A Night at The Place Firenze
In With The New
Coming home is a state of mind that can’t be reproduced. Some hotels have got the most personal vibes we are always seeking, a feeling that can be found through online presentations and images. Back in 2020, my first post-lockdown trip, brought me to JK Place Firenze which back then was the best city hotel experience (probably due to the absence of luxury hotel experiences during the first lockdown). Whoever has already stayed at a JK Place knows there hardly is any better hotel experience: the design is perfect, the locations are prime, the staff is extremely personal and the overall feeling is unique all over. With JK Place Firenze having become The Place Firenze in spring 2021, the new team has a massive footstep to fill. As far as I am concerned, it was a first-timer to stay in a hotel again that has been renovated and received a new concept. It honestly was a stay at a new hotel for me - even though the handwritten welcome note by manager Claudio Meli indicated a „welcome back“…
The Check-In
We arrived by car from Montalcino where we had an intense two-day of wine tastings and Tuscan countryside. Needless to say that the Florence traffic felt extremely overwhelming and thanks to the ZTL zone - which prohibits foreigners from entering the city by car - driving is even more of a hassle than anywhere else in the world. Luckily The Place gave all driving instructions before and immediately helped with the car once we arrived at Piazza Santa Maria Novella. Soon after we unpacked our car, the bellmen took care of the vehicle and brought it to a nearby garage at 48 euros per night. After the car situation was solved out we were offered a seat in the newly styled lounge of The Place Firenze. Soon after a Spritz arrived with a refreshing glass of sparkling water to cool down from the sweeping heat of Florence in May. I have to say that you can feel how brand new The Place is by the staff. From my last time, I didn’t see any familiar faces (apart from Manager Claudio Meli) so the team still needs time to adjust to the concept and building which might soon be solved. For check-in, we only needed to sit and wait plus put one signature under the privacy policy until we were good to go to our room.
The Room Check
Located on the fourth floor, our Junior Suite was a two-storey Duplex overlooking Piazza Santa Maria Novella. On the first floor, there was a beautiful sofa that can be converted into a sofa bed, a marble coffee table as well as a writing desk along with a sideboard. As a welcome, we received half a bottle of Franciacorta together with some salty snacks and a handwritten note by the general manager. Similar to my previous stay, the minibar is complimentary and comes with a bar of chocolate, mixed nuts and three bottles of each: coke, Coke Zero, Fanta, sparkling and still water. Upon walking upstairs we were immediately impressed by the stunning views of the square below. When lying in bed, the view was just out of this world. One could watch people walking on Piazza Santa Maria Novella without even leaving the suite. Generally, the view got better the later it was: stunning in daylight, unforgettable during sunset (the sun set exactly in front of the window) and magical during the night.
The Bathroom Game
On the second floor of the Junior Suite, there was the actual king size bed with another television and possibilities to store the luggage. The tiny walk-in wardrobe with a safe and full-body mirror was just next to the bedroom and boasted lovely sneakers, a hairdryer and beautiful laundry bags in the hotel's corporate design. While a handful of rooms were already renovated and represent the „new“ style, ours was still from JK Place times and the bathroom pretty much reminded me the most of the old splendid days. Actually, I love the beige marble and the shower with good pressure. While I missed the old bathroom amenities (the amber scent was the best), I was happy to find an elegantly smelling shower gel by Floris London and always wanted to try one of Votary's products so I was also fine with their shampoo. Towels were superb and felt super new in the coolest colours, matching their corporate identity again. I have to say that I am also a fan of the ceiling window which offered plenty of daylight in the bathroom and made it a very unique room again.
Worth Staying In Bed For
If your room comes with such a cool layout and views, why not stay for a night of Netflix along with some room service classics? Even though the concierge went above and beyond with restaurant bookings, my colleague didn’t feel well enough for „la bistecca“ so we thought it would be a better idea to order a signature club sandwich along with a Tuscan burger. In the end, I loved the idea to spend more time at The Place and thoroughly enjoyed the changing of the scenes down on the square while we were having a most relaxing evening. Overall the quality of bed linen was outrageous, and so was the mattress - though the pillows could have been a little softer. As far as the noise level is concerned, we didn’t experience any nuisance and even woke up without an alarm. Did we miss breakfast you ask? Well, fortunately, The Place’s philosophy is just in line with our wake-up routine and there are no fixed breakfast times here at this unique boutique property.
A Reason To Leave The Room
So I have to say the main highlight of the stay, besides the amazing room, was the breakfast on the terrace of The Place Firenze. Our day in Florence started overlooking Santa Maria Novella church while being served a perfect cappuccino along with fresh orange juice, poached eggs on avocado toast and a selection of Parma ham and Pecorino cheese. We ended up spending one hour at the terrace as we were just impressed by the lively atmosphere of the Piazza and us being fully treated with a royal breakfast in each aspect. I can highly recommend enjoying breakfast outdoors as it is a unique opportunity to start your first day in Florence, a city that always impresses me again. As a conclusion of our stay at The Place Firenze, I can say that it is a wonderful boutique hotel in a prime location in the city that comes with a wonderful design. Make sure to go for one of their unique rooms such as the Penthouse or Junior Suites (the duplex ones), even though their rooms are also very charming and chic enough for a Florence trip.
We were guests of The Place Firenze for editorial purposes. The review expresses our own opinion and hasn’t been influenced.
