Sina Villa Medici, Autograph Collection

Character and identity

Set in Porta al Prato, a leafy pocket of central Florence near Santa Maria Novella station, this 19th-century villa offers proximity to the centre without the coach-tour churn. The baroque lobby sets the tone: gilded mirrors, Bargello replica statues, the scent of Acqua dell'Elba, and the occasional freestanding dog sculpture for levity. Rooms and suites are polished and classical, topping out in the 1,399-square-foot Royal Suite with its Ministry-protected salon and Botticino marble bath. A rare central-Florence outdoor pool sits in a green garden alongside Harry's Bar The Garden, an offshoot of Harry's Bar Firenze. A fitness centre with Turkish bath, sauna and rooftop hot tub round things out.

Who's it for

Bottom line

The selling point here is a genuine garden with a swimming pool in central Florence, paired with a Harry's Bar outpost serving Negronis under the trees: a combination almost no competitor in the city can match. Book it if you value calm and outdoor space over a Duomo-adjacent address, and stretch to the Royal Suite if budget allows. Shoulder-season stays make the garden pay its full dividend.