Helvetia & Bristol Firenze – Starhotels Collezione

"Why book?  This long-standing, five-star Florence favorite offers a super-central location, an old-world yet hip vibe, excellent service and the largest spa in the historic center. Set the scene  With its position between the designer stores of Via Tornabuoni and Piazza della Repubblica, this historic hotel lies at the heart of Florence’s most elegant neighborhood and is popular with fashionistas, culture vultures in town for the latest exhibit at Palazzo Strozzi and snappily dressed business types. On the doorstep, you are more likely to brush shoulders with Florentine signoras flaunting their latest fashion buys than tour groups. The new spa is open to non-residents and has a strong local following. The backstory  The Helvetia & Bristol has been a hotel since the late 1800s when it welcomed a mix of distinguished guests from Grand Tour travelers to arty and literary types such as Gabriele d’Annunzio and Bertrand Russell. The antiques and paintings that are still in the hotel date from that era. It was bought by the dynamic, Florence-based Starhotels group (who have 30 hotels throughout Italy as well as in London and New York) in 2016, and in 2021 the hotel expanded into the imposing 19th century building next door—once the headquarters of the Banca di Roma—adding 25 new rooms plus the largest spa in central Florence. The rooms  The 64 rooms in the original hotel (now known as the ‘Helvetia’) are all about tasteful opulence, so expect fine antique furnishings and pictures, glorious fabrics in rich colors by Rubelli and the Antico Setificio Fiorentina, exquisite wallpapers and magnificent white and gray Carrara marble bathrooms. The beautiful hand-crafted oak floors keep it from being too heavy. The new rooms designed by Anoushka Hempel in the ‘Bristol’ wing, are more pared back and contemporary in style, symphonies in shades of gray featuring silks, linens, velvet, lots of mirrors, and more gorgeous pale oak floors. Many of the fixtures and fittings have been custom-made by local artisans; wrought iron four-posters, brass lamps, glass lanterns, intarsia tables, and monumental mirrors framed in Carrara marble. Food and drink The H&B’s food and drink outlets are now managed by Cibreo, the iconic Florentine restaurant established in 1979 by the late, great Fabio Picchi and now run by his sons. Picchi’s original menus have been adapted for today’s tastes so alongside Cibreo classics such as chicken liver paté and creamed salt cod, there are oysters, crespelle (crèpes stuffed with ricotta and spinach), grilled lobster, and rack of lamb. The gourmet restaurant and back-lit bar—all red velvet banquettes and cool jazzy sounds—has a buzzy New York vibe and is open for cocktails and dinner while the cozy retro peacock-blue café and pavement terrace offer lunch, dinner, and snack menus covering all bases from avocado toast, scrambled eggs, and club sandwiches to Picchi’s divine tomato gelée, eggplant parmigiana, beef tartare, and stuffed rabbit. And the mythical Cibreo flourless chocolate cake is still on the menu too. The spa  With a floor space of 540 square meters and done out in pale honey-colored travertine stone, the subterranean LA SPA (housed in the old bank vaults) is the largest in central Florence. Signature treatments include the Reborn Body Massage and the Roman Baths experience offering a sequence of rituals used by the Ancient Romans (Lacus Quietis, Caldarium, Sudatorium, Frigidarium, and so on). The Tepidarium (or salt room) has a glass floor through which you can see the building’s medieval foundations. The neighborhood/area  The hotel lies between the exclusive shopping street of Via Tornabuoni and busy Piazza della Repubblica; it’s right in the middle of downtown Florence, yet somehow misses out on the worst of the tourist hordes. Across the road lies monumental Palazzo Strozzi which hosts an excellent rolling program of exhibitions by both internationally-known contemporary artists and past masters. The service Excellent. A dedicated concierge is on hand to arrange activities such as private tours of the city, visits to vineyards and sessions with a personal shopper. The hotel has deliberately kept the room keys on old-fashioned brass rings; it’s a means of keeping contact between staff and guests.Accessibility  There are several adapted rooms. Anything left to mention?  In 2022 Milanese master pastry chef Iginio Massari opened a pasticceria in the same building with direct access from the hotel; a visit to sample his mouth-watering cakes and pastries (don’t miss the panettone at Christmas) is a must." - Nicky Swallow