Hotel Torre di Bellosguardo

I would definitely recommend staying at this hotel if you are looking for an unique experience. The staff was amazing, extremely helpful, told us all about the hotel .
Do keep in mind this is a very old hotel, but like I said that’s what makes it unique. In all we were super satisfied, comfortable, stunning view. Nothing negative to say!

Significant pros and significant cons.
The Good:
1) Beautiful views. You can see the entire city by standing on the grass by the pool or looking out some of the windows.
2) Gorgeous exterior. The villa is hundreds of years old and looks like it in a quaint way.
3) Unique gardens. The gardens are a maze of hedges, flowers, and organically grown fruits and vegetables. There is even a greenhouse, and there are a few animals (donkeys, chickens, cats, etc.) that kids would enjoy.
4) Original frescos. Many of the interior rooms feature original frescos on the walls and ceilings. There is also some impressive wood paneling in some of the bedrooms. However, most of these original features have not been restored, so they are missing pieces.
The bad:
1) Inattentive staff. No one helped us carry our bags from the car into the hotel or up the stairs to our room. One day we accidentally left the window open, and the maid did not close it, so the rain came in through the window and soaked our luggage.
2) No restaurant. You have to go down the hill into the city for lunch and dinner (prepare to spend 10 euros on a taxi to get there). They do serve a buffet breakfast, but it is simple (bread, boiled eggs, yogurt), and the waitress spoke no English so it was even difficult to order tea.
3) No exercise facility. I know this isn’t very important to some people, but it really wouldn’t be difficult for the hotel to buy some weights and put them in a room.
4) Gross bathrooms. The shower did not have a shower head, only a hand-​held sprayer, but there was no way to attach it to the wall. There was also no shower curtain so it was hard to not get water all over the floor. Every night when we came back, the bathroom would smell horrible like the toilet had backed up, although we looked and it hadn’t. Whenever the toilet was flushed, we could hear it very loudly in our bedroom.
5) Dirty. I walked around our room barefoot, and within an hour the bottoms of my feet were dark brown. Also, in the lobby they had a bowl of flowers sitting in water, and after leaning in to admire the flowers, I realized that there were worms breeding in the water.
6) Bad interior design. There is little furniture in any of the rooms. What is there is very old and worn (such as a broken piano in the «music room»). The beds are fine, so don’t worry about that, but be aware that inside, this place looks very shabby.
While this place is beautiful on the outside, it certainly has seen better days. You may still want to stay here because of the views, but be aware that this is far from a luxury hotel. You would find more comfort at a Holiday Inn.

A several hundred year old villa once owned by the Medici’s, this place drips with character and romance. The gardens surrounding the villa are beautiful, home to a pony and several donkeys (and quite a few mosquitos), with a pet parrot in one of the atriums. The pool overlooks the entire city of Florence proper with views of the Duomo. The service at the pool is fantastic, with drinks and a great light lunch menu. We actually spent our fair share of days sunning ourselves here as it was so beautiful and comfortable, with day beds provided upon request. The staff was so charming, especially Guiseppe our waiter. He really made the dining experience enjoyable during our stay.
We loved the ambience, the frescos, the architecture. This is definitely a place for anyone who loves history and wants to feel immersed in the rich heritage of Florence. It is unforgettable. What it is not, is a first-​class resort. There is so much unrealized potential here! The beautiful old rooms, including room 17 in the tower, are great in spite of the furniture and décor that is outdated (not in a fashionable way). Several sitting rooms feel rather empty with limited furniture or decoration. If the frescos were to be restored, the place owuld be even more breathtaking. I’m a fan as-​is, but with some investment this place could be a destination unto itself.

The views from the property of florence are really impressing. The gardens are large, so you can have beautifull walks. There are a lot of cute animals (donkeys, cats, rabbits, a parrot…). Atmosphere in the villa is very private, you can go everywhere, touch everything. It’s like a museum without guards. The staff was very nice. The parking was free!
Not so good:
We explicitly booked a room with a view. And the room with metal-​grilled windows had definitely no view. It was a side view into some green bushes.
During our stay there was a wedding party. All rooms except ours were occupied by wedding guests. So we felt the whole time a bit like uninvited guests. And at the wedding day the possibilities to use the amenities (pool, winter garden etc.) where limited.
It would be wise of the staff, to inform guests about weddings before arrival. So we would have had the chance to change our plans.

Der Hügel von Bellosguardo, gleich außerhalb von Florenz, hat seine Natur und seine architektonischen Formen seit Dante und den Medicis fast unverändert beibehalten.
Hier in der Stille des Parks und der umliegenden Hügel, ist es das Hotel Torre di Bellosguardo, das uns eine alte und edle Geschichte überliefert und mit seinen Gästen eine besondere Atmosphäre und einen raren Empfang teilt.
16 alte und edle Zimmer und Suiten klarer florentinischer historischer Herkunft, die sich alle durch einzigartige und unterschiedliche Einrichtungen auszeichnen. Hier vereint sich die Vergangenheit mit dem modernsten Komfort der 4-​Sterne Hotels in Florenz und macht das Hotel Torre di Bellosguardo zu einer Rarität unter den historischen Wohnsitzen und Hotels in Florenz: hier erleben Sie die Atmosphäre eines antiken privaten Hauses, vereint mit modernem Empfang.