In short… Hotel Torre di Bellosguardo is a historic stay that feels like your own estate in the Tuscan countryside, just 10 minutes from the center of Florence
The history… The Italian poet Guido Cavalcanti, a close friend of Dante, had Torre di Bellosguardo built as a hunting lodge and family home around 1200. By the 1500s it changed hands to the Medici family and then the Michelozzi family, who wanted the property to have a more grandiose feel, and had the entry hall (now lobby) adorned with frescoes by Bernardino Poccetti and sculptures made by Pietro Francavilla. Galileo supposedly studied the stars from the tower, and it was even a boarding school for a short stint, then in the early 1900s it became a salon for intellectuals and nobility from all over the continent. Just 25 years ago it was converted into a hotel. Since then it has continued to attract an impressive crowd—everyone from Kate Moss to Paul Smith has signed their guestbook.
The vibe… Before I even stepped foot into the echo-y lobby with its frescoed ceilings and museum-worthy antiques, I was in love. The 15-minute taxi ride that whisked me up into the hills above the city center is what initially sold me. When the car slowed down enough on the hairpin turns I could catch a glimpse of the incredible scenery that the hotel is named for (Bellosguardo means “beautiful view,” afterall) and when we rounded the corner of the cypress-lined driveway, I saw the view for the first time. Such a breathtaking, historic property could easily feel a bit stiff, but I was immediately put at ease by the lax check-in process. A jovial guy who seemed like he was wearing a suit for the first time in his life greeted me with a friendly nonchalance that seemed to be the modus operandi of the whole place.
Their website sums it up well, “If you enjoy elevator music, insist on squadrons of bellboys in livery and must have a jewelry boutique in the lobby, our hotel is most likely not for you.” In other words, if you’re looking for luxury in the way of room service or branded amenity kits in the bathroom, you’d be better suited to stay at the Belmond or Four Seasons. I hardly missed those sorts of things, especially considering I paid a fraction of what those hotels cost and still got to live out this soulful, unstuffy, Renaissance fantasy-world they’ve managed to preserve so well.
What made this stay truly special wasn’t the presence of turndown service or a scene-y bar—because there isn’t any—but rather the way it immerses you in some sort of reverie where wandering around this vast, historic estate feels like the most natural thing in the world. Nobody seemed to care if you wanted to make the sunlit orangery your office for the day, or if you wanted to play a few songs on the piano in one of the large living rooms. I think the best hotels do that—make you feel so at home while also immersing you in their own little world.
The rooms… There are only 16 and each one is unique. Mine was a very spacious room with rib-vaulted ceilings, oriental rugs, dark wooden furniture and jewel-toned accent pillows. It wasn’t hard to imagine that the room had looked exactly the same for centuries, the only updates being the addition of AC, electricity, and modern plumbing. Since it was the corner room on the top floor, it had views of both the gardens and the city. If there’s ever a case to hole up in your hotel room it’s here, just to stare out the window for hours. I even set an alarm to wake up and see the sunrise over the city of Florence from my bed—so worth it!
The food… They serve a decent breakfast spread on their terrace each morning, though there is no real restaurant on site for lunch or dinner. But who wants to eat at a hotel restaurant when Il Cammillo is a 25 minute walk down a cypress-lined road, anyway? Plus you can have a spritz and some light bites by the pool to tide you over until aperitivo hour.
The wellness… There’s no gym or spa, but trust that walking around the herb-scented gardens and swimming in that perfect pool is really all you need.
Parting words… Florence is a city I still don’t know very well. I’ve only been twice, and each time seemed to be surrounded by crowds of sweaty tourists in tragically sensible footwear. Staying here I felt like I was in on some sort of secret—on a hot Sunday in late June it was just me, a chic Italian couple, and a symphony of cicadas by the pool.
Dates of stay… June 2023
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