The small but exceedingly well-appointed Bristol stands reassuringly close to the Palazzo Strozzi and the elegant Via Tornabuoni. It continues to unite the two worlds of high art and high fashion, just it did in the days of the Grand Tour. There are 67 rooms, each individually furnished with pietro duro tables, antique porcelain, Old Master paintings, silks and brocades. The whirlpool baths bring one gently down from the cultural high ground to the rich pastures of self-indulgence. The two suites on the 5th floor have great views of the cupola of Santa Maria del Fiore, the cathedral of Florence. There is a tangible sense of past glory - the hotel was visited by a number of luminaries including Stravinsky, Pirandello and Gorbachev. The Giardino d'Inverno - the courtyard gardens - remain as they have been for decades a meeting place for local literati and the Florentine upper crust. The Bristol has been expertly restored by its owner, the hotelier Luigi de Simone Niquesa who has lent a number of pieces from his private art collection. The Hostaria Bibendum restaurant overlooks the Piazza Strozzi and offers Italian and Tuscan classics. The wine list is exemplary.
Via dei Pescioni, 2
50123 Florence
Manager: Mr Stefano Venturi
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