It may sound like a bit of a cliché, but the first time I went to Florence, the city captured my heart. Every single corner is filled with art and history and as I was walking through the cobbled streets with Monsieur Robot, on our way to the Uffizi, we were both very aware of falling victims to the Stendhal Syndrome. So much beauty is sometimes difficult to take in. Sure enough when I received an invitation to visit Il Salviatino, I coudn’t refuse. Any excuse to spend more time in Florence…
The hotel is perched in the hillside of Fiesole, just outside Florence and offers the most incredible view of the whole city while being surrounded by the postcard perfect Tuscan countryside. It is an absolutely stunning 15th century villa that was restored and turned into a hotel. It conjured up images from films such as “L’Année Dernière à Marienbad” and led me to spiral into a world of fantasy and fairytales. And how could I not? The walls of Il Salviatino hosted centuries of romance, life and drama, all of which I was trying to imagine while laying in my immensely comfortable bed, while a warm Spring breeze brought in delicate green fragrances from the Italian gardens below.
Each of the rooms in the hotel is decorated differently, keeping the original features untouched. The sheets are all handmade Tuscan linen which to me is the absolute height of luxury (I am a bit of a bedding maniac). The small touches make a vast difference to the experience as well: every evening at turn down, a few candles are lit in the room, giving it a very warm, romantic glow. It also gave me quite a fright the first night as I convinced myself the room was haunted – but that’s just me I guess. The hotel also has a small but lovely spa on the premises, an infinity swimming pool and a restaurant (more on this one later). Last thing: the wi-fi is complimentary which is an absolute rarity these days.
I couldn’t think of a more perfect place to stay while visiting Florence – its beauty equals that of the city and its location makes it the ideal retreat after a busy day of museums, trattorias and gelato.
Traduction – Il Salviatino est un hôtel situé sur les collines de Fiesole, aux portes de Florence. C’est le lieu parfait pour un weekend serein en Toscane.
Mademoiselle Robot was a guest of Il Salviatino
Rooms from €300 (low season) / €450 (high season) per night on a B&B basis
Daily flights to Florence on Vueling from London Heathrow from €160