Modern and fresh, with a library, roof terrace, and a sofa by the fireplace. JK Lounge is a fashionably relaxed place to see and be seen.

Overlooking the largest private garden in the city, the Oltrarno villa has seven soaring rooms filled with Italian design pieces from the '50s, '60s, and '70s.

On the other side of the Arno River, eleven meticulously designed rooms are decked with vintage furniture, industrial accents, and vaulted, frescoed ceilings. 

Anything but a par-for-the-course chain hotel, as it resides in a 500-year-old palazzo dressed to the nines. There’s an orangerie, private garden, and swimming pool. Book a table for a long and lazy brunch at Il Palagio.

Florentine tradition is preserved at this grand dame, a quick walk from the Basilica Santa Maria Novella. Twelve rooms face an interior courtyard filled with wisteria vines. All rooms have charming Italianate patios for enjoying an espresso and the morning paper.

A monastery-turned-luxury-hotel retreat in the hills of Fiesole, about a 15-minute drive from Florence (the hotel has a free shuttle bus going to and from the city). Even if you stay somewhere else, this place is absolutely worth visiting for a long, luxurious lunch or evening aperitivi overlooking the city.

Perhaps the chicest address in town, the boutique hotel is a breath of contemporary fresh air among Renaissance relics. It's located on Piazza della Repubblica, across the street from Cafe Gilli's gorgeous windows.

The small, modern hotel owned by Ferragamo has all white rooms with billowing curtains. Somewhat incredibly, it's built right next to the Ponte Vecchio, making it very easy to hop over to the cool part of town (south side of the river). Request a room overlooking the Arno.