In short… The Grand Hotel Minerva is a family-owned hotel that’s walking distance from the train station with both Renaissance and midcentury pedigrees, a rare rooftop pool and 360-degree views of Florence.
The vibe… A cross between modernist cool, gilded palazzo style and your art-loving grandmother’s living room that somehow all works together. The Grand Hotel Minerva feels like the idiosyncratic personal vision it is. Owned by the Maestrelli family, whose Collezione Em also includes two historic properties in Forte dei Marmi and the newly opened Violino D’Oro in Venice, the hotel’s eclectic style reflects the story of the building itself.
The backstory… The building originated as housing for the monks of Santa Maria Novella more than 700 years ago and stands next to the basilica’s stunning striped 15th-century façade. (The hotel still has a secret back entrance to the church and the now famed Officina Profumo-Farmaceutica di Santa Maria Novella.) Over the years, it was used as a residence of aristocratic Florentine families, then became a hotel in the 19th century, thanks to its proximity to the train station. In 1958, new owners turned a full redesign over to Italian modernist architect Carlo Scarpa, who overhauled the property in the name of innovation—even installing a rooftop pool, against code (he had influential friends). When the Maestrelli family acquired it in 1992, they preserved Scarpa’s design and details—floating staircases, sunken lobby living room, glass walls, geometric brick facade; he was known for his love of traditional materials—while also bringing in a lot of family art and antiques bought at auction from noble families.
The rooms… There are 97 guest rooms, and—one of my favorite touches—all the doors are upholstered in a tan Florentine leather embossed with the image of Minerva. Scarpa preserved only 4 of the original rooms—two with 17th-century frescoes and two with coffered wooden ceilings from the 1300s. We stayed in Room 103, a frescoed suite with a little balcony overlooking the pedestrian-only Santa Maria Novella square, a Murano glass chandelier, scattered antiques, curtained bed and couch in a celadon-green. Décor-wise, some of the suites are a little specific in palette and artwork, perhaps not to everyone’s taste, but the website depicts each one, if that’s the way you’re going. The bathroom had a big marble tub with Lorenzo Villoresi Firenze products. The non-suite rooms channel the hotel’s modern side more than its traditional one—leather headboards, tulip tables, contemporary artwork.
The food & drink… The breakfast room is, you could say, serving Mad Men along with a buffet of Tuscan dishes/products and freshly baked breads, with an ample vegan corner. The arresting black-and-white tiled room populated by Scarpa’s restored chairs has a glass wall on one side that looks onto his Japanese garden and on the other, a wall of works by Florentine Fluxus artist, Giuseppe Chiari. We didn’t have a chance to eat at the main restaurant, La Buona Novella, where chef Rocco di Santis of 2-Michelin star Santa Elisabetta—which anchors the newest Collezione Em property, Hotel Brunellesci—is developing a menu that will be debuting soon. You can also get pizza at the rooftop bar, with incredible views of the city.
The wellness… There’s a small but well-outfitted gym and a calidarium (hot plunge bath), which is temporarily closed. And the pool totally saved us on a 100-degree July day when we couldn’t take one more touristic step on the broiling pavement.
Be sure to… Have aperitivi on the rooftop—at sunset it’s especially beautiful, with sight lines of everything from the Duomo to Palazzo Vecchio to Piazza Michelangelo. And if you’re walking by the tiny Piazza Sant’Elisabettea, stop into the sister Hotel Brunellesci, which is built into the oldest standing tower in Florence, ca. 600 AD. They recently discovered a Roman bath in the basement and created a small museum with artifacts found during excavation.
Parting words… While Florence has no lack of classic or chic hotels to choose from, with its easy walk from the train, large rooftop pool, and several interconnecting rooms/suites, I’d say the Minerva is especially great for families.
Date of stay… July 16, 2024
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