For me, when it comes down to choosing where to stay in Florence, there’s one address that is always a 10: The St Regis Florence. If you have been following my blog for awhile, this should not come as a surprise. The river view rooms are my favorite and no two rooms have been exactly alike. I love updating this post to share more about the different rooms that we have stayed in – along with what I enjoy about each one. We’ve never had a disappointing stay at the St Regis, so I’m comfortable sending you there – regardless of which room you choose to book!
True story: I usually plan Florence trips around the availability of the St Regis Florence. (Yes, I’ve stayed at other luxury hotels in Florence. The St Regis is still one of my favorite hotels in the world.)
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Why Do I Continue to Stay at the St. Regis Florence?
A lot of people ask me why we go back to the same places over and over again. There are a lot of luxury hotels in Florence, but this is my favorite hotel in Florence. For me, the St Regis is pure Renaissance luxury. Housed in a historic palace designed by Filippo Brunelleschi (yes, that Brunelleschi) with crystal chandeliers, luxurious fabrics, overlooking the Arno and coupled the most thoughtful and attentive staff, the St. Regis Florence exists on its own level.
It’s within walking distance (or a cheap cab ride!) from Santa Maria Novella train station. Further, it’s only a 15 minute walk from Piazza della Signoria and Palazzo Vecchio, San Lorenzo Market and Mercato Centrale, il Duomo, and all the other main attractions in the historical center of Firenze. And, it’s 20 minutes from Santa Croce. (I love the artists in Piazza Santa Croce!) It takes about 30 minutes to walk to the Piazzale Michelangelo. You’re just across the bridge from the Santo Spirito and Oltarno with its delicious restaurants, too! I really love the location because it’s within walking distance of everything but it’s far enough away from the crowds that you can also relax.
Another benefit of the St Regis is that it’s a block away from many of the car rental agencies, so if you’re wanting to take day trips from Florence, it’s easy to pop in and out of the city. A lot of times, we end up driving into the city from Tuscany, dropping off our luggage and returning our rental car, only to pick one up for the rest of our trip after our stay in Florence.
If you’re wondering where to stay for a romantic getaway, your honeymoon, or even on New Year’s Eve, the St Regis is the best of Florence.
03/2023 Update: We completed our 8th and 9th stays at the the St Regis Florence in December 2022. We visited in early December to celebrate my birthday and spent 9 days after Christmas and through the beginning of the New Year. As always, the St. Regis staff made sure everything was perfect. We are booked for two stays in 2023 already.
St Regis Florence Rooms
Room 406 – St Regis Florence Deluxe Room Review – Duomo View
In 2018, we stayed at the St Regis over New Year’s Eve using points. I had been battling about where to stay in Florence (or if we were even going to Florence) and missed out on some great rates due to my indecision. We ended up booking the “lowest” category of guest room at the St Regis Florence a few hours before we arrived. (All the rooms here are amazing.) When we checked in, they let us know that that there were not any upgrades available due to the holiday. We were so happy to have a room that we didn’t care. Turns out, we got the room with a Duomo view!
I found this room to be delightfully cozy and perfect for a romantic New Year’s Eve stay. You’ll notice that it was originally set with two beds, but the amazing staff came and reset the room while we were out to lunch. The decor is fit for a princess with beautiful chandeliers, rich fabrics, and textured walls. (I really want them to come redecorate our master bedroom.) As with all rooms at the St Regis Florence, there is no shortage of beautiful artifacts decorating the room. This room offers two windows on opposite sides of the desk. One opens to overlook the Duomo and Piazza Ognissanti and the other overlooks Via Montebello. We didn’t hear much street noise, but Florentines are rowdy on New Year’s Eve. (It’s magical!)
Closed off from the bedroom, there is a bathroom and small walk-in closet. The marble bath offers a combination tub and shower with both a hand shower and a rain shower. I love how rejuvenating the Remede amenities are after a long day of travel. and a beautiful gray color scheme. It’s actually what I wanted to model my master bath off of, but we couldn’t find the lamps. When/if I decide to repaint it, it will be this color scheme. It’s one of the smaller bathrooms at the St Regis, but it was perfect for our short stay.
