Where to Stay in Florence: Best Hotels From Luxury Palazzos to Great Value
From historic palazzos steps from the Duomo to quiet Oltrarno guesthouses, these are our picks across every budget.
Florence is one of those cities where the right hotel changes everything. You are not just booking a bed. You are booking a door that opens onto cobblestones a few blocks from the Duomo, a terrace with views you have to earn in most cities or a quiet courtyard that makes the whole trip feel like it was meant to be. This guide covers the best hotels in Florence across every style and budget, from grand luxury properties to small B&Bs with character.
We lived in Florence for a year after leaving the US in 2017. It was our first home abroad and the city we know better than almost anywhere. Via Roma was our street. We walked to the Mercato Centrale for groceries, knew which bars did the best aperitivo and watched the tourists come and go while we figured out how to be locals. These picks come from that time, from multiple return visits, from stays we have done ourselves and from friends and family we have hosted and sent to the city. It is what we would tell you if you asked us over a glass of Chianti where to book.
Florence hotels occupy Renaissance palazzos, converted monasteries and noble family residences. Unlike Venice where you pay a premium for canal views, in Florence you can stay in actual historic properties within walking distance of everything.
Best Neighborhoods to Stay in Florence:
| Duomo and Centro Storico. The center of everything. Walk to all the major sights, highest prices, busy streets. Worth it for first timers. Santa Croce. Slightly east of center, less crowded than the Duomo zone, excellent restaurants and a great local feel. Oltrarno. South of the Arno, the artisan and gallery side of Florence. Quieter, more residential, still walkable to everything. Our personal favorite. Santa Maria Novella. Around the train station. Convenient for arrivals and departures, slightly less atmospheric but solid mid-range options. Lungarno. Along the river. Some of the best views in the city. Worth paying a small premium if a river view matters to you. First-time visitors: Stay in Duomo/Centro Storico or Santa Croce. Return visits: Explore Oltrarno for a quieter, more local feel. Florence is served by Florence Airport (Peretola/FLR, 20 min to center) or Pisa Airport (1 hour). Most hotels offer airport transfers. |
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. We may earn a small commission if you book through our links, at no extra cost to you. We only recommend hotels we’d stay at ourselves.
Florence hotel prices peak during spring (March to June) and fall (September to October). Book 3 to 4 months ahead for these periods. July and August are hot but you will find better availability and lower rates. Many hotels offer last-minute deals in November through February except around Christmas.
Luxury Hotels in Florence
For travelers who want world-class service, historic settings and hotels that feel like part of the trip.
Four Seasons Hotel Firenze
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Location: Via del Serragli area, near the Arno, with extensive private gardens
Why Stay Here: This is the most extraordinary hotel in Florence and one of the most extraordinary in Italy. It occupies two historic Renaissance palaces and sits within the largest private garden in Florence. If you are going to splurge once, this is the place. We have had friends stay here and the reports are consistent: exceptional service, beautiful rooms and a sense of calm you simply cannot find at most properties this central. The garden alone is worth the premium, and the spa is one of the finest in Italy.
Price Range: $$$$ per night
Palazzo Vecchietti
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Location: Near Piazza della Repubblica, steps from the Duomo
Why Stay Here: An elegant small luxury hotel inside a restored 16th-century palazzo in the heart of the historic center. Only 13 apartments, which means the service is personal and attentive in a way that larger properties simply cannot match. You are right in the center without being in a generic luxury box. This is on our personal bucket list for our next Florence visit and it keeps coming up in conversations with friends who have stayed nearby and spotted it. There is genuinely nothing else quite like it at this scale in the city.
Price Range: $$$$ per night
Hotel Brunelleschi
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Location: Piazza Santa Elisabetta, steps from the Duomo
Why Stay Here: Built into a genuine Byzantine tower and medieval church, this is a property with real bones. The location is remarkable: you step outside and the Duomo is right there. The tower suite is the kind of thing you remember for years. This is on our bucket list because there is simply nothing else quite like staying inside a piece of Florence history at this level. The rooms throughout the main building are beautifully executed and the rooftop views over the Duomo are among the best in the city.
