Best for: good vibes, people-watching
If you could harness the energy given off by the interiors at the Savoy, you could power all of Florence. They are irrepressibly, irresistibly uplifting – the design equivalent of a stranger with a beautiful laugh. Just overhearing that person’s laughter makes you want to laugh too. Thanks for the good vibes go to Olga Polizzi (sister of hotelier Sir Rocco Forte) and Laudomia Pucci (daughter of fashion legend Emilio Pucci), old friends who share a passion for vividly patterned fabrics, contrasting textures and certain not-always-entirely-obvious colour combinations (fuschia, minty green, cadmium yellow). The balance is nicely maintained and the effect is invigorating without ever becoming hectic. The jazzy elements also sit well alongside more traditional ones – the marble-and-mosaic-forward bathrooms, for instance, which elsewhere might be merely predictable but here, in context, seem playful, almost ironic. There is an engaging sense of self-awareness about it all.
The restaurant, Irene, is fabulous – Tuscan classics done to perfection in an intimate space that works equally well morning, noon or night, with a terrific terrace spilling right onto the Piazza della Repubblica for prime people-watching. (You could hardly be any more in the thick of it.)
Just one criticism: no spa. However, there are lots of books – good books, proper books, in nice editions – to encourage you to relax by using your head rather than merely lying back and drifting off while someone else rubs it.
Do ask the concierge team to arrange a personal walking tour – the guides are great and even if you know the city well, you’ll see something new and learn something astonishing. Steve King
Address: Hotel Savoy, Piazza della Repubblica 7, 50123, Firenze FI, Italy
Price: Doubles from about £430 (low season) and £580 (high season)
