Florence & Tuscany, from the Arno to the Val d'Orcia
Florence is a city you cross on foot, and the countryside that made it rich begins where the streets end – Chianti's vineyards on the road to Siena, the hill towns, and the bare, folded valley of the Val d'Orcia to the south.
The collection
6 hotels
Florence is a city you cross on foot, and the countryside that made it rich begins where the streets end – Chianti's vineyards on the road to Siena, the hill towns, and the bare, folded valley of the Val d'Orcia to the south. Three of these hotels sit inside the centro storico, a few steps from the Duomo, Piazza della Repubblica and the Ponte Vecchio; three are estates in that countryside – a Brunello winery above Montalcino, a medieval borgo between Florence, Pisa and San Gimignano, a villa and its farm in the Sienese hills – and all six hold five-star standing. We looked at every serious address from the Arno to the Val d'Orcia and kept only those whose service holds up to the setting. Six made the cut.
“Because the largest private garden in Florence, walled and quiet behind a palazzo in the centro storico, is a setting no street address in the city can offer – and Four Seasons keeps the service level with it.”
From our editors · Four Seasons Hotel Firenze
The neighborhoods
Florence Centro Storico
The Renaissance city inside its ring of boulevards – the Duomo and Brunelleschi's dome, Piazza della Repubblica, the Uffizi and the Ponte Vecchio, all within a few minutes of one another on foot – with three of the six hotels.
Chianti, Siena & Val d'Orcia
The countryside south and west of Florence – Chianti's vineyards on the road to Siena, the hill towns from San Gimignano to Montalcino, and the bare, folded valley of the Val d'Orcia beyond – where the other three hotels are estates: a winery, a borgo, and a villa with its farm.
Good to know
Should I stay in Florence or out in the countryside?
The centro storico holds three of the six – Hotel Savoy on Piazza della Repubblica a few steps from the Duomo, Portrait Firenze on the Arno by the Ponte Vecchio, and Four Seasons in Palazzo della Gherardesca behind the largest private garden in the city – and it is the choice for the museums, the churches and dinner on foot. The countryside holds the other three, each an estate rather than an address on a street: Rosewood Castiglion del Bosco above Montalcino in the Val d'Orcia, Castelfalfi between Florence, Pisa and San Gimignano, and Borgo Santo Pietro near Chiusdino in the Sienese hills. Many guests do both – a few nights in the city, then a few at an estate – and the concierge can plan the split before you book.
When is the best season for Florence and Tuscany?
Spring and early autumn are the seasons – April through June for the gardens and the long evenings, September and October for the grape harvest in Chianti and around Montalcino and the softest light on the Val d'Orcia. July and August are hot in the city and busy everywhere, and that is when the estates come into their own, with pools and cool stone. Winter is the quiet time in Florence – the museums without the lines – and some of the country estates close for part of it; the concierge will confirm each hotel's dates for the year before you book.
Do I need a car?
Not in Florence. The centro storico is a place for walking, and most of it is closed to ordinary traffic under the city's limited-traffic zone, the ZTL, so the three city hotels are reached by taxi or by a car the hotel sends, and everything from the Duomo to the Oltrarno is on foot from the door. For the estates, yes, or a driver: they sit an hour to two hours from the city by road, and a car is how you reach Siena, Montalcino, Pienza and San Gimignano from them. The concierge can arrange a rental at the airport or a driver for the whole stay.
How do I reserve a stay?
Search your dates on any hotel's page to see rates and what is available, then book the room, suite or villa you want. A concierge is on hand throughout – to weigh the city against the estates before you book, and to arrange the car from the airport, a table at Irene or Saporium, a tee time at Castiglion del Bosco or Castelfalfi, a Brunello tasting and a spa day once you have.
