Palazzo Castri 1874 Florence

A new gem offering the best of Italian hospitality right in the heart of Florence: Palazzo Castri 1874, a 4-star superior luxury boutique hotel. Palazzo Castri 1874 is a fully restored boutique hotel dating back to the years of Florentine Impressionism.

Treat yourselves to a stay in a sophisticated room with a view of the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore and the luxuriant inner garden “La Limonaia”. Relax in the exclusive spa immersed in fragrant steam and toning jets of water. This is Palazzo Castri 1874 – a unique experience characterised by attention to detail and all-round discreet service.

The hotel interiors and exteriors seamlessly merge traditional and modern, elegance and comfort, to create a sophisticated ambience.

The rooms offer sophisticated hospitality, and the designer interiors, magnificent view of the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore, fragrance of lemon and magnolia from the exclusive inner garden and smart modern spa are the perfect ingredients for an unforgettable escape from everyday life.

Palazzo Castri 1874 combines the culture of hospitality with Italy’s traditional trademark elegance. Our staff are here to pamper you with our personalised services. The hotel is strategically located just seven minutes’ walk from the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore and a short walk from the station and Piazza Santa Maria Novella.

We provide you with a latest-generation smartphone for phone calls and internet access when you are out and about in Florence, and back at the hotel our WiFi connection offers full coverage throughout the buildings and the garden.

Our luxury hotel offers you a plentiful buffet breakfast every morning, with pastries made in-house and a selection of local produce. The Florentia Café can serve you quick meals either for lunch or dinner, and has a fine selection of local and international wines, delicious aperitifs and cocktails.

Do not miss our traditional afternoon tea served with delicious cakes and biscuits lovingly hand made by our very own pastry chef.

LA LIMONAIA GARDEN
La Limonaia is our fresh inner garden measuring 1,000 m2, offering a luxurious oasis with centuries-old palm trees and fragrant flowers. Here you can pause to relax and regenerate in an almost unreal silence.

Luxuriate in the hydromassage pool and have an aperitif with snacks we make ourselves and local produce at our “La Limonaia” bar. The “Limonaia di Firenze” is a fragrance exclusively created for us by the ancient Florentine pharmacy Dr. Vranjes, included in the courtesy set provided in your room.

ROOMS & SUITES
At Palazzo Castri 1874 you will feel at home, thanks to our friendly and courteous staff, on hand to meet your every need. The comfortable, welcoming rooms have free wi-fi, a courtesy set by Dr. Vranjes Firenze and all your tea-making needs are met by the renowned “La via del te’ di Firenze 1961”.

EXCLUSIVE SUITE
The Exclusive Suite is a luxury apartment set in our magnificent inner garden, La Limonaia. A comfortable 50 m2 apartment offering maximum privacy, also suitable for families. There are two bedrooms, one with a double bed and private bathroom and one with a small double bed and ensuite bathroom.

There is a large day area with a living room and modern, well-equipped live-in kitchen. All the rooms have TV. The beds are designed to guarantee an excellent night’s sleep and have soft, natural allergenic pillows: feather pillows and in ROLLO Fill® HP.

Access to the apartment is from a pretty private path across our garden, La Limonaia. The bath features luxury courtesy products La Limonaiadi Firenze by Palazzo Castri 1874.

BRUNELLESCHI SUITE
With the sober and sophisticated elegance typical of Palazzo Castri 1874, a romantic dream awaits you in two rooms separated by a wooden staircase and a breathtaking view of the symbols of Florence, Brunelleschi’s dome and Giotto’s Bell Tower, which stand out magnificently over the roofs of Florence.

This is the Brunelleschi suite: on the highest floor of the hotel, a living room with a sofa and TV and a bathroom, and a bright bedroom on the mezzanine with a large window right opposite the bed and marvellous beamed ceiling.

Overlooking the inner garden, the suite has soundproofed windows to provide maximum relaxation. The perfect place to escape from everyday life. The bath features luxury courtesy products La Limonaiadi Firenze by Palazzo Castri 1874.

FLORENTIA CAFÉ
Our Florentia Café is open every day, and is an ideal solution if you are looking for a quick and delicious meal. We offer a sophisticated “espresso” menu with first and second courses made entirely from seasonal ingredients – fresh in the summer and in true Tuscan tradition in the winter.

The menu includes tasty hors-d’oeuvres with local cured meats and cheeses, accompanied by a well-designed selection of wines and finished off in style with our own fabulous desserts.

Our bar also serves a vast range of aperitifs in a sophisticated, stylish setting. And when summer comes, the Florentia Cafè opens the gates of the “La Limonaia” garden to make your culinary experience even more relaxing. Don’t miss afternoon tea, served with our own exquisite cakes and biscuits.

