The Excelsior, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Florence

What a spectacular and special hotel. It is right in the heart of the action but due to its size and position on the river, the Excelsior is a tranquil oasis from the crowds. You will not receive better, more attentive service anywhere. Some historic luxe hotels like this can feel like museums, or worse, like you’ve stepped into an overpriced boutique where the staff is judging you. Not here. The staff are without exception friendly, open, and welcoming. (The St Regis is across the courtyard from the Excelsior, in case you’re comparing locations - I think the Excelsior provides the same level of luxury but with what I suspect is a great deal more acknowledgment of Bonvoy elite status.) Breakfast was a treat and the rooftop restaurant is gorgeous. I am in love with this hotel and can’t wait to return.

We stayed at the Excelsior hotel for four nights in late April/early May. The hotel is located right on the banks of the river Arno, directly across a small square from the St Regis hotel. Our room was a large king room with small balcony overlooking the river, on the second floor. The view back towards Florence and Ponte Vecchio was amazing. The balcony is not wide enough for the chairs that are in the room, however, at a push, you can put the chair in, half out and it works well. I delete a couple of bistro chairs and a table would make it perfect for morning coffee. The room was very large and had ample space for all of our luggage. The bathroom was a good size with a large tub and shower over. The bed was medium soft and very comfortable. The air-conditioning in the room worked very well. We did not dine in the hotel, however, we had breakfast delivered for room service a few times. The menu choices are fine and service was efficient. We did spend a few hours on the rooftop Terrace. It has some great views over Florence and it’s an ideal sport for some tapas and cocktails. In terms of location, it is less than a 10 minute walk to each of Ponte Vecchio, Academia, and Uffizi Gallery. The Duomo sits in between those three. That are plenty of restaurants and cafés nearby. The main shopping area is also less than 10 minutes. On the opposite bank of the river is the more authentic part of Florence where there are many many street cafés, restaurants, and gelato shops. Overall, the Excelsior is a great place to stay in Florence. Would definitely recommend it and would come back again.

Our stay was good except on the day we left my husband picked up a rental car and drove to the hotel to pick me up However that is a restricted area and the hotel people said it was ok for a 5 min pick up we got a ticket for 195 euros when we got home I spoke to many people at the hotel and asked them to help with the ticket since there was no other was to get our luggage and me outside of that zone I was told lady year that they would take care of this However 10 month later we hit another letter from Florence regarding the same ticket The amount and lack of service from this hotel is mind boggling Do not stay there if u happen to have a car

We had a wonderful week in Florence. The service and facility is exceptional. I am a Bonvoy lifetime e titanium and I’ve seen hotels both good and poor. This one is very good. The staff were helpful and attentive from the bellman to the waiters on the rooftop bar. My wife and I were on our 40th anniversary trip. We had a wonderful adventure. I especially thank “Nico” in the concierge for his attention to detail and thoughtful consideration of our activities. Five stars!,

Stayed here in two rooms with three kids. Super friendly staff, amazing views from the restaurant and the penthouse. Excellent breakfast, fast WiFi, close to everything. A++