The St. Regis Florence
- 01 July 2022
Florence – The St. Regis Florence, awarded in 2022 as the first hotel in Florence by Travel & Leisure World's Best Awards 2022, is a place of choice for hospitality and gastronomy, a perfect combination of culinary tradition and an impeccable and personalized service in the heart of the Renaissance city.
Situated in the heart of the city, the St. Regis Florence is the perfect location from which to experience Tuscany's timeless attractions. The hotel’s inspiring and romantic location on the Piazza Ognissanti, overlooking the Arno river, offers one of the most enchanting views of the city over the churches, the hills and the belltowers of the Florence's Oltrarno with Ponte Vecchio as background.
The St. Regis Florence opened in October 2011, following a meticulous 10-month renovation of the original Grand Hotel. Originally designed in 1432 by Filippo Brunelleschi, the architect of the Duomo Santa Maria del Fiore, the building was the first luxury hotel in Florence and is considered to be one of the most significant palaces in the city for its artistic and historical value.
The hotel celebrates Florentine history and culture using authentic local artisans, product and design elements including custom hand painted Tuscan and Florentine landscapes in every guest room, antique Italian engravings framed in hand carved gold leaf frames as well as beautiful antiques and decorative objects discerningly placed throughout the hotel.
The St. Regis Florence features 80 luxuriously appointed guest rooms and 19 suites. Reflecting Florence’s rich artistic heritage, all the hotel’s guest rooms and suites feature individually hand carved gold leaf plaques including one of three different color palettes - Medici, Florentine and Renaissance, with each design concept offering a unique selection of custom designed furniture, paintings, frescos and crystal chandeliers, creating a sophisticated sense of relaxed opulence. In honor of Florence and its traditions, every guest room and suite is named after noted Italian artists, benefactors and nobility.
The St.Regis Florence also features one of the most exclusive and refined restaurant and bar of the city- the Winter Garden Restaurant.
With a 19th century glass ceiling and a spectacular hand-blown Murano glass chandelier, the Winter Garden Restaurant offers an intimate and refined atmosphere, where guests can enjoy the menus designed by Executive Chef Gentian Shehi, in combination with the best wines from the hotel's wine cellar.
The wine list, curated by the Sommelier of The St. Regis Florence Anna Crispino, marries and enhances the dishes of Chef Shehi. The selection includes cult labels from Tuscany and a vast choice of great national and international wines. Among the most important references, the wine list of the Winter Garden offers about 40 types of champagne, as well as biodynamic wines from Italian and foreign producers.
Starting from September 2018, the direction of the kitchen of the Winter Garden Restaurant has been entrusted to Executive Chef Gentian Shehi. Shehi, born in 1981, was born in Albania, in Durres, and raised in Puglia, and took his first steps in the kitchen at the young age of 14. After graduating in hospitality and some important experiences in luxury hotels both abroad and in Italy - including the Four Seasons group and Intercontinental Hotels - he continued his career as teacher at the Apicius International School of Hospitality in Florence. Chef Shehi offers the national and international guests of The St. Regis Florence a cuisine characterized by a strong influence of the Tuscan gastronomic culture combined with a high level of dynamism, which is constantly renewed to meet the tastes of customers. In approaching the creation of new dishes for the menu, Chef Shehi's primary focus remains on the raw material, which must be of excellent quality. Following both seasonality and sustainability, the restaurant is supplied by selected and trusted suppliers. In the moment of the actual creation of the recipe, the chef finds inspiration in childhood memories linked to good food, giving life to a contemporary Mediterranean cuisine. Among the signature dishes on his menu: Paccheri di Gragnano with lobster and lime and the Cockerel "Memory of a Cacciatora".
Winter Garden Restaurant is open every day from 12.00 to 22.30, while the Winter Garden Bar is open every day from 11.00 to 1.00.
For private dining and functions, the hotel offers a majestic Ballroom on the mezzanine, or for smaller functions the intimate “Cantinetta”, a 15th century brick vaulted cellar designed for those who love fine wines paired with original Tuscany flavors.
The St. Regis Florence also features the Iridium Suites Spa by Clarins, allowing guests to renew and refresh mind, body and spirit with a variety of spa experiences. The Iridium Suites Spa by Clarins features three luxurious and spacious suites complete with white and grey Florentine marble enriched with gold and silver walls and custom designed mosaics. Two of the three suites feature circular chromo-therapy Jacuzzi tubs and double beds, perfect for couple massages and treatments.
Following in the tradition of the legendary St. Regis Hotel New York, the St. Regis Florence offers the famed rituals of the St. Regis brand including the iconic St.Regis Butler Service, bespoke guest experiences and luxury accommodations tailored to meet global travellers' needs, and the Afternoon Tea and Evening Champagne Sabering rituals.
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About St. Regis Hotels & Resorts
Combining timeless glamour with a vanguard spirit, St. Regis Hotels & Resorts is committed to delivering exquisite experiences at more than 50 luxury hotels and resorts in the best addresses around the world. Beginning with the debut of The St. Regis hotel in New York by John Jacob Astor IV at the dawn of the twentieth century, the brand has remained committed to an uncompromising level of bespoke and anticipatory service for all of its guests, delivered flawlessly by the signature St. Regis Butler Service. For more information and new openings, visit stregis.com or follow Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. St. Regis is proud to participate in Marriott Bonvoy®, the global travel program from Marriott International. The program offers members an extraordinary portfolio of global brands, exclusive experiences on Marriott Bonvoy Moments and unparalleled benefits including complimentary nights and Elite status recognition. To enroll for free or for more information about the program, visit marriottbonvoy.com.
Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ: MAR) is based in Bethesda, Maryland, USA, and encompasses a portfolio of nearly 8,300 properties under 30 leading brands spanning 138 countries and territories. Marriott operates and franchises hotels and licenses vacation ownership resorts all around the world. The company offers Marriott Bonvoy®, its highly-awarded travel program. For more information, please visit our website at www.marriott.com, and for the latest company news, visit www.marriottnewscenter.com. In addition, connect with us on Facebook and @MarriottIntl on Twitter and Instagram.