Villa San Michele, A Belmond Hotel, FlorencevsHelvetia & Bristol Firenze -Starhotels Collezione
Both hotels are endorsed by professional reviewers writing for major publications. On balance, Helvetia & Bristol Hotel is the choice of most writers compared to Belmond Villa San Michele. Helvetia & Bristol Hotel comes in at 82 with praise from 8 publications such as Travel + Leisure, concierge.com and Rough Guide.
Villa San Michele, A Belmond Hotel, Florence
Via Doccia 4, 50014 Fiesole
From $534/night
- Bar/Lounge
- Free Internet
- Room Service
- Free Breakfast
- Shuttle Bus
- Laundry Service
Michelin Guide
"Relax in the tranquil grounds of this elegant 15C building and enjoy the superb views of the city below."
Fodor's
"The cypress-lined driveway provides an elegant preamble to this incredibly gorgeous (and very expensive) hotel nestled in the hills of Fiesole." Full review
DK Eyewitness
"Once a monastery, the design of this hotel’s façade is attributed to Michelangelo."
Condé Nast Traveler
""You cannot beat the ambience" at this former monastery on a cliffside amid trees and terraced gardens just outside Florence." Full review
Afar Magazine
"The hotel’s expansive rooms are already decked out in the most tasteful, almost understated interpretation of Renaissance luxury." Full review
Travel + Leisure
"From its hillside perch just below the village of Fiesole, a northern suburb of Florence, the Villa San Michele overlooks the wide sprawl of the city." Full review
The Telegraph
9.0
"Villa San Michele — one of Florence’s most expensive hotels — is housed in an ancient former monastery, and combines Renaissance atmosphere with 21st-century comforts galore." Full review
Hideaway Report
96.0
"Sumptuously restored hilltop hotel (15 minutes by shuttle from city center) housed by a 15th-century Franciscan monastery commanding a glorious panoramic view of Florence." Full review
Independent
"This luxury hotel really knows how to look after its guests. It combines a historical atmosphere with 21st-century comforts; think rooms with rich fabrics and marble bathrooms."
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Michelin Guide
"Carved chests, austerely shaped chairs, glazed terracotta floors. None of that clutter that you find in your run-of-the-mill 18th-century palace hotel. The decor, in fact, almost looks minimalist." Full review
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Please note: Hotel Villa San Michele is a seasonal property open annually from the end of March through November.
Helvetia & Bristol Firenze -Starhotels Collezione Show All Reviews
Via Dei Pescioni 2, 50123 Florence
From $235/night
- Pet Friendly
- Bar/Lounge
- Free Internet
- Room Service
- Free Breakfast
- Laundry Service
Michelin Guide
"This elegant 19C hotel evokes the charm of bygone days."
Concierge
"One of central Florence's best small hotels, the Helvetia & Bristol has had a distinguished history, with Stravinsky, Gabriele d'Annunzio, Pirandello, and Bertrand Russell among its past guests."
Fodor's
"Painstaking care has gone into making this hotel one of the prettiest and most intimate in town." Full review
Travel + Leisure
"The views are the trump card at Florence’s Hotel Helvetia & Bristol, where all 67 rooms and suites look onto the Renaissance city." Full review
DK Eyewitness
"With five-star traditions but a more boutique feel, this hotel is full of pieces from the owner’s art collection – you might find a 17th- or 18th-century painting above your bed."
Star Service
"Around the corner from the more subdued Hotel de la Ville, this is an almost hallowed home-away-from home with a house-proud staff that feels at times like family." Full review
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Guests must request smoke-free digs.
Rough Guide
"In business since 1894 and favoured by such luminaries as Pirandello. Stravinsky and Gary Cooper, this is undoubtedly Florence's finest small five-star hotel."
Jetsetter
"If you ever dreamed of being a de' Medici princess cavorting in a Botticelli landscape, Florence's Hotel Helvetia & Bristol provides your elegant palazzo away from home. In a great centro..." Full review
Oyster
Luxury
"The luxury Helvetia & Bristol Hotel is a late 19th-century, palazzo-style hotel with an Old World, aristocratic air." Full review
Forbes Travel Guide
Recommended
"Exuding endless amounts of Old World charm, Hotel Helvetia & Bristol is located in Florence’s historic center and in one of the city’s prettiest squares." Full review
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The idyllic terrace outside is a superb spot to dine alfresco without the heavy traffic other central areas tend to get — be sure to toast your dinner companion with Italy’s answer to champagne, a glass of Franciacorta Cuvée Satèn.