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Hotel Savoy

• T+L 500 Winner

COST: $$$$$

<p>Famed hotelier Rocco Forte's sister, Olga Polizzi, overhauled the storied Savoy's 102 rooms in a contemporary mix of snowy linens, dark wood furnishings, bright scatter cushions, and quirky pictures of shoes—a nod to the fact that Ferragamo actually owns the walls of this 19th-century palazzo on café-lined Piazza della Repubblica. Service is all you'd expect of a hotel of this caliber, making it a hit with everyone from demanding tourists to VIPs. Negatives are hard to find, though some décor details—like the overly elaborate marble bathrooms—seem a little out of step with the hotel's design ethic, and the redesign decision to cover the original, early-20th-century murals in the ground floor bar with paneling was controversial, to say the least.</p> <p><strong>Insider Tip:</strong> Ask longtime head concierge Daniele Scaldini for restaurant, sightseeing, and shopping recommendations. He's one of Florence's best.</p> <p><strong>Room to Book:</strong> The Brunelleschi and Signoria suites both have private Turkish baths.</p>

AS FEATURED IN...

From Travel + Leisure , MAR 2006

Grand and glamorous, the Savoy was given a refined $17 million overhaul by international tastemaker Olga Polizzi....MORE>>

– Brad Leithauser Africa Up Close

From Travel + Leisure , AUG 2003

The Duomo and Prada, the Uffizi Gallery and Etro, the Arno and Cellerini—all are in luxurious roll-out-of-bed proximity, making the Savoy a natural base of operations for heat-seeking career shoppers...MORE>>

– Overnight Sensations

Last updated January 2008