Oltrarno Splendid

Oltrarno Splendid

On Via dei Serragli, on the top two floors of an 18th century palazzo in Florence's Oltrarno quarter, Oltrarno Splendid keeps fourteen rooms, no two decorated alike. Original frescoes and a two-hundred-year-old wraparound Toile de Jouy wallpaper were uncovered here and restored under the scrupulous eye of the Belle Arti, then set beside antiques, flea-market finds and contemporary furniture chosen by the team behind SoprArno Suites and AdAstra Florence. An internal spiral staircase links the two floors, and windows throughout look out over the rooftops and skyline of the artisanal Oltrarno side of the river. Ponte Vecchio is 0.4 miles away, the Duomo 0.7 miles, and Pitti Palace and Piazza della Repubblica are also within walking distance. Rooms come with a kettle, espresso machine, HD television, minibar, safe, air conditioning and C.O. Bigelow bath products, and several of the King rooms keep a freestanding bathtub in the bedroom alongside a separate shower. One room, the King Deluxe at the top of the building, was once the studio of Susan Nevelson, muse to designer Ken Scott. Continental breakfast runs from eight to ten each morning, and that is the only meal served, since this is a fourteen-room bed and breakfast rather than a full-service hotel, with a doorman, concierge, luggage storage and tour assistance desk covering the practical side of a stay. It suits people who want a specific, layered address over uniform comfort, not those travelling with pets, which are not permitted. Extra beds cost 30 euros a night, and parking is offsite and comes at extra cost nearby. Check-in is from 2pm, check-out by 11am, and the frescoes on these walls belong to no other address in the city. Fourteen individually designed rooms above Via dei Serragli carry original frescoes and flea-market finds, with rooftop views over Oltrarno rather than the tourist side of the Arno. Good for those who want history over polish; not for pet owners or anyone expecting an on-site restaurant.