Il Salviatino

A charming, personal take on a grand country home hotel in the hillside outside Florence.

• The wonderful sense of place and very personal feel
• Retreating to the nature-filled setting at the end of a sightseeing day in Florence
• Fun excursions in Fiesole and the Tuscan countryside, including to organic winery Fattoria San Michele a Torri, in the Chianti region, about an hour’s drive away

Il Salviatino, a boutique hotel that opened outside Florence in 2010, occupies a magnificent 15th-century villa full of romance (think stone floors, soaring ceilings, a crenellated tower, formal gardens). Owner Marcello Pigozzo, a veteran hotelier who teamed up with his sons and a group of investors, poured €15 million into renovating it. They hand-selected oil paintings and etchings for the walls and filled the library with books on art.

Partway up the Fiesole hillside (not far from Villa San Michele), Salviatino is about a ten-minute drive from the center of Florence, but feels worlds away. The driveway, lined with cypress trees, weaves up a hill, passes the pretty outdoor pool and spa area, to arrive at an imposing villa that has been fully restored to house just 47 guest rooms and suites. Inside, the proportions are grand, with 20-foot ceilings, but the décor is simple, spare and luxurious: coffee-colored walls, lots of leather couches, bedrooms with white bedding and leather headboards.

The concept is for the place to feel as much as possible like a visit with friends, rather than a stay at a hotel. There’s no front desk, no concierge, no bellboys. The rooms are all different and it’s a little tricky to choose, as the higher room categories aren’t necessarily better. Ideally, you want a room with a view not just of Florence, but specifically of the Duomo. Ojetti Suite has a rooftop terrace high enough that the view covers pretty much everything. The Tegliacci Suite is marvelous and loft-like, with an open floor plan, a big tufted leather sofa and a dining table. The large windows overlook the countryside. Interestingly, some of the rooms with the best views aren’t suites. Some have spectacular picture windows and Duomo views even if they are just Deluxe Rooms.

Some details at Salviatino are spot-on: delicious linen sheets and super soft chenille robes, heavenly rainfall showers with good pressure, big soaking tubs in most rooms, Nespresso machines, a good gym and free wifi throughout. The Thai spa is marvelous (try the signature Devarana treatment). Service, however, can be uneven. The Sunday brunch (served at lunchtime) is popular with Florentine families, who venture up from the city. Dinner standouts included fresh pasta and roasted angler fish with artichoke hearts. In summer, the whole dining set-up moves from the downstairs restaurant to the outside terrace. There is an open kitchen and tables set up for al fresco dining (with Duomo views for all).