Beloved by discerning travellers for decades, Florence’s Grand Hotel Minerva has just completed a multimillion-dollar refurbishment in time for its 150th anniversary.
The hotel, which affords unforgettable views of the Duomo from its famous rooftop sun terrace in the heart of the ancient Tuscan city, could have opted for a soft renovation given its location and legacy. Instead, all 97 rooms and suites at the family-owned hotel have been refitted, as well as its public areas, under the direction of local architect Piera Tempesti Benelli, who strived to reclaim many of the original features and furnishings installed by modernist architect Carlo Scarpa in the 1950s.
Thanks to Benelli, highlights now include the ultra-fashionable Breakfast Room with its restored black and white marble floor and reconditioned Scarpa chairs. There’s also the beautifully restored staircase that leads to the famous rooftop pool and bar.
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The decor throughout the hotel is a fusion of vintage opulence and crisp modernism. Many of the furnishings and objets d’art originate from the Florence mansion of Prince Demidoff, a 19th-century Russian industrialist with a love of the Ancien Régime and Empire periods.
Mixed in with all this history are swirling Murano glass chandeliers and modernist paintings by Italian artists. The contrasts continue in the white-walled guest rooms with linens and soft furnishings in a single shade from a rich Tuscan palette of gold, emerald green, vermilion and azure blue.
The ‘lusso moderno’ feel extends to the La Buona Novella bistro, where you can enjoy an al fresco lunch of seared octopus or marinated artichokes while taking in the breathtaking facade of the exquisite church of Santa Maria Novella.
A premium double room is approximately €400, including breakfast; grandhotelminerva.com
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