BREAKFAST & BAR
Every day at Palazzo Castri 1874 you will wake up to a delicious breakfast in the breakfast room overlooking La Limonaia garden. Tickle your taste-buds with the ritual that is breakfast. A varied selection of sweet and savoury items will enable you to put together your ideal breakfast with a touch of originality.

Whether continental, American or typically Italian, our buffet offers a rich selection of flavours using local and seasonal produce, together with fragrant pastries made with care and creativity by our very own pastry chef. Follow the unmistakeable aroma of Italian espresso coffee as you explore the flavours lining the four walls of the room.

The pastry station with hand-made cakes and biscuits and delicious croissants; the wellness table with milk, yoghurt and cereals, fresh and cooked fruit and our natural colour- and preservative-free fruit juices, and on to the station dedicated to lovers of the American breakfast, with a selection of local cured meats and cheeses accompanies by fresh artisan bread and savoury tarts, preserves in oil and patés, hot dishes such as scrambled egg and grilled bacon, and cooked and fresh vegetables.

A selection of gluten-free products is available on request, and for those who do not want to miss out on anything you can choose a variety of omelettes and eggs cooked in a variety of ways, as well as fruit extracts and fresh vegetables from the A la carte menu.

THE SPA
Palazzo Castri 1874 offers its guests an intimate Spa: 153 square meters of wellness, a pearl of uniqueness in the heart of Florence, where our guests can relax, enjoy the silence and experience a total regeneration of mind and body.

The Spa is open every day and can be accessed by appointment, with different schedules dedicated to families with children, in order to ensure a high level of comfort for everyone.

Palazzo Castri 1874 guests have the privilege of enjoying our private, cosy spa: a unique gem right in the centre of Florence offering 153 square metres of relaxation, where you can enjoy peace and quiet and feel totally regenerated in body and spirit.

The Spa is open every day, and guarantees your comfort by operating by appointment, with set times for families with children. Take the time to enjoy in full the benefits offered by our wellness pathways. Breathe in the warm, balmy steam in our Finnish sauna and Turkish baths.

Refresh yourself with the icy waterfall before sinking into the roomy hydromassage pool with its toning water jets. Take a break between sessions in our relaxation area where you can drink herbal teas from La Via del Tè – Firenze.

And if you are celebrating a special event, we will be happy to offer you exclusive use of our wellness oasis. To prolong your relaxation after leaving the spa, try one of our face & body treatments and massages.

Our treatment specialist will be happy to recommend the best treatment for you, using top beauty products by Maria Galland. Do not miss the chance to take your favourite Maria Galland product with you by taking a look at our retail selection.

We believe in restoring the natural balance between relaxation and movement, and this philosophy is what underlies the wellness pathways in our spa. We offer you an exclusive wellness experience comprising emotion showers and chromotherapy, warm and balmy steam in the Finnish sauna and the detoxifying benefits of a Turkish bath.

The focal point of our wellness pathway is our 30-square-metre warm hydromassage pool, which extends outdoors into the magnificent La Limonaia garden. Here you can experience moments of pure bliss and relaxation under the Florentine sky.

The pool water is kept at a constant, a pleasant 33 degree centrigrade, the perfect temperature for total relaxation between refreshing visits to the toning ice waterfall. Keep stress at bay and rediscover your inner self: Palazzo Castri 1874 is delighted to offer you the opportunity to do so.

THE FITNESS CORNER
Wellness is a perfect balance of mind and body, alternating moments of regenerating relaxation with carefully designed physical activity. This is why we offer our guests a small, minimalist fitness room in our spa area, equipped with latest-generation Technogym kit, where you can keep in shape at your own pace.

Between fitness sessions, don’t forget to pamper yourself with a well-deserved rest in our relaxation area with delicious products by La Via del Tè – Firenze: quality infusions and herbal teas.

SALA CASTRI
Sala Castri is our new auditorium: a modern and flexible space capable of seating up to 20 participants theatre style, or of being configured with U-shape/square set-ups for smaller gatherings.

This is a perfect choice for corporate meetings, training events or round tables, in the evocative ambiance of an elegant boutique hotel that marries classic appeal with modern functionality. The room is equipped with LCD projector, flip chart and WiFi.

TAKE A TASTY BREAK
Indulge in a delectable coffee break with delicious treats fresh from our artisanal bakery, or grab a quick lunch at our Florentia Cafe. And when the weather is right, enjoy a relaxing moment among the palm trees and lemon trees of “La Limonaia”, our serene outdoor garden.

