23 Best Hotels in Florence

"If you want to know what happens when a high-style Italian family puts their heads together on a hospitality project—in this case, four siblings and their mother; one with a background in fashion and another an expert in real estate—Hotel La Gemma is the result. It is a serene, design-minded oasis—for a town known for its ancient history, this is no dusty relic. Much like the rest of the hotel, the rooms feel like velvet-padded jewel boxes. The family loves the decadence of the Art Deco period—minimalism is not in their vocabulary—and the plush, willowy bends of everything in the room speak to that. Take advantage of the supremely convenient location to beat the hordes to the Duomo or Uffizi in the morning, if those are on your list. —Megan Spurrell" - Nicky Swallow, Erica Firpo