Price Range: $$$$ per night
Villa Cora
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Location: Oltrarno, in a private park near Boboli Gardens and Porta Romana
Why Stay Here: A 19th-century neo-Renaissance villa built by Baron Oppenheim as a love letter to his wife. This is grand, opulent Florence at its most extravagant. Each floor has a different design theme: the second floor is a tribute to Empress Eugénie with roses everywhere, the third floor is Oriental-inspired with original frescoes by Angelo Pietrasanta and Luigi Samoggia throughout. The villa has the only year-round heated outdoor pool in Florence, set in gardens with over 100 varieties of roses. Underground tunnels connect the villa to the spa and pool restaurant. This is Leading Hotels of the World territory with a guest list that has included Tchaikovsky and Japanese emperors. Full baroque, frescoed, velvet-canopied four-poster bed luxury at its most Florentine. If you want to feel like 19th-century Florentine aristocracy, this is the hotel. It is firmly on our personal list for a future stay.
Price Range: $$ per night
The Place Firenze
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Location: Near Santa Maria Novella, close to the train station
Why Stay Here: Small luxury in the truest sense. Only 20 rooms, a stunning courtyard garden and service that feels genuinely personal rather than corporate. Guests of ours have stayed here and raved about how calm and well-appointed it is. If you want five-star treatment without the scale of a grand hotel, this is an excellent pick. The Santa Maria Novella location is convenient and noticeably quieter than the Duomo zone, and the breakfast is exceptional.
Price Range: $$$ per night
Boutique and Character Hotels in Florence
For travelers who want personality, history and smaller properties with a real sense of place.
Borghese Palace Art Hotel
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Location: Via Ghibellina, steps from the Duomo and Santa Croce
Why Stay Here: We stayed here on our first trip to Florence before we moved there, around 2015, and it set the tone perfectly. The rooms are filled with art, the building is a genuine historic palazzo and the location on Via Ghibellina puts you a short walk from both the Duomo and Santa Croce. It is a smart pick for first timers who want character over generic comfort, and it was the hotel that made us fall in love with the idea of staying in a real Florentine building rather than a conventional hotel.
Price Range: $$$ per night
NH Collection Porta Rossa
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Location: Via Porta Rossa, between Piazza della Repubblica and Ponte Vecchio
Why Stay Here: One of the oldest hotels in Florence, operating in a building that has been welcoming guests since the 13th century. The location on Via Porta Rossa is excellent: quiet enough to feel away from the crowds and close enough to walk to everything in ten minutes. We have stayed here and appreciated that it delivers on both history and comfort without being stuffy about it. The corridors and communal spaces have a genuine sense of age that most hotels try to fake and this one simply has.
Price Range: $$-$$$ per night
Hotel Pitti Palace Al Ponte Vecchio
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Location: Oltrarno, steps from Ponte Vecchio and Pitti Palace
Why Stay Here: The Oltrarno is our favorite side of Florence and this property puts you right in the middle of it. Walk to Ponte Vecchio in two minutes, reach Pitti Palace on foot and have the quieter, more residential Florence right outside your door. A solid boutique option for travelers who have been before and want to explore beyond the Centro Storico. The rooms with views toward the Ponte Vecchio are worth requesting specifically.
Price Range: $$-$$$ per night
Hotel Kraft
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Location: Near the Teatro Comunale and Santa Maria Novella
Why Stay Here: A Florence institution with a loyal following. The rooftop pool is a genuine plus in summer, rare at this price point in the center. Good mid-range to upper-mid option for travelers who want a reliable, well-located hotel with more personality than a chain. We have researched this one extensively as a potential option for our own return visits and it consistently earns strong praise for the pool, the service and the overall value for the location.
Price Range: $$-$$$ per night
Apartment Style and Serviced Apartments in Florence
For travelers who want more space, kitchen access and a residential feel, especially for longer stays.
Forte 16 View And Spa
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Location: Near Forte di Belvedere, Oltrarno, with views over Florence
Why Stay Here: This is our go-to when we return to Florence. The apartments are spacious, the indoor pool is a real luxury and it is one of the most dog friendly accommodations we have found anywhere in Italy. Some units have sweeping views over Florence from the Oltrarno hillside near Forte di Belvedere. We have stayed here multiple times with our dog and the staff treats four-legged guests exceptionally well. Indoor pool access is available year-round, which is a genuine rarity in Florence. If you are staying more than a few nights, traveling with a dog or simply want a proper base with room to come back to at the end of each day, this is our strongest recommendation on this entire list.
