The Continentale
COST: $$$$
The hippest of the four Ferragamo-owned Florentine hotels, the Continentale also has an unbeatable location—right over the Ponte Vecchio, a bridge over the Arno lined with teensy medieval shops. The 43 rooms are done in ironic-chic, combining fab retro 1950s designer styling with details that hark back to the Romantic travels of yesteryear with sheer, tentlike curtains around the beds and desks that resemble vintage steamer trunks. More whimsy: the clocks in the breakfast room run backwards, reminding guests that they are on vacation time. Though service is excellent, some claim it isn’t as personal as at rival establishments.
Insider Tip: Spy on the crowds flowing over the Ponte Vecchio through a one-way window in Sala Relax, the mezzanine lounge.
Room to Book: Rooms 302, 402, 502, and 602 have balconies or window seats overhanging the Arno River.
As Featured In...
From Travel + Leisure, Sep 2004
“The most fashionable hotel is the Continentale: it's owned by the Ferragamo family. Live street scenes are projected on the lobby walls; a glass elevator whisks guests to a balcony with a view of the Ponte Vecchio....” MORE>>
From Food & Wine, Sep 2004
“This ultramod hotel is one of three Florence properties in Leo-Andrieu's portfolio....” MORE>>
From Travel + Leisure, Jun 2004
“Ferragamo's fashions are subtle and don't announce themselves. While not a brand statement, the group's Continentale hotel is all about making a statement. It's pretty, and there isn't a Ferragamo logo in the place, but it's still designed to a fault, demonstrating the fashionable folly of valuing form over function. The white-on-white lobby is a crowd-pleaser; a glass elevator furnished like a bedroom takes guests to an enclosed balcony with daybeds overlooking the Ponte Vecchio...” MORE>>
From Travel + Leisure, Aug 2003
“The sleek, fifties-flavored 43-room Continentale, at the foot of the Ponte Vecchio, may not be for seekers of calm, but fashion hounds are pronouncing it heaven....” MORE>>
From Travel + Leisure, May 2003
“If Continentale, a cocoon-like urban dwelling overlooking Florence's Ponte Vecchio, suits your style like a pair of kitten heels, there's a reason. The 43-room hotel was recently opened by Lungarno, the hospitality division of the Salvatore Ferragamo fashion empire. Built around an 800-year-old tower, the seven-floor mansion embraces design motifs from every era: Faye Heller prints mimic Pop art of the 1960's; a Michela Bönan L-shaped couch in the elevator is a throwback to seventies' lounges; live street scenes from...” MORE>>
Last updated September 2004 lastArticle = 9/2004 and lastAward =
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