Tom took a video of our room at the St Regis in 2018, which you can view below! It also makes a compelling case for spending New Year’s Eve in Florence.
Florence Hotel Rooms with Arno River Views
We have stayed in multiple versions of the river view rooms at the St Regis Florence. I love all the rooms but for different reasons. The biggest difference between rooms is the bathroom. If that is something important to you, I would reach out to the property before booking or add a note in your reservation to make sure the room meets your needs. They are very thoughtful and try to be as accommodating as possible.
Room 416 – St Regis Florence Deluxe Room Review – Arno River View
If you ask me, this romantic room is the perfect place to celebrate your engagement, your honeymoon, or your anniversary. I love the rich purple, gold, and red decor. The beautiful ceiling decor brings the height of the room down, which makes it feel more cozy. Floors are carpeted and the loveseat fabric is pure luxury. A huge Murano glass chandelier makes for the most romantic evening light. If that’s too much light, the wall sconces emit soft, warm light. I felt like an absolute princess waking up in this room.
There aren’t that many Florence hotels with balconies that overlook the Arno. This room has windows and balconies on both sides of the desk. The desk is small, which is another reason I like this room for romantic occasions. When I have a large desk in my room, I feel like I should be doing work. I love to leave the windows open in the afternoon and listen to the water of the Arno. It is the best way to take a nap, in my opinion.
As far the bathroom goes, this room has my least favorite bathroom. It felt a little bit small though it is quite large by European standards. It does provide dual sink, a nice soaking tub, and Remede amenities.
Room 314 – St Regis Florence Premium Deluxe Room Review – Arno View
This room is bright and airy. It reminded me of the junior suite in terms of decor and the bright light. It offers the same rich fabrics as the deluxe room, but the walls are adorned with beautiful art and textured walls. I love the sitting area and chaise lounge. With the high ceilings, large windows, and light floors, nothing about this room feels small. Like the deluxe room, there are windows and doors that can be opened so you can enjoy the view. This room offers the best accommodation if you need/want to work and play. There is no shortage of desk space.
The best parts are the beautiful marble bathrooms. Offering a separate shower and soaking bathtub, the bathtub overlooks the Arno. It feels like pure luxury to soak in there at any time of day – I love the sunlight during the day and beautiful lights that line the Arno in the evening. There is also a small stool where you can sit and get ready. The bathroom is flooded with natural light – it’s so beautiful! Further, there is a small closet in the entry way, which offers additional privacy for getting ready. This room also offered Remede bath amenities but also offered the Acqua di Parma bath salts.
Room 419 – St Regis Florence Premium Deluxe Room – Arno View
This room feels like living in the art gallery of a palace in the best possible way! I love the bright white walls, the woodwork details that draw your eyes upward, and the frescos on the walls. The fabrics are rich blue and garnet tones, which are complemented by gilded mirrors and sconces – a completely different feel from the other rooms! A rustic chandelier lights this room and it’s what Tom loved about this room. (I’m pretty sure he thinks there was a room like this in the Beast’s palace in Beauty in the Beast.) I didn’t take advantage of the small sitting area, but we did take the chairs out on the balcony more than once to enjoy the view.
This room offers a small dressing room across from the bathroom. There is a closet, built-in drawers, and a vanity where you can do your make up. The only drawback is that it is that the bathroom and dressing room is pretty dark in comparison to Room 314. It felt a lot like the bathroom in the deluxe room and did not offer a separate shower and tub. There were additional sconces to offer more light though, which I appreciate when getting ready. Like the other rooms, this room offers the Remede bath amenities and Acqua di Parma bath salts.
The reason I love this room is the ease of enjoying the balcony. I spent more time out there this year than I have in previous years. If I had thought about it, I would have photographed the sunrise over the Ponte Vecchio from the balcony. (Why didn’t I think of that?!)
