of a Gentileschi-styled character holding an iPhone and taking a selfie, is perhaps left to the imagination, but such oddness is less distracting after the bar’s majestic martinis, served in an elegantly long stemmed glass with a balsamic flourish.
What is the service like at Hotel Savoy?
Staff at the Hotel Savoy seemingly can’t do enough to ensure that you have a good stay. There’s a dedicated concierge on hand with local help and recommendations, and when it comes to rooms there’s daily cleaning and a turndown service if you really want to live that cosseted hotel life.
What is the gym and spa like at Hotel Savoy?
There’s no pool, but there is a fully-equipped gym. If you’re in the market for pampering, then the impressive fifth-floor Spa Suite has been made in collaboration with Florentine perfume pros and the world’s oldest apothecary, Officina Profumo Farmaceutica di Santa Maria Novella. The views stretch to the green hills just outside the city, but you’ll probably be more focused on the spa’s sweet smelling massages, facials and reflexology offerings.
What’s the area like around Hotel Savoy?
Downright iconic. Poke your head out of the front room and you’ll see the legendary Giubbe Rosse cafe – a meeting place for members of the Furtisti movement – across the piazza, by way of the grand Colonna dell'Abbondanza or the Column of Abundance, which once marked the centre of the city. You’re also right by the glam shops of the Via de Tornabuoni if you fancy dropping a few grand on designer labels. The gothic masterpiece of the Duomo cathedral and the gorgeous, shop-lined medieval bridge that is the Ponte Vecchio are both around five minutes away,
Why should you book a stay at Hotel Savoy?
It serves on all counts; imposing interiors, a superlative location, great restaurant and serious spa. Of course, such luxuries don’t come cheap, but if you want to do Florence in the style it deserves, the Hotel Savoy is the answer.
DETAILS
Address: Piazza della Repubblica 7, 50123 Firenze, Italy
Price: Starting from around €600 per night
Closest transport: Santa Maria Novella Station, 10-minute walk