"I pick Four Seasons Hotel Firenze for its private gardens, which provide a secluded, green retreat within the city." - Nicole Kliest
"A grand, Renaissance-era property combining a 15th-century palazzo and a 16th-century convent whose centuries-old frescoes, painted coffered ceilings, and rich tapestries evoke aristocratic splendor. The 116 guest rooms — including historic suites that retain original frescoes — are linked by a vast manicured garden centered on a long Medici-era fountain reimagined as a swimming pool with a heated Jacuzzi. With cloistered gardens that afford distant views of the Duomo, the hotel offers an opulent, removed refuge from the city’s bustle." - Laura Rysman
"A charming Two Key hotel in Florence with an excellent Italian fine dining restaurant named Il Palagio." - The MICHELIN Guide
"Housed in a pair of historic properties slathered in Renaissance sculptural friezes and Baroque frescoes, the Four Seasons would probably be open for guided tours today if it were not a hotel. But this 115-room grande dame, located a short walk from the Duomo in Florence’s quiet University district, wears its opulence lightly. The 11-acre landscaped park, whose current design dates back to the 19th century, separates the main Palazzo della Gherardesca building from the hotel’s Palazzo del Nero annex and is a leafy joy. An autumn 2024 makeover of Palazzo del Nero has raised the 36-room outlier from Cinderella to sassy princess, thanks also to Bar Berni, its cool new vermouth bar, and Onde seafood restaurant. From $1,084. —Lee Marshall" - CNT Editors
"Housed in Palazzo della Gherardesca, a former Florentine noble residence, this property blends original frescoes and period furniture with modern luxury and sits within the city’s largest private garden. Guests enjoy opulent marble bathrooms, plush furnishings, a spa stocked with Santa Maria Novella products, and Michelin-starred dining at Il Palagio offering regionally sourced Tuscan dishes such as lamb with sheep’s milk ricotta. The 116 rooms and suites are spread across the palazzo, the Limonaia, and the Villa, with some accommodations retaining original frescoes or ceramic floor tiles." - Laura Itzkowitz, Erica Firpo