This Hotel in Florence Was Designed by One of Italy’s Top Fashion Houses

Stay Here For

A sleek, chic stay minted by one of the world’s best-known fashion houses, complete with a world-class art collection to rival even the lauded local institutions.

As the only hotel located directly over the Arno in Florence, Hotel Lungarno might make you feel like you’re relaxing aboard a luxury vessel. Inside the reception area, model boats, sailing trophies and vintage photographs of lighthouses and sailboats are on display. The dominant color scheme of navy blue and white reinforces the nautical vibe.

Owned by the Ferragamo fashion dynasty, it’s one of six hotels in the Lungarno Collection (there are three others in Florence, plus one in Rome and another in Milan), so you’ll feel as chic as the decor and attendant crowd. Depending on the season and time of day, you might see executives in suits, couples on a European tour or influencers swanning around posing for pictures in sea-ready attire.

Originally opened in 1967 and purchased by Leonardo Ferragamo in 1995, Hotel Lungarno was the first hotel in the Lungarno Collection and remains the most classic. A lauded international architect redesigned the interiors in 2017, bringing polished wood surfaces, plush velvet sofas and framed sketches to the space. To that end, the hotel has a collection of more than 400 artworks, including a Picasso hanging above the mantel in the lobby lounge and four drawings by Cocteau near the concierge’s desk. Ask, and the concierge will happily tell you about them before suggesting other places to see art in and around Florence.

Because the hotel is located in Oltrarno, the boho-chic neighborhood across the river from the main historic sites in the Centro Storico, it has fantastic views of the city to the north, with the stately Duomo peeking out over the terra-cotta roofs and the medieval tower of the city’s town hall visible just beyond the Ponte Vecchio, one of the bridges that crosses the Arno. Staying here feels like being moored to the riverbank, a bit removed from the crowds, but still able to walk to all the sights in the historic center.

The Essentials

The Location

The Duomo and other monuments are just across the river, but there’s plenty to do in Oltrarno, which tends to be frequented by locals and Florence insiders.

Hotel Lungarno is located in Oltrarno, just across the river from the main sights in the Centro Storico. Ponte Vecchio is around the corner from the hotel. The magnificent Palazzo Pitti and Boboli Gardens, where the Medici once dwelled, are a five-minute walk away. There are so many great artisan boutiques, vintage stores, restaurants, bars, gelaterias and third-wave coffee shops in the neighborhood that if you’re a repeat visitor to Florence and have checked the major tourist sites off your bucket list, you could easily spend days in Oltrarno.

The Bars and Restaurants

Within the hotel, Picteau Bistrot & Bar offers seating in the lobby lounge and a small terrace with fantastic views of the Ponte Vecchio. The bartenders here shake up creative riffs on classic cocktails, like the Digger, with gin, pine liqueur, hibiscus cordial and elderflower tonic, and the Conte di Picche, a Negroni variation made with gin, Nardini bitters and raspberry wine. Meanwhile, the kitchen turns out simple staples like Caesar salads and a burger with sun-dried tomatoes.

The restaurant Borgo San Jacopo is best suited for romantic dinners by candlelight, with tasting menus that might include spaghetti with burrata, seared oysters, caviar and lemon, or suckling pig with red radish in port, apple and Dijon mustard. The plating—on white linens, of course—is minimal and sophisticated. In the morning, breakfast is served here, along with seating in the River Room.

The Room

Rooms and suites feel somewhat nautical, thanks to the hotel’s liberal use of blues and whites—all the better to call back to those Arno River views.

Like the public spaces, rooms and suites feature nautical blues and whites. Beds are swathed in premium Italian cotton sheets, and even entry-level rooms have a small desk and a comfortable chair upholstered in houndstooth fabric. Whether your room has a more subdued travertine bathroom or one clad in shiny white marble, you’ll appreciate the luxurious Ferragamo Bianco di Carrara bath products, and the requisite copy of Salvatore Ferragamo’s autobiography on a bedside table.

Of the hotel’s 62 rooms and suites, about half have a river view and half have a city view. The city-view Lungarno Doubles serve as a fine crash pad if you plan to be out and about all day, but they don’t have much of a view. For a terrace with a river view that will make you want to linger, book one of the Executive Double Terrace with River View suites. Or for the ultimate luxury, upgrade to the Rooftop Terrace Suite River View, a duplex with two bedrooms, two bathrooms, a living room and a spacious terrace with 360-degree views. It’s one of the most suitable options for families.

The spiral staircase, with its navy blue and red carpet, is a popular spot for photos.

The Standout Feature

The terrace of Picteau Bistrot & Bar at sunset, with the Ponte Vecchio glowing with golden hues in the background. The dramatic spiral staircase is also worth checking out—and unsurprisingly, it’s a popular spot for picture-taking.

The Time to Go

No matter how many times you’ve been to Florence, there’s always something new to see.

Spring and fall are ideal times to visit Florence weather-wise, but unless you come in winter, it’s getting harder to escape the crowds, as more travelers catch onto shoulder seasons. Summers are very hot and very busy, except for August, when locals tend to escape to the sea.

The Vibe

Like everything else about this hotel, room-service dinners are done in style.

What are you packing? Elegant leather loafers, a tailored blazer and a silk neck scarf. Of course, you’ll fit right in sporting other high-end designer labels.

What are people drinking? High-rollers can opt for the decade-spanning vintage Royal Negroni, made with 1950 Gordon’s gin, 1960 Campari and 1970 Martini Rosso—but for a tenth of the cost, the original cocktails are just as delicious.

What you’re snacking on from the minibar: Savini Tartufi truffle potato chips and Rosso di Montalcino from Castiglion del Bosco, the Ferragamo family’s former estate in Tuscan wine country (at which you should definitely tack on a few days of your Italian vacation).

The local spot everyone is talking about: Alla Vecchia Bettola, an authentic no-frills Tuscan trattoria in the neighborhood. Tuck into a plate of penne alla bettola and then walk off lunch with a stroll through the monumental Boboli Gardens, attached to Palazzo Pitti, the Renaissance palace once occupied by the Medici family.

The Duomo is only a 10-minute walk from the hotel—the perfect distance for a post-dinner stroll.

Everything Else