Hotel Alba PalacevsVilla San Michele, A Belmond Hotel, Florence
Both properties are rated very highly by travel writers. Overall, Belmond Villa San Michele ranks marginally better than Hotel Alba Palace. Belmond Villa San Michele has a TripExpert Score of 76 with positive reviews from 7 reviewers like Condé Nast Traveler, The Telegraph and Michelin Guide.
Hotel Alba Palace
Via della Scala, 22/38r, 50123 Florence
From $60/night
- Pet Friendly
- Bar/Lounge
- Free Internet
- Room Service
- Free Breakfast
- Laundry Service
Star Service
"This is an affordable, family friendly hotel that provides comfortable accommodations and a convenient location just two short blocks from the train station and Piazza di Santa Maria Novella." Full review
Oyster
Mid-Range
"In a convenient location near Santa Maria Novella Station, the mid-range Hotel Alba Palace is a mid-range hotel is walking distance to several of Florence’s top attractions." Full review
Michelin Guide
3 Stars
"This is one of the world's greatest museums." Full review
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."
Best hotels in Florence 2023: Where to stay for culture and comfort
February 17, 2023
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.