Room 123: St Regis Florence Premium Deluxe Room – Arno View
Up until my birthday trip in 2022, this was Tom’s favorite room we’ve had at the St Regis Florence. I tend to think it’s because we spent the two previous trips to Florence at the Gallery Hotel Art and absence makes the heart grow fonder. Either way, we spent New Year’s Eve 2019 in this room, and it was the perfect place to start 2020. I loved this room because of the bathroom. The beautiful marble bath had a separate shower and a soaking tub with my favorite Remede amenities. The embroidered fluffy bathrobes were a nice touch and much appreciated for my spa visit! (It is now my tradition to end the year with a treatment at the St. Regis spa.)
I’m obsessed with the deep teal and ivory curtains in this room. I told Tom that I was going to completely redo our master bedroom to replicate these curtains. (He says our ceilings aren’t high enough for that.) I loved the soft colors in the paintings and how the furniture complemented them. The bright hues of the pillows and the drapery only added to the ambiance of the room. Though this room does not have a balcony, it does have windows that open onto the Arno, and we were able to watch the most beautiful sunsets from our room.
Room 222 – Premium Larger Guest Room – Arno View
We checked into the St. Regis Florence on December 28, 2022 with the intention of staying until January 2, 2023. (Around 4:00am on January 2, without another plan, I decided we would stay 4 more nights at the St. Regis It be like that sometimes.) Thus, we spent 9 nights in one of the larger guest rooms at the St. Regis, and I absolutely loved it. This room is fit for a princess with its canopy bed, high ceilings and elegant chandelier. (I loved the bed, and I’m thinking about purchasing the St. Regis bed for our bedroom now.) Our holiday stay was made extra magical by the Christmas tree they put up in our room throughout the duration of our stay.
One thing that we really enjoyed about this room was the comfortable chairs and the sitting area. The chairs were able to be turned around to face the windows easily, so we were able to enjoy a glass of wine and watch the sunset from the comfort of our room. (We also picked up some amazing cheese from Fromaggioteca Terroir for our evening in-room apertivo.)
St Regis Florence Suites
Junior Suite Arno View
Seven years later, and I still think this is the most beautiful hotel room I have ever stayed in. We stayed here during our honeymoon in Florence. It was magical. This room is fit for royalty. The deep purple and dark gray details make me want to redecorate our master bedroom, except our ceilings really aren’t tall enough to pull off any of these incredible design elements. From the brocade and velvet curtains, to the velvet walls, to the high ceilings, to the huge chandelier, to the elegant free-standing tub overlooking the Arno… (This room had two bathtubs!)! There is a large balcony with a table and chairs that overlooks Piazza Oggisanti. The windows open up to the Arno.
Across from the bathroom, there is a walk-in closet and area to get ready. The marble bathroom has a separate shower and soaking tub. It’s brightly lit and perfect for getting ready. It is very similar to the bathroom in rooms 314 and room 123, but it doesn’t have the bright windows or natural light. The bath amenities are Acqua di Parma. I loved soaking in the free-standing tub, but it was a little awkward to get out of the bath in the middle of the room. Obviously not too awkward because I definitely enjoyed reading my books and soaking in there.
You can request this room using a suite night award.
Room 330 – Classic Junior Suite
In December 2021, we made our way back to Florence for our New Year’s Eve tradition. It felt SO good to be back. We booked five nights and used a Suite Night Award to upgrade our room. Since we were staying over New Year’s, we were absolutely thrilled that our SNAs cleared. It gave us the opportunity to experience a junior suite in a different part of the building.
This junior suite is located on the Duomo side of the hotel. It is not the room with the view, but it’s spacious, quiet, and I still felt like an absolute princess staying here. (It is always hard to leave the St. Regis.)
This suite has a sitting room with a couch, a coffee table, and a desk and work area. There is plenty of space and the use of mirrors makes the room feel bright and always well lit. The bedroom is large with full nightstands on both sides, plenty of space, and the most comfortable bed. (I really need this bed at home, I think.) I LOVE the Frette linens.
