Though I’ve visited the capital of Tuscany many times, I’m always eager to return. The stunning art and architecture by visionaries like Brunelleschi, Botticelli and Michelangelo make the Renaissance feel unexpectedly immediate. I’m still captivated by the marble stripes of the Duomo’s grand façade, the harmonious clutter of buildings atop the Ponte Vecchio and the imposing Etruscan-inspired Pitti Palace. Tucking my phone away and losing myself in Florence’s narrow streets is an enduring pleasure, despite the crowds in certain popular places. The tourist groups at the Uffizi, Accademia and Piazza della Signoria make it feel all the sweeter to retreat to a tranquil (and luxurious) hotel. Two notable openings and an overdue renovation gave me the perfect excuse to go back.

Palazzo Portinari Salviati

When my companion and I first arrived at the historic Palazzo Portinari Salviati, situated a sculpture’s throw from the Duomo, I was annoyed that nobody stood at the ready to help with our bags. But the grandeur of the entry courtyard quickly improved my impression.

Amid the flower arrangements of this sumptuous glass-roofed space rose a dignified statue of Cosimo I de’ Medici, the first grand duke of Tuscany. A towering figure in one of the Medici lines that ruled Florence from the mid-1400s, Cosimo was the grandson of Jacopo Salviati, who transformed houses built by Folco Portinari into a palace. The hotel, opened in 2022, takes its name from those two owners.