Villa Cora

A 19th-century villa hotel with gardens up the hill

Hours: Breakfast daily 7:30 to 10:30
Address: Viale Niccolò Machiavelli 18, Florence

A restored nineteenth-century neoclassical villa on a tree-lined avenue in the hills south of the Arno. It sits well away from the tourist crush, so evenings are quiet. There are gardens, a heated pool, a rooftop terrace and a sauna. Palazzo Pitti is within walking distance, and a free shuttle runs to the centre.