Price Range: $$-$$$ per night
Traveling with a dog to Florence? Forte 16 is our top pick. We have stayed here multiple times with our dog and the staff go out of their way for four-legged guests. The indoor pool is open year-round and the Oltrarno location means quieter streets and easy access to the Boboli Gardens for walks.
Soprarno Suites
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Location: Oltrarno, Via Maggio
Why Stay Here: A beautifully designed apartment hotel on one of the Oltrarno's most elegant streets. Via Maggio is lined with antique shops and strong restaurants. The suites feel like staying in a curated Florentine apartment rather than a hotel, which is exactly the point. A strong option for couples or design focused travelers who want residential charm without sacrificing comfort. The street itself is one of the most beautiful in Florence and most tourists never find it.
Price Range: $$-$$$$ per night
Residenza Dell’Oriolo
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Location: Near Santa Croce, short walk from the Duomo
Why Stay Here: One of the better value apartment style options in the centro storico. Well located between Santa Croce and the Duomo with spacious rooms and a flexible layout. A practical choice for families or longer stays when you want a kitchen and extra room without leaving the historic center. The Santa Croce neighborhood around it has some of the best local restaurants in Florence at prices that match the area rather than the tourist zone.
Price Range: $-$$ per night
Great Locations and Good Value in Florence
For travelers who want strong positioning and comfort without luxury pricing.
C-Hotels Ambasciatori
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Location: Via Alamanni, next to Santa Maria Novella train station
Why Stay Here: We have stayed here and it delivers exactly what it promises: clean, comfortable and professionally run. Being next to the train station makes arrivals and Tuscany day trips simple. Not glamorous and not trying to be. If you are moving around by train and need a reliable Florence base, this is a straightforward and solid choice. The breakfast is good and the staff genuinely helpful for navigating the city.
Price Range: $$ per night
B&B Il Salotto Di Firenze
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Location: Via Roma, steps from the Duomo
Why Stay Here: This one is personal. When we lived on Via Roma this B&B was directly across the hallway from our apartment. The Duomo views from the upper rooms are extraordinary and completely real. The location is as central as it gets for this price point. For travelers who want to wake up in the heart of Florence without paying five-star rates, this is a smart find. It also holds a particular place for us as a piece of our Florence story that we are happy to send other people to.
Price Range: $$ per night
Hotel Davanzati
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐
Location: Via Porta Rossa, Piazza della Repubblica area
Why Stay Here: A well run family-owned three-star that consistently outperforms its category. Central without inflated pricing and known for warm, personal service. Frequently cited as one of the best value hotels in Florence by travelers who have stayed in the city multiple times. A smart booking for travelers who prioritize location and character over luxury branding.
Price Range: $-$$ per night
Hotel Il Perseo
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐
Location: Near Santa Maria Novella train station
Why Stay Here: Clean, friendly and dependable. An easy location for getting in and out of the city and a practical choice for short stays or Tuscany day trips. Not a destination property but a reliable one at a price that makes sense for the center. The Santa Maria Novella location means you are well connected and the staff are consistently helpful for first-time visitors figuring out the city.
Price Range: $ per night
Hotel Degli Orafi
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Location: Lungarno degli Archibusieri, on the Arno next to the Uffizi
Why Stay Here: If location is the priority and you want river views without ultra luxury pricing, this is the answer. Steps from the Uffizi and Ponte Vecchio with rooms overlooking the Arno. A strong choice for travelers who know Florence and want to prioritize position over everything else. The Lungarno views at golden hour from this stretch of river are some of the best in the city.
Price Range: $$-$$$ per night
Florence rewards you for choosing well. The city is compact and location matters more than people expect. Being ten minutes closer to the Duomo changes your entire rhythm. Choose the neighborhood first, then book the hotel that fits your budget within it. Any of these options will give you a proper Florence base.
Read More About Florence
Looking for more ideas? Read our Florence Travel Guide for top landmarks, family favorites, food and planning tips.
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