"Set within a restored 15th-century patrician palazzo, I experienced Palazzo Portinari as a luxurious, storied retreat: 13 suites sit on the noble floor beneath soaring, decorated ceilings, antique tapestries and artworks still adorn the walls, and frescoes by Alessandro Allori and richly coffered ceilings have been diligently restored. The Renaissance courtyard hosts the MICHELIN-Starred restaurant Atto di Vito Mollica, where tables are watched over by a commanding marble statue of Cosimo de’ Medici, and a serene spa beneath centuries-old vaulted ceilings makes for an ideal cooler-day refuge. Suite rates fall to around €630 in the off-season from highs near €1,400, and the location places the Duomo and the Bargello museum just steps away." - Laura Rysman