23 Best Hotels in Florence

"Old-world opulence is ingrained in this restored 19th-century mansion overlooking the Boboli Gardens. Built in 1868, the villa has been home to aristocrats from Napoleon III’s widow, Eugenie, to an Egyptian pasha, and the remarkable staff sustain this noble aura with warmth and professionalism. The 46 rooms and suites fill three buildings on the estate, with the most lavish on the piano nobile of the main villa. Though a chauffeured car is at guests’ disposal for the short ride to Florence’s center, you may never feel the need to leave Villa Cora. It has two terrific restaurants—the elegant gourmet Il Pasha and a luminous garden restaurant next to the heated white-stone pool—as well as two bars, one with an impressive selection of cigars, and a full-service spa with a sauna, steam room, and massive whirlpool bath." - Nicky Swallow, Erica Firpo