Relais Santa Croce by Baglioni Hotels & ResortsvsVilla San Michele, A Belmond Hotel, Florence
Both hotels are rated very highly by experts. Overall, Relais Santa Croce ranks slightly higher than Belmond Villa San Michele. Relais Santa Croce comes in at #22 in Florence with accolades from 10 reviewers like concierge.com, Rough Guide and DK Eyewitness.
Relais Santa Croce by Baglioni Hotels & Resorts Show All Reviews
Via Ghibellina 87, 50122 Florence
From $402/night
- Pet Friendly
- Bar/Lounge
- Free Internet
- Room Service
- Shuttle Bus
- Laundry Service
Michelin Guide
"Fascinating atmosphere, frescoed halls and elegantly furnished rooms."
Concierge
"Inaugurated in spring 2005, this 24-room hotel offers luxurious accommodation and contemporary style in the shell of a grand, 18th-century palazzo close to the Duomo."
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When to go: Avoid August (it's hot and full of tourists) and January (cold and damp).
Insight Guides
"Recently restored by the stylish Baglioni group, this is an intimate palazzo for dangerous liaisons, with expansively opulent rooms that are matched by a noted restaurant, Guelfi e Ghibellini."
DK Eyewitness
"This wonderful hotel, in an 18th-century palazzo, is just a short stroll from Michelangelo’s house. Most of its luxurious rooms overlook the street."
Condé Nast Traveler
"This seventeenth-century residence in Florence’s trendy Santa Croce neighborhood has been deftly converted into an upscale 24-room hotel with a contemporary flair." Full review
Star Service
"In a beautiful but boisterous location one block north of the Santa Croce Church, a 10-to-15-minute walk from the Duomo or the Arno, this is a petite patrician palace with elegantly restored interiors." Full review
Rough Guide
"This magnificent five-star shares a lobby with the mind-blowingly expensive Pinchiorri restaurant. and is a similarly top-flight establishment."
Jetsetter
"Ornate former palazzo with fabulous views of the Duomo and Santa Croce basilica in Florence's historic heart." Full review
Gayot
"History sets the tone at this elegant Old World hotel where original architectural features are a highlight."
The Telegraph
8.0
"Palazzo Cioffi Giacometti is one of Florence’s grandest historic townhouses." 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.