This suite also has one of my favorite bathroom designs at the St. Regis Florence. It has the separate soaking tub and a walk-in shower and dual vanities. Bath amenities were changed from the Remede brand (which I still adore) to Aveda. (The spa still had the Remede shampoo and conditioner though which made me SO happy!) The water pressure in the shower was exceptional.
As always, our room included the class St. Regis butler service and the personalized touches that make this hotel so very special. After check in, on our first afternoon, they waited until we went to lunch and then surprised us with a Christmas tree in our suite! It made me SO happy. On New Year’s Eve, they left party favors, a sweet treat and an extra special gift for us. Turndown service always includes a chocolate truffle regardless of which guest room you book.
Like they always do, the butler staff went above and beyond to make this stay special. There was a birthday card and a bottle of prosecco in our room upon arrival, but they also delivered some treats on my actual birthday while I was at the spa. We did take advantage of the pressing service for this stay, and they did a lovely job with my husband’s suite and an evening gown I brought for my birthday dinner.
Room 320 – Deluxe Suite with Arno View
In December 2022, we decided to spend my birthday in Florence. We used a Suite Night Award to upgrade our reservation, but the hotel, knowing it was my birthday, took it a step further and upgraded us to deluxe suite. This bi-level suite is one of Tom’s favorite rooms, and it was an exceptional use of space.
Room 320 opens up to a short hallway that houses one of the two closets in the suite, as well as a small bathroom. (It’s perfect for his and hers closets – and bathrooms – if you prefer that.) Three steps up will lead you to the upper level which includes a sitting area with two desks, a television, and doors that opened up the Arno. There is also a minibar and coffee and tea service in this room.
Three steps down will lead you to the large bathroom and the bedroom. The bathroom offers dual sinks, a combination shower and soaking tub, and plenty of space and light for getting ready. The bedroom offers a second closet, a second mini bar, a small sitting area, and a lovely balcony for enjoying the Arno river views.
More than Rooms with Views of Florence
St Regis Florence: Staff and Service
I really love the staff at the St. Regis Florence. This team is really special in a way that I have not seen replicated at many hotels. Stephanie cultivates a welcoming experience for guests from the moment you book. (She has gone out of her way to make our New Year’s Eve especially memorable in 2019 and 2021!) Viviana’s emails always make me feel excited to return, and she met us in the lobby on the evening of my birthday – remembering how often we had visited. As soon as we arrive, the staff is always ready to help with any detail. But, truth be told, Andrea always made our stays extra special. Andrea is one of the kindest and friendliest people you will ever meet. He was very, very, very good at his job, and I think he sincerely enjoyed making our trips to Florence memorable. Each year, he would leave recommendations and suggestions based our interests. Since he also enjoys photography, he gives me recommendations on where to find the best views! He would leave hand-written cards and illustrations that I kept as mementos from our trip.
The Concierge has secured us reservations at our favorite restaurants and jumped into rush hour traffic to secure us a cab (and warned them not to take advantage of us by taking the long way). No matter the request, if you email the concierge, they will help or connect you with the hotel staff that can answer your questions or take care of your needs. They are very responsible and very willing to help in advance of your arrival, which is not always the case everywhere.
In 2021, one of my friends sent a New Year’s Eve treat to our room, and she could not believe how our butler and the front office staff fell all over themselves to see who could be more helpful. (Check out how beautiful the dessert they delivered is!)
The St Regis Florence commitment to personalizing each and every stay is something I don’t think we would find anywhere else. I stayed at the St Regis DC, and while it was lovely, the service in the United States is not near what our friends in Florence offer.
St Regis Florence Iridium Spa
I want to spend more time at the Iridium Spa. In 2021, I booked a 3 hour treatment (the Citrine) with Lilia on New Year’s Eve. Words cannot describe how incredible this was. It includes a body scrub, a mini facial, and a 90 minute massage. Sign me up for that EVERY TIME please. It’s now my end of year ritual. See you at the end of 2023.