CHRISTMAS IN FLORENCE
The excitement in the run up to Christmas can be felt in Florence in every street and shop lovingly decorated with attention to detail, whether in a characteristic, traditional or innovative style.

Installations in public areas feature original designs with light and colour to illuminate the city and banish the winter darkness. The role of Christmas lights is precisely that – to brighten the dull afternoons of cold winter days, to warm our hearts.

In recent years Florence’s Christmas decorations have been designed as part of a project called “Alberi d’artista” (Tree Art). The Christmas tree is the symbol of Christmas celebrations, and in this project the tree, under which we place our gifts, has been revisited in three different designs in the city’s three main squares.

We are confident that this year too Piazza Santa Maria Novella, Piazza Repubblica and Piazza Santissima Annunziata will benefit from the artists’ creative imagination.

In previous years artists have created imaginative trees symbolising Christmas and the oldest traditional meaning of the celebrations, the birth of Jesus, and the birth and care for a new life that takes shape from the winter solstice.

The anouncement of this birth helps us believe in the future, take care of the weak, of new life that will flourish, and take care of our future.

Christmas is a magical time also because of the warm, delicious aromas that pervade the city. First and foremost the smell of roast chestnuts, but also of deep-fried snacks and candy floss.

These delicious smells can be overwhelming, and we recommend you concentrate on a warming tour only on offer at Christmas – “Firenze al sapore di cioccolato” (Chocolate Flavoured Florence), which will allow you to taste the best and most heart-warming chocolate Florence has to offer.

One sight not to be missed during your Christmas holiday in Florence, which alone is worth the journey, is the lights on the Ponte Vecchio. One side of the bridge is illuminated in alternating blue, pink and green lights, and the other in yellow and pink. The overall effect is magical, and for a moment we are all children again, staring in wonder.

Christmas is also about giving, about presents, and central Florence is the perfect place to find finely made original bargains and inspiration. The traditional Florentine shops producing handmade products are appealing and convince even the hardest to please tourist to buy unforgettable gifts.

Fabrics, jewellery, potter, shoes and leather goods in general evoke a sense of the traditional, of history, of value which the gifts carry to those who receive them.

Children love superheroes, and the Uffizi Gallery is offering bookings for a special tour for younger ones called “Superheroes of the Renaissance”, a magical tour of the world of art. “Legend has it that Michelangelo could hear the whispers of David trapped in the marble, and Brunelleschi managed to build the biggest dome of all time.”

If you don’t yet have children and want to share a romantic moment, Romantic Florence will add spice to you Chistmas with heartwarming dinners and views that will set your heart racing.

Culture can be romantic too, and couples can enjoy a tour of Casa Guidi, which requires booking beforehand. This Florentine museum tells the tale of secret marriages and romantic flights beyond the river, which have touched the imagination of even the most cynical.

It does not always not snow in Florence, but the magic of a white Christmas can be found in the white marble of the Piazzas and the Churches of Florence, in its monuments, its ever-present art works, in the whole of the city. What are you waiting for? Florence is ready to wish you a Happy Christmas.

FLORENTINE TASTINGS
Now autumn is here the air is cooler and the colours warmer, the red leaves the colour of Chianti wine. This is the season to take a tour of the wineries. Harvest is over, the new wine is sitting pretty, and the barrels of vintage wine are perfect for tasting.

Florence and Tuscany are renowned for their ancient tradition of winemaking and wineries. The region produces many different fine wines for restaurants and bars, from the many varieties of Chianti classico, which alone are worth exploring, to the latest-generation organic wines.

We will start in the area tucked between Florence and Siena, which is the birthplace of Chianti, from the 17th-century bottles to official registration of the winemaking process in the 19th century by Barone Ricasoli, which is still used in making DOC or DOCG Chianti.

Chianti. Made from at least 80% Sangiovese grapes and other noble red grapes such as Canaiolo, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, which give the wine a lively ruby red colour, a full-bodied flavour that can have a hint of violet, and a tannic flavour that over time develops into soft velvet.

Brunello di Montalcino. Ruby red colour that becomes almost garnet as it ages. Fruity vanilla, wild berries and aromatic wood flavour, intense bouquet, harmonious and robust on the palate. Nobile di Montepulciano. Ruby red colour, a dry balanced and lasting flavour with a hint of wood, varies from 12.5° to 13° for Riserva.

THE TOURS
Let us enjoy the warm colours of nature that we can only enjoy in autumn. We walk into the hills. We can smell woodland, grass, moss and mushrooms as nature prepares to slowly fall asleep. The vines also rest, while their fruits start the aromatic process of fermentation in the surrounding cellars, which turns them into the nectar of the Gods.

