8 Best Hotels in Around the Duomo, Florence

In this home that is part of a 15th-century palazzo, a cozy feeling permeates the charming rooms, all of which are uniquely decorated and lovingly furnished; some have damask curtains, others fanciful frescoes in the bathroom. With the exquisite service, too, the Pini family has made it clear they want you to treat their house as if it were your own.

The graceful Marchesa Ginevra Niccolini di Camugliano has taken the palazzo of her husband's family (acquired by an ancestor in 1532) and turned it into a luxurious place that still manages to evoke a cozy, yet highly sophisticated, home. She refers to her lovingly restored hotel as her third child. Rooms have high ceilings, damask drapes, and spacious, marble-floored bathrooms. Some have original 18th-century frescoes, others terrific views. The well-priced Altana Deluxe Suite, with its remarkable view and hot tub, is worth a splurge.

From the cozy yet sophisticated lobby, with its stone columns, to the guest rooms decorated with prints, you might feel as if you're a guest in a manor house. In fact, painstaking care has gone into making this hotel among the prettiest and most intimate in town. It has the bonus of being in the center of the centro storico, making this a luxurious base from which to explore the city.

Some rooms here have views of the Palazzo Vecchio, and others of the Arno; the rooftop terrace, where you can have breakfast or an aperitivo, is decked with flowers. The lobby suggests a friend's living room while double glazing and air-conditioning help keep street noise at bay.

A key scene in A Room with a View was shot in this pensione, which is today a luxury hotel adorned with chintz and marble. Many rooms have luscious views of the Arno, and a few have their own terraces. Breakfast is served in opulent surroundings—check out the crystal chandelier and the frescoed ceiling in the dining room.

Nestled in an old building just a stone's throw from the main civic square (Piazza Signoria), this charming little boutique hotel offers peace and elegance. Many of the rooms have 18th-century frescoes on their ceilings, and all have hydromassage showers (some have a steam room). You can enjoy an aperitivo from the bar, and sip it in a comfortable sitting room.

Art Deco–inspired decor—featuring emerald (the name means "the gem") color schemes—and a library of art, design, and history books are among the hallmarks of this Florentine family–run, luxury hotel, which opened in 2023 in the 19th-century Palazzo Paoletti on a side street just steps from Piazza della Repubblica. Some suites have Duomo views, and all are relaxing retreats with velvet headboards, marble bathrooms, chess sets, rosemary-scented toiletries, La Via del Tè tea sachets, and Marshall speakers. Penthouse Lofts even have a private elevator and full kitchens. For a break from sightseeing, head to the basement-level spa, which has a sauna, steam room, and whirlpool tub, as well as treatments. The on-site restaurant, Luca's, is led by multiple Michelin–starred, Argentine-Italian chef Paulo Airaudo, who has a penchant for seafood.

If you're looking for a swank setting, and the possibility of staying in for a meal (each room has a tiny kitchenette), look no further than this hotel which, while thoroughly modern, dates to the 15th century. It belonged to the powerful Vecchietti family, and you enter the hotel—after ringing the doorbell—through a 13th-century tower. The public room has a large, Renaissance fireplace and very high ceilings: the courtyard is open and looks all the way up.