The most romantic hotels in Florence, including dreamy Arno views and beautiful private gardens

J.K. Place is on lively Piazza Santa Maria Novella, just around the corner from elegant, boutique-lined Via Tornabuoni. The first of what has become a small Italian chain, with branches in Rome and Capri, the hotel is a distillation of Florentine elegance, its classic-contemporary décor the result of a meeting of minds between Italo-Israeli hotelier Ori Kafri and local interior designer Michele Bonan. The 20 rooms are impeccably tasteful without being remotely cold and derive much of their charm not only from Bonan’s sapient design scheme – with its mid-20th-century retro touches – but from the no-expenses-spared quality of the materials used. A sumptuous breakfast buffet is based on organic products.

There was a time when Grand Tourists chose to stay not in the centre of Florence but in opulent villas in the green belt around the city. This 16th-century Medici villa on a bucolic stretch of the Arno, open from March until the end of October, still breathes the spirit of this age of elegant, unhurried travel. A mood of discreet, understated, old-fashioned luxury permeates the villa, which consists of three separate historical buildings in a verdant site surrounded by formal gardens. Elegant Il Verrocchio restaurant, with its riverside terrace, is a lovely place for an al fresco meal, with the bonus that much of the produce comes from the hotel’s own kitchen garden, and the olive oil from the estate’s own trees.

It’s easy to understand why this relatively new arrival on the Florence high-end hotel scene has been such a hit since it opened. Built in the late 1860s by Baron Oppenheim, one of the main backers of the Suez Canal, and later purchased by Emperor Napoleon III’s widow Eugenié, the meticulously restored villa at the centre of the estate is an astonishing sight, an opulent riot of trompe l’oeil frescoes, stucco-work, huge mirrors, polished parquet floors and chandeliers, in a series of reception rooms that mix styles from Art Nouveau to neo-Moorish. The large park that surrounds the two buildings boasts more than 100 varieties of rose.

AdAstra is set in the largest private garden ‘intra moenia’ (between walls) in Europe. Inspired by the concept of a Parisian hotel particulier, this boutique hotel has the feel of an aristocratic private apartment which is not far from the truth – the Marchese Torrigiani lives on the ground floor. The owners have taken the period features (frescoes, vast chandeliers, fine stucco-work and creaky original parquet floors) and added a quirky yet convincing mix of vintage, up-cyled and reclaimed furniture, objéts and knick knacks from the Fifties, Sixties and Seventies. Of the nine bedrooms, seven are in the main house and two are in a garden annex; each is very different from the next but all are quite lovely.

Utterly central yet secluded, the hotel is located on a quiet, mostly residential street between Piazza Santa Maria Novella and the Carraia bridge. This is the family residence of a Florentine Marquis, Lorenzo Niccolini di Camugliano, and although a few things have changed since the Palazzo’s 16th-century foundation, lashings of ceiling fresco, decorative stuccowork and antique furniture remain. A hanging garden – where breakfast is served in good weather – adds to the sense of being in a privileged refuge from the city bustle. The 10 rooms vary in size and aspect, but all have four-poster beds and historic details – like frescoed or wood-beam ceilings.

As soon as you walk into the lobby – a Renaissance loggia, decorated with original bas reliefs and stuccoes – you realise that this is no ordinary luxe place to stay. The hotel spreads out between the main building – 15th-century Palazzo della Gherardesca – and a 16th-century former convent on the other side of the 11-acre park, which is the largest private garden in Florence. With its oil paintings, antiques and slightly Old Parisian décor, it’s all elegantly sumptuous. Individually decorated, the 116 rooms and suites are relaxing old-style refuges from the bustle outside. Outstanding facilities include a huge pool area with summer restaurant and bar, and the best hotel spa in Florence.

A ‘centralissima’ location, intimate atmosphere and stylish, luxurious rooms make the Antica Torre a very attractive option. The hotel offers a smart, personlised take on a private Florentine residence, occupying the top floors of a solid, medieval tower and adjacent Renaissance palazzo Gianfigliazzi. Fine antiques, pictures, mirrors and ornaments from the owner’s collection are dotted throughout in just the right measure. The unique selling point: a series of panoramic terraces. The larger, front-facing bedrooms have knock-out Arno views and a couple have their own private terraces. Smart, beautifully appointed bathrooms are decorated in marble and supplied with citrussy organic products and robes.

The Continentale occupies an enviable position overlooking the Ponte Vecchio and is a stylish address, perfect for a romantic long weekend, with the bonus of a rooftop bar and a small, intimate spa. The style is playful and feminine with Michele Bonan’s chic, pared-down design giving a token nod to the grand old days of travel and the fun and glamour of 1950s and 1960s design. Considering the position and cachet of this boutique beauty, room rates are not that punishing – especially if your dates are flexible. If you’re here for a special occasion with a special person, you should push your budget to at least a Deluxe Arno View room.

Hotel Lungarno sits right on the river, a duck’s waddle from the Ponte Vecchio. Michele Bonan’s design scheme combines both elements, the Hemingway hint in the masculine, cigar-room décor of the ground-floor lounge and bar, the French touch in the Picasso- and Cocteau-themed photos in the communal areas and some bedrooms, the prominent fringes on sofas and cushions, and the navy stripes and ruched lampshades that dominate the room décor. It has been given the gourmet ticket, with grown-up white-linen restaurant Borgo San Jacopo currently in the capable hands of Peter Brunel, a northern Italian chef of some talent. The riverside Picteau Lounge, with its picture windows looking onto the Ponte Vecchio, is a wonderful spot for a cocktail.

Villa San Michele is housed in an ancient former monastery and combines Renaissance atmosphere with 21st-century comforts galore. For some, the off-radar location on a quiet, wooded hillside just below the ancient village of Fiesole (five miles from the centre of Florence) will be a boon. The hotel itself offers restrained good taste rather than flashy luxury: the main building, a rabbit warren of rooms, corridors and stairways, is full of original features: cloisters, wide arches and vaulted ceilings. Outside, immaculate, terraced gardens are a delight and the panoramic pool is perfect in hot weather. Rooms in the main building have a suitably ecclesiastical feel: expect bottle-glass window panes and antique furnishings including some splendid old bedsteads.

A Renaissance villa in the grand style; its original features still intact. The Torre di Bellosguardo offers authentic atmosphere rather than luxury and a superb location away from the crowds. Glowing dedications in the guest book (which dates back to 1920) come from the likes of Emma Thompson, Kate Moss and Daniel Day Lewis. Each of the 16 bedrooms and suites is very different from the next but all are large and have impressive original features (marquetry paneling, painted wood ceilings), and period furniture including some extraordinary beds. Those on the upper floors have a great view.