There are various interesting, fact-packed tours to choose from, offering the chance to explore Tuscan winemaking, traditions and land management in complete safety. The Florence – Chianti Hills – San Gimignano – Florence routes make a good day tour.

You can choose the wineries to visit on the route and create your own tour. When booking your stay at Palazzo Castri you can choose which tour to take to ensure that your holiday is even more relaxing.

TASTINGS IN FLORENCE
Florence offers various tasting opportunities for curious palates. When you stay at Palazzo Castri you can choose from a vast selection of organic Tuscan wines made by local producers in the Florentia Cafè that are perfect matches for the dishes our small but refined kitchen has to offer.

We can point you in the direction of the best wine sellers with this mini guide to Florence’s most typical wine sellers. Il Coquinarius is a stone’s throw from the Duomo in Via delle Oche, where you will be served in a typical medieval atmosphere, with prints on the walls and vaulted ceilings.

It has an extensive wine list, and includes biodynamic wines mainly from Tuscan producers with the odd excursion into other regions of Italy. La Divina Enoteca is known for its selection of wines made by small producers in Italy.

It offers a selection of panini, bruschette and mixed cured meats and cheeses to accompany the wine tasting. You will not be disappointed. If you are in the vicinity of Palazzo Strozzi Procacci, this wine store has been described by its patrons as “a little treasure trove of deliciousness” both for its wines and for its aperitifs and tasty canapés.

​It only remains for us to raise our glasses to you with a toast: “Rosso Chianti di sera, buon tempo si spera!” (Red Chianti at night, shepherd’s delight!)

CYCLING THROUGH FLORENCE
Explore more, using the cycle paths winding their way around central Florence and crossing Via Cavour. You can leave your car at the car park affiliated to your hotel, or arrive by train or tram from the airport. Tour the city centre by bike through the parks and along the banks of the Arno at a gentle pace using pedal power.

Let’s start with a bike. You can hire one using the convenient municipal App, Movi by Mobike, which offers a free-flow bike sharing service. The App requires a credit card deposit and you pay per use. It will show you the closest bike on the integrated map. You can then leave the bike at one of the “bici” points indicated on the map.

Firenzeinbici offers downloadable up-to-date maps of the cycle paths using the Apps IF and FeelFlorence and you can follow the tours on your smartphone. Thanks to funding from the cycling and environmental federation FIAB, the Florentine Bicipolitana is nearing completion.

This comprises eight lines linking Florence with the surrounding municipalities. The cycle paths are protected, georeferenced and digitalised, and cover 90 kilometres of roads for cycling in the city and the province. The easiest routes are in the Campo di Marte area.

There are many different routes for all legs, from a prepped and trained touring cyclist to families enjoying a cycle ride along the River Arno. To give you an idea, we propose a couple of route combinations, while you can use the maps we have mentioned to put together your own made-to-measure tour, based on how much time and energy you have.

The right and left banks of the Arno offer two different types of route. The right bank has a section with a clay surface and a panoramic tour along the Arno and into the “Cascine” park, a relatively rural route.

The cycle path on the left bank starts from Rovezzano and is city-based with a tarmac surface leading to the Ponte delle Grazie bridge through the Albereta park, so it also has a nature-based section. Both banks of the River Arno can be cycled along, paying attention at intersections and breaks connecting with the city cycle paths.

It is worth cycling as far as the Ponte Vecchio and pushing your bicycle over it as you walk, among the tourists crossing it on foot. When you enter the “Cascine” park there are two possible routes.

One goes towards the Arno to the “Rena” park, another nature park in the municipality of Signa containing sports facilities, a small artificial lake and even a swimming area. The other goes towards the left bank of the Arno through the public park and Argingrosso gardens to the Lungarno Pioppi, a cycle ride through Florence’s green spaces.

Remaining on the theme of green spaces, we can park our bikes near the Ponte Vecchio and walk past Palazzo Pitti to the finest gardens in Florence, the Boboli Gardens and the Rose Gardens, without forgetting the Piazzale di Michelangelo, perhaps at sunset, and if there is time, the Bardini Gardens near the house of Galileo Galilei.

FIESOLE
For those who love long and “highly” panoramic cycle routes, the 20 kilometres between central Florence and Fiesole is linked by a road which was the venue for the 2013 UCI Road World Championships. You can stop to catch your breath along the way on the ancient stone benches and hold your breath at the view of Florence from above.

With a little imagination you can visualise Leonardo da Vinci trying out his flying machines as you cycle up Monte Ceceri. Newcomers to cycling or those preferring views to effort might prefer to use an electric bike.

Rooms: 59

Price: from 124 EUR per night

Source: www.palazzocastri.com