Villa Tolomei Hotel&Resort ★★★★★

Just 3 km from Florence, standing in its own parkland and surrounded by spreading fir trees, the Villa Tolomei is a rather grand little country house. There is no mistaking the Italian elegance in the ornate roofline and chic little conifers lining the driveway to the front doors. The villa’s surrounding 20-hectare park and farmland produces olive oil and wine directly for the villa’s restaurant, and provides a lovely private garden where you can stroll in the morning and enjoy the sweet scents and sounds of Tuscany.

There is a large curved open-air heated pool for indulging in a morning dip before setting out to the city – or for poolside lounging, cocktail in hand, taking in the view. Inside, there are twenty-seven rooms and three suites. All of the rooms are beautifully decorated with period furniture and modern five-star conveniences. The suites have stunning frescoed ceilings, comfortable sitting room areas and direct access to a private terrace and the villa grounds. The walls of the hotel are also adorned with contemporary Italian art. Meanwhile, you can dine outside in the charming dining terrace, surrounded by slim pillars, arches and sculptures in classic Italian style.

The route into the city is mostly downhill. You can stroll through the Boboli Gardens admiring the sculptures as you go. It’s easier to return by taxi, and we didn’t find difficult to find a taxi on the south side of the Ponte Vecchio. We never tired of exploring the little stores on the Ponte Vecchio, and Florence is so overflowing with Renaissance treasures that it feels we could never run out of new wonders to discover and delight. This time we were lucky enough to have tickets for a classical concert in the Auditorium al Duomo, which was wonderful.

As always our days flew by too fast. On this trip, the Villa Tolomei proved to be a highlight in its own right. It was lovely to have the spacious country park feeling, along with the five-star service and facilities – including the gym, Turkish bath and massages – all the while being able to gaze down over the beautiful city of Florence spread out below.