Anna and Susana will change your life – or at least your perspective on massage. My 90 minute custom massages have almost convinced me to cancel the rest of our trip to stay in Florence. I booked a firming massage for my birthday, and it helped me feel more confident in my evening gown.
Even when I forget to book in advance, they try to find a way to make it work. (Sometimes it be like that… especially when we don’t choose a destination until the last minute.) They did squeeze me in at the last minute for make up before our portraits with the amazing Cristiano. Between my limited French and Italian, the spa staff worked together to ensure that I was happy with my make-up and did a lovely job on it!
The spa at the St. Regis Florence is a beautiful way to unwind after a long day on the cobblestones. I would love to spend more time at the spa, but there’s just so much to in Florence!
Dinner at the St Regis Florence Winter Garden Restaurant
Y’all. I’m embarrassed to admit it. We’ve been staying at the St. Regis since 2015, and we finally dined at the Winter Garden restaurant in 2021. IT WAS INCREDIBLE. We took advantage of the Savini Truffle Experience menu in December, which was focused on white truffles. Everything was delicious. We ordered the white truffle pasta, the 40 yolks herb pasta with white ragout and truffle, the truffle filet, and the tarte tatin with gingerbread ice cream for dessert.
I ordered several cocktails throughout our meal. I could happily and easily work my way through their extensive cocktail menu. I don’t even know everything that I tried, but I capped the evening off with a grasshopper, which made me extraordinarily happy.
The service was absolutely flawless. The ambiance and piano music is just lovely. Don’t miss this experience. I think it rivals the Ritz Paris for me.
Drinks in the Winter Garden
Each evening, the St. Regis Florence offers a glass of sparkling wine from 7:00 – 8:00. It’s served as a traditional apertivo with live piano music. We finally took advantage of it on our December 2022 trip. It was the perfect way to start our evening. The prosecco isn’t too strong, and the snacks aren’t too filling. We’ve started making our dinner reservations around this so that we can enjoy the ambiance in the Winter Garden.
The other thing we did on our December 2022 trip was end our nights at the Winter Garden. Open until midnight, it’s the perfect place for a nightcap. The pianist is incredible, the staff is friendly and kind, and the drinks are tasty. My nightcap of choice is still the Grasshopper, and Tom enjoys the Italian beer. It’s a lovely way to wind down, and it’s even better because the walk to the room is quite short.
I do have to admit that popping our own bottle of champagne from our room overlooking the Arno on New Year’s Eve was pretty special though.
Marriott Bonvoy Benefits at the St Regis Florence
Free Breakfast at the Winter Garden Restaurant
On our trip in December 2021, we opted for free breakfast. (I am Titanium / Lifetime Platinum.) It is served on the first floor and the tables overlook the Winter Garden restaurant. After 6 years, I *finally* made it to breakfast! (Are you sensing a theme here yet?) It’s not my fault – our dinners in Florence are generally so filling that we don’t need breakfast. Personally, I loved the fresh fruit, the cheeses and salumi, but they do have an omelet bar where they will make anything you want.
Using Suite Night Awards
I used our Suite Night Awards on our December 2019 and December 2021 stays over New Year’s Eve, as well as my birthday stay in December 2022. In 2019, after much deliberation, I booked the base room that I wanted (a deluxe Arno river view room), and I used the Suite Night Awards to upgrade. I figured that it would be better to confirm the room we wanted and anything else would be an upgrade on that. We ended up in a premium deluxe Arno view room. In 2021, I booked a base room and the options were an Arno View Junior Suite and the Classic Junior Suite. I requested both, and I was very happy to check out a new suite! On my birthday trip, my SNA cleared 5 nights out, and they upgraded us further for my birthday, which was very, very kind. I am dying to check out the Royal Suite (rather than the Bottega Veneta suite). I’ve been very happy with the availability of Suite Night Award availability at the St. Regis Florence, and I think they are very fair with them.
They are all so beautiful! The beds have me wishing I was back in bed.
