Hotel Regency ★★★★★

Florence; a city where history oozes out of every building and down every street; where you discover beauty as you’d never experienced it before; a city to whom one feels like a long-time lover. To visit Florence is to have an affair with Florence; an affair which will induce passion in even the most composed of logicians.

By day, you visit fresh food markets, marvel at architecture, browse through artisan stores and become awestruck by beautiful cathedrals. At night, you stroll along the broad cobble streets, passing luminous bars and opera houses along your way, breathing in the mild air as you absorb the city’s romantic aura of cheer and sophistication.  How could one not fall in love with Florence?

Should this love for Florence ever become encapsulated in a physical form, it would most certainly look something like the Hotel Regency *****. This Florentine estate is magnificently restored to reflect the essence of its original splendour. Located in the heart of the city, the villa encompasses everything that makes Florence so magical. Finesse, art, and grandeur come together in every area of the hotel - from the open spaced lobby to the tastefully decorated suites.

In the Deluxe Room, one is spoiled with the vastness of space and number of amenities. But the modern flat-screen TV, hi tech temperature control, mini bar and speedy internet are instantly overlooked in light of the mesmerizingly traditional 19th century Florentine decor. An imperial bed frame, emblazoned with golden leaves, draws your attention to the warm reds of the Italian quality linen beneath. You’ll do well to resist the temptation of crawling into bed right then and there!

These rooms are kept neat, simple and spotless as to preserve a level of subtlety and poise. A fauteuil chair here, a mahogany desk there, a piece of Renaissance art on the wall and a heavenly garden view from your window; the simplicity speaks for itself, letting you truly appreciate the finer architectural details in the room, from the beautifully carved ceiling frame to the intrinsically patterned carpet. The Carrara marble en suite bathroom is equally as gorgeous, but with a mysterious mirage-like appearance that comes from its striking tile patterns and many mirrors.

You feel almost as if in a Botticelli painting, enjoying bread and wine beneath clear blue skies in the tree-clad gardens of the hotel. Birdsong fills your ears like music, and you become powerless to the overwhelming sense of relaxation in this evocative setting. By the time you’ve finished exploring the hypnotising and opulent hotel grounds, you’ll be hungry from exhaustion; when you have only one place left to discover at the Hotel Regency…

‘Relais Le Jardin’ is so called because of how the restaurant’s glass walls allow you to watch butterflies flutter in the hotel garden; a place which one might well imagine fit for debates between great poets and philosophers. Seated at a splendidly clad table that is decorated with antique silverware, you are served seasonal delicacies based on classic Florentine recipes.  A choice of the finest Tuscan wines is of course also available to you - the perfect complement to your meal. This dining experience is a dream come true for any lover of authentic Italian cuisine.

For a guaranteed stay of comfort and richness, allow yourself to become seduced by the luxury of this quintessential Tuscan retreat.