Tag: florence

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The best hotels with Spa in Florence, Italy

Florence is a beautiful romantic city, so why don’t you stay in one of the best spa in Florence?

If you are thinking of a weekend of wellness, relaxation and luxury, Florence is the city for you. A stone’s throw from the Duomo, Piazza della Signoria and Ponte Vecchio are some of the most beautiful hotels with spa in Florence , where you can pamper yourself and be pampered between a visit to museums and a Tuscan dinner. I have selected for you the best hotels with spa in Florence, in order to help you choose the one that best suits your wellbeing.

The best hotels with spa in Florence

By clicking on the “find out more” button you can check hotel prices and availability on booking.com, and eventually make your reservation.

Golden Tower

The ancient Torre degli Strozzi , next to the eponymous Renaissance palace, now houses an elegant 5-star hotel with rooms and suites equipped with every modern comfort. For hotel guests there is free access to the splendid Golden Beauty & Spa , the wellness center with sauna, turkish bath, emotional showers, whirlpool and beauty treatments. Finally there is also a restaurant housed in a large frescoed Renaissance room . The Golden Tower Hotel & Spa is located in Piazza Strozzi, in the heart of luxury shopping in the center of Florence.

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Four Seasons Florence

The Four Seasons simply offers its guests excellence , nothing more and nothing less. This applies to the hotel’s service, to the Il Palagio restaurant with a Michelin star and to the luxurious and exclusive spa , one of the best in Italy. The Four Seasons Florence is housed in the ancient and prestigious Palazzo della Scala della Gherardesca, which also includes the famous garden: guests of the hotel also have access to the Garden of Gherardesca , one of the largest in Florence, with a wonderful view and always private and closed to the public.

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Ponte Vecchio Suites & Spa

A boutique hotel a few meters from Ponte Vecchio, with an exclusive spa in the basement that can be reserved for guests of each suite , to enjoy a moment of true relaxation in total privacy. The Ponte Vecchio Suites and Spa is ideal for romantic weekends: there are also specific wellness routes for couples . The suites of various types all have a kitchenette and a Jacuzzi.

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Palazzo Castri 1874

A brand new 4-star superior boutique hotel, with an elegant and refined design , and a small gourmet restaurant with express cuisine. The rooms of Palazzo Castri 1874 have a view of the Duomo and a smartphone with free phone calls and internet available for guests when they are around the city. The spa with hydromassage pool , sauna, turkish bath and relaxation area, also has a beauty center with facial and body treatments.

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Florence Number Nine Wellness hotel

A contemporary hotel that embraces art, design, luxury and well-being . Each room is unique and different from the others, and the spa of over 400 square meters can also be reserved exclusively. Finally, the wellness offer includes a fitness center with personal trainer and yoga classes, and an Ayurvedic center with over 90 treatments on the menu. The Firenze Number Nine  wellness hotel is located in the historic center, between the Duomo and Piazza San Lorenzo.

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Hotel Ville sull’Arno

Located on the edge of the city, on the bank of the Arno River, this 5-star hotel offers attentive and well-kept service, a panoramic restaurant in balance between tradition and innovation and a beautiful spa with personalized treatments. The spa is decorated in a unique style and each piece has been created by hand by Florentine artisans . The Hotel Ville sull’Arno is located on Lungarno Colombo, very close to the center but completely out of the chaos and mass tourism.

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San Firenze Suites and Spa

A small, elegant hotel with an attentive and professional service in every detail. It is housed in a historic building in the heart of Florence, a few steps from Piazza della Signoria. The most beautiful rooms have four-poster beds and windows with a view. The San Firenze Suites hotel is famous for its spa, which you can reserve for a private wellness experience for two.

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The 10 best activities with children in Florence

Florence is an absolutely stunning city. However, it is not always clear how it can be suitable for families. Check out our top 10 things to do in Florence with the kids to make sure all family members can enjoy their city break!

Children’s Museum (Children’s Museum)

This is a “hand in hand” museum located in Palazzo Vecchio, where children have the opportunity, among other things, to try and make their own fresco to take home with them. The museum also hosts 2 theaters, one dedicated to children aged 3 and over, dubbed “the story room of Bia and Garcia”, while the other is aimed at all 8 years and has a slightly more adult name but with a boring tone “Renaissance and Civilization in Florence”. Throughout the year the museum hosts a number of “hands on” workshops and it is always possible to book an interactive tour of the museum. Here, the actors will dress like famous people like Vasari or Galileo, literally bringing the story to life in front of you and your little ones.

Leonardo da Vinci Museum

This is another museum that can attract young people, allowing children to get their hands on many of Leonardo’s creative ideas. The aim of the museum is to bring the famous drawings of the artist to life. And the result is a lot of models, from machine guns to cranes, all of which have mobile parts that children can get their hands on.

Hop-on tour, hop-off bus

These bus tours can be found in almost every major city in the world now, but they remain a great option for children. They are provided with free headsets to listen to the guide that tells of the city along the route of 16 kilometers. It’s a great way to get to know and explore the city without complaining about “tired feet”! And now, in addition to larger bus tours, there are also smaller and more personal tour options.

Get on the Duomo

With 463 steps from the beginning to the end of steep and narrow corridors, this is perhaps not suitable for very young children. However, those children who have endurance will love the views from the top of the lantern. It is also a great way to see Vasari’s ‘Last Judgment’ up close. You will need to book in advance and get in line because the tickets are for pre-established and non-transferable times. If you can not get a space for the Duomo, another option that will also offer a splendid view of the city is that of slightly climbing 414 steps of Giotto’s Bell Tower.

Boboli’s Garden

While adults will undoubtedly appreciate the beauty and splendor of the Boboli Gardens, the youngest of the family will find the perfect space to burn some energy! With 111 acres to explore, full of mazes, meadows, forests, trails, fountains and caves, it can take hours to explore it all.

Cooking class

There are many companies in the center of Florence that offer cooking lessons, some of which are aimed exclusively at children. So, while the children are busy cooking a party, mom and dad can wander through the city to the contents of the heart, coming back in a few hours to taste the fruits of your child’s labors.?

Uffizi Gallery

Some may be surprised to see the Uffizi present in our list of family activities in Florence, however we think it is possible to explore the Uffizi with children in tow. However, it involves a bit of additional planning. Of course, do not just go up and join the queues for the tickets hoping that your little ones keep enough patience to enjoy the internal performances once they reach the first line. Instead, book early and use the services of a family guide to take you around. If you explain that you have children, your tour guide should be able to adapt the tour to give more life to works of art for small minds. And, do not try to see every single room inside the gallery or every single work of art.

Ice cream!

No visit to any Italian city is complete without numerous trips to the nearest ice cream parlor! Florence is full of the most fantastic ice-cream parlors and children will never tire of visiting the nearest ice-cream parlor!

On the carousel

Families will find an ancient carousel in Piazza della Repubblica all year round and never fail to delight the little ones. After enjoying a ride, why not go to the nearby toy store – Bartolucci – where the Bartolucci family has made Pinocchio souvenirs for generations.

Fiesole

Although not strictly in the center of Florence, we thought that Fiesole deserved a mention. Located in the hills above the city, there are many small entertainers here, including the Etruscan tombs. Believe it or not, their small size is perfect for the younger members of the family who can actually climb out. You will also find a Roman amphitheater and the remains of a Roman temple and baths here, which will allow you to bring back to life some of the things you might have learned at school. Before your trip, why not read some books on Roman history with your children. There are some great options, not least the Horrible Histories book series.