Wow wow wow these rooms are all fabulous. Gosh, there are just so many places to go in Italy, it’s so hard to choose! My fiance and I are heading to Italy for the first time this September for our honeymoon and we’re just not sure if we want to go to Florence or not. So many people have said it’s their favorite place in Italy, but we also really want to see Venice and Rome. Gah, maybe we’ll have to squeeze Florence in, too! Thanks for sharing!
Wow, all of these rooms are stunning, you are so lucky to have stayed in them! Our hotel in Florence was much smaller and not nearly as nice haha… I think my favorite of these is the Junior Suite! So decadent!
Its stunning!!!
Now that’s what I call a honeymoon suite – I especially loved the little cards on the bed! I love a luxury hotel and the St Regis is definitely ticking all my boxes! I love the freestanding bath but the bathroom in 314 also looks fabulous. What a wonderful place to stay!
Omgosh, I would not be able to decide! They’re sooo beautiful and totally my style! Too bad we probably couldn’t afford it! Maybe only if we went on one vacation a year! Pinned nonetheless, a girl can dream, right? #WanderfulWednesday
The fourth room blew my mind. It is so gorgeous! It feels so old world but with modern accents. Plus, purple is my favorite color! The bathroom in the second room is pretty incredible. And, I have to say the view from that room is incredible too. What a great place to stay! #WanderfulWednesday
Wow that is so beautiful! It does look so luxurious! I love the bathroom in the second one 🙂 but wow that suite!!
Seriously, the St. Regis rooms look like they’re built for royalty, and those views are spectacular! I can easily see splurging on one of these rooms for a special occasion!
What an elegant place! But truly, the draw for me would be the view. All the luxury at the St. Regis is amazing!
All these rooms look so luxurious, but I guess that is to be expected from St. Regis. It’s so nice that they all have great views. Thanks for sharing on #TheWeeklyPostcard
Wow! Gorgeous rooms and beautiful views! I’ll bookmark it for a future trip 🙂 Thanks for sharing on #TheWeeklyPostcard.
Wow! They are all stunning, but Room 416 is my absolute favorite. I love the Murano glass chandelier. I can’t even imagine anywhere having better views. Looks like an amazing place to stay, and certainly perfect for a honeymoon!
#theweeklypostcard
Oh my God, what an amazing hotel. I am going to pin this for later! Thanks for sharing on #TheWeeklyPostcard
Wow! Those are DEFINITELY rooms with spectacular views!
What a beautiful room – I think Italy has some amazing hotels and I love those with a touch of Old World glamour and design. That view over the Arno is definitely one of our favorite views in Florence!
St. Regis Hotel is pure luxury indeed. It must have been heavenly staying there, but I bet this views don’t come cheap. #TheWeeklyPostcard
Your enthusiasm for this hotel (and Florence!) is contagious – that is SO cool you managed to come back so many times to the same place! When I find a great hotel, I’m always convinced I’ll be back but it’s only happened once so far… I always end up finding another place which suited me better for whatever reason at that time. But there are some special places (like this one) I would love love love to go back to. I will definitely keep this in mind should I return to Florence! Beautiful photos.
Yes, this totally looks like my kind of hotel. It’s beautiful – and decadent! The style is very similar to Venice from the looks of it. I’ve not been to Florence yet, but it’s high on my list! #TheWeeklyPostcard
Wow, the rooms are gorgeous. Looks like it is a great property, an excellent place for a honeymoon. #theweeklypostcard
Wowsers! Yeah, the view is spectacular, but that room! Who would have thought that Florence would have to contend with a hotel room competing for our attention? It certainly suits the city, though. Definitely pinning this for later. 🙂 Thanks for sharing on #TheWeeklyPostcard.
I think my favorite is the Junior Suite! What a gorgeous room! You’re so lucky to have stayed there and tried out so many different rooms, and in Florence to top it off… I’ve been twice, but it doesn’t feel like nearly enough! Thanks for sharing your experience, now if I’m ever able to stay here I know which room to request 🙂
Those views. That room. And, from what you say, the service! Really, you had me at Florence. Gorgeous!
And as an aside, they should compensate you for this post. 😉