The Excelsior, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Florence
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Location
The Excelsior, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Florence · Florence, Italy
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Key Highlights
- ✓Service & Staff: The staff is frequently described as excellent, exceptional, friendly, helpful, attentive, and going above and beyond to make stays memorable.
Expert Review: The Excelsior, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Florence
The Excelsior, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Florence, a Michelin Key Selected property, consistently receives high praise for its blend of historic elegance and modern luxury, offering guests a quintessential Florentine experience.
1. Overall Rating & Sentiment
The general consensus for The Excelsior, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Florence, is overwhelmingly positive, with guests frequently describing their stays as exceptional and wonderful. Review platforms show high ratings, including an "Exceptional" 9.1 on Agoda, an average of 4.8 out of 5 on Marriott Bonvoy, and a "Wonderful" 9.0 on Booking.com. It is widely regarded as a beautiful, luxurious, and elegant hotel that offers a top-tier experience in Florence.
2. Key Highlights
Guests consistently laud several aspects of The Excelsior:
- Service & Staff: The staff is frequently described as excellent, exceptional, friendly, helpful, attentive, and going above and beyond to make stays memorable.
- Location: Its prime location in the heart of Florence, right on Piazza Ognissanti along the Arno River, is a major draw. Guests appreciate its unparalleled accessibility to the city's iconic attractions and major transport links.
- Design & Ambiance: The hotel marvels guests with its curated decor, a luxurious boutique feel, and a sophisticated ambiance that blends historic period style with contemporary details. Public spaces are often highlighted as stunning.
- Rooftop Views: The rooftop terrace featuring the Cosimo Rooftop Restaurant & Bar (formerly SE-STO on Arno) is a consistent highlight, offering breathtaking 360-degree panoramic views of the Arno River, Florence's landmarks, and the rolling Tuscan hills.
3. Room Quality
The hotel boasts 171 elegantly designed rooms and suites, many of which were renovated in 2014. Guests describe the rooms as beautiful, amazing, comfortable, and spacious, particularly by European standards. They feature luxurious decor, often blending contemporary details with classical flourishes like chandeliers, carved headboards, and antique-style furnishings. Comfort is enhanced by pillowtop mattresses with hypo-allergenic bedding, plush bathrobes, high-quality linens, and premium toiletries. Many rooms offer private balconies or terraces with stunning views of the Arno River. The bathrooms are often highlighted for their Carrara-marble interiors.
4. Dining Experience
The Excelsior provides a memorable culinary journey:
- Cosimo Rooftop Restaurant & Bar: This rooftop venue is celebrated for its modern Tuscan cuisine, expertly crafted cocktails, and aperitivos, all complemented by truly spectacular 360-degree views of Florence.
- Breakfast at Sala Caminetto: A varied buffet breakfast is served daily in the elegant Sala Caminetto hall. It features an extensive selection of hot and cold favorites, sweet and savory creations, Tuscan delights, fresh seasonal fruits, and Italian sparkling wine. Approximately 67% of verified guest ratings give optimistic reviews about the breakfast. Breakfast costs range from 22€ for a light breakfast to 52€ for a buffet per person.
- Other Dining: The Orvm Bar in the lobby offers a sophisticated setting for all-day snacks, light meals, or cocktails. The Donatello Bar is also mentioned as an inviting spot for drinks.
5. Service & Staff
The service at The Excelsior is consistently rated as exceptional. Staff members are frequently praised for their friendliness, attentiveness, and professionalism. Guests have highlighted the concierge team, specifically mentioning individuals like Nico and Leonardo, for their invaluable assistance in booking museum tickets, tours, and offering local recommendations. The staff's ability to provide personalized greetings and go above and beyond to cater to guest desires is a recurring theme in reviews.
6. Location & Accessibility
The hotel's location on Piazza Ognissanti, along the Arno River, is considered excellent and perfect by guests. It offers unparalleled access to Florence's most iconic attractions, including a short walk to the Piazza di Santa Maria Novella, Basilica of Santa Maria Novella, Ponte Vecchio, the Uffizi Gallery, and the Duomo. The Florence Santa Maria Novella Railway Station is also conveniently close, about a 5- to 15-minute walk or drive, providing easy access for exploring beyond the city. Florence Peretola Airport is approximately a 15-minute drive away.
7. Value & Pricing
As a luxury property, The Excelsior, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Florence, commands a premium price, with average room rates often exceeding $500 per night, significantly higher than the city's average. While it is a more exclusive and costly option, guests seeking unparalleled comfort, exquisite amenities, and exceptional service generally find it to be a worthwhile investment, reflected in its "value for money" ratings of 8.3-8.7 out of 10.
8. Common Complaints
While generally highly rated, some guests have noted a few recurring issues:
- Some older reviews mentioned rooms being "a bit small," though more recent feedback emphasizes spaciousness.
- A few AI-generated summaries indicated issues with cleanliness or limited breakfast options, although overall cleanliness ratings are high and breakfast is largely praised for its variety.
- Isolated instances of slow or overwhelmed service at the 5th-floor rooftop restaurant/bar have been reported.
- Some guests were disappointed by noisy renovations or the closure of the rooftop restaurant/bar for refurbishment, which they felt was not clearly communicated at the time of booking.
- Older reviews occasionally mentioned poor internet access.
- Some downstairs restaurant meals were noted as potentially being quite pricey.
Sources
Points to Consider
- •While generally highly rated, some guests have noted a few recurring issues:
- •A few AI-generated summaries indicated issues with cleanliness or limited breakfast options, although overall cleanliness ratings are high and breakfast is largely praised for its variety.
- •Older reviews occasionally mentioned poor internet access.
Google Reviews
35 reviews
Recent Guest Reviews
J C
Our stay at the Excelsior Florence was nothing short of exceptional, thanks to the incredible service, especially from Petra, the manager. We arrived past midnight with our one-year-old daughter, who needed milk, fresh milk was promptly delivered to our room. It was a thoughtful and caring gesture that made us feel truly looked after. The hotel itself is a stunning blend of elegance and comfort, w...
Hamad Alsawaha
When I booked the Excelsior I had another booking that did not accept me to check in in a late time. Therefore, i booked the Excelsior as the last option for 1 night for tomorrow to go to my original booking that i had. As soon as I was greeted at the door by the great staff at 1:00 AM. I turned to my wife and told her that we are staying here and I canceled the original booking and the day after ...
Paulomi Debnath
We stayed here for two nights back in 2018, and honestly… OMG! What an incredible hotel. The first thing that stole our hearts were the stunning river views — and yes, we could even see the Ponte Vecchio right from the hotel. It felt magical. The location couldn’t be better. We could walk everywhere so easily, which made exploring Florence an absolute joy. Breakfast was on a whole different leve...
Ju Lulu
The hotel is just amazing! It was way above my expectations, I can say it’s the same level that St Regis, but with its own charm. I adore how they renewed it but saved history in it. Services was perfect in all ways! Thank you so much! And the cherry on the top is the panoramic restaurant (literally on the top) Yuliya Nikolayeva
Sonny Singh
Stunning hotel! Lobby and Rooftop bar are amazing. Staff has been extremely friendly and very accommodating. Breakfast is excellent and included for Titanium Elite. Location is perfect! Can walk to all major tourist attractions. Highly recommended!
D Merk
This is my family’s third stay at the Excelsior in Florence. Since our daughter attends university in Florence, we visit the city often. From our very first visit, it became one of my favorite hotels in the city, this includes comparisons to the Four Seasons, St. Regis, and The W. The property is beautiful, and it truly has one of the most stunning rooftops in Florence. Unfortunately, on December...
