Santa Croce Florence, Italy
Renovated
2024
Price
$$$$
Rated for
Luxe Heritage WellnessOutside the door
The house
Four SeasonsRenaissance garden residence
A fifteenth-century noble estate unfolds across Florence's largest private botanical park, running like an open-air museum.
“the entire hotel is like a museum with restored frescoes, bas-reliefs, stuccoes and silk wallpaper at every turn.”
What it’s good at
Exceptional
Concierges arrange hot-air balloon flights lifting directly from the private botanical park.
Exceptional
A 1473 Renaissance palazzo preserving original wall frescoes and mythological bas-relief friezes.
Remarkable
Santa Maria Novella botanical rituals alongside a heated twenty-eight-meter garden swimming pool.
What they say
Three Michelin Keys
Michelin
Forbes Five-Star
Forbes Travel Guide
2026
UK Readers' Choice Awards – Florence
Condé Nast Traveler
2025
Also in The 50 Discovery and AFAR.
It’s a converted Renaissance-era palazzo… this is what a Florentine luxury hotel ought to be, right down to the frescoed ceilings.
“Inside the beautifully renovated 15th-century Medici Palace, it's hard not to be wooed by its interiors that pull from the rich tapestry of historic Italian design motifs.”
Somewhere quiet
Away from the crowds. Getting around takes intention.
The hotel sits on quiet Borgo Pinti, a fifteen-minute stroll from the Duomo and the Galleria dell'Accademia.
The rooms
Silk wall hangings and marble bathrooms define the rooms, while signature suites retain original fifteenth-century ceiling frescoes.
The pool
Bring a swimsuit.
A 28-meter outdoor pool stretches through the private botanical park, looking toward a classical temple folly.
The spa
Treatments use remedies from historic Santa Maria Novella, and the private spa suite has an oval stone soaking tub.
The gym
The two-story fitness centre in the gardens has Technogym equipment alongside park yoga and Pilates classes.
Dogs stay too.
Atrium Bar
Bartenders mix vintage Negronis from drinks trolleys beneath the high skylit ceiling and dark wood paneling.
the comfortable antique elegance of Pierre-Yves Rochon’s design scheme feels just right in this historic setting.
At the table
Michelin-starred Il Palagio serves regional tasting menus on the garden terrace, and Al Fresco bakes wood-fired pizzas poolside in summer.
How it began
Bartolomeo Scala, chancellor to the Medici, built the central palazzo in 1473 as an homage to ancient Rome.
“Decorated with ornate frescoes, gilded chandeliers, and antique furnishings, the Four Seasons Hotel Firenze’s soaring halls and suites are fit for a king.”
Good to know
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Four Seasons Hotel Firenze
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Our shorthand
How we rate hotels.
The medals
Gold
Extremely rare. Sets the global standard.
Silver
Brilliant execution. And we’re picky.
Bronze
They did this well. You’ll notice.
Listed
A defining trait. Makes the hotel what it is.
The eight vibes
Design
Built around a vision. Even the door handles have a designer.
Luxe
Cared for at every turn. The bath is drawn before you ask.
Local
It could only be here. You wake up knowing where you are.
Social
Where the city goes out. The bar is full and the night is young.
Heritage
A building with a story. Once a palace, a monastery, a station.
Wellness
You leave feeling new. Rest, sweat, soak and sleep like a stone.
Classic
The city grew up with it. Same rituals, same regulars, same bar.
Resort
A world of its own. Something to do from breakfast to nightcap.
The scene
Lively
Where things happen: restaurants, shops, people.
Central
Well-located: walkable to some things, a short ride to more.
Quiet
Away from the crowds. Getting around takes intention.
Secluded
A place apart: the property is the destination.