Dimora Palanca, opened in summer 2021 under its new banner, epitomized modern luxury back in the 18^th and 19^th centuries and was restored to a new aesthetic and standard harmonious with modern tastes. Given that in earlier times, this private villa was a destination for artists, musicians and a variety of creative minds, architect Stefano Viviani and noted hotelier Laura Stopani preserved that spirit while making it open and airy for visitors looking for a crisp urban oasis. Fifty pieces of contemporary art by

Tuscan artist Paolo Dovichi punctuate the loft-like spaces, while a spectrum of whites, ivories and grays act as a blank canvas — Stopani clearly intends to help her trend-setting guests make Florence their own.

Having the Santa Maria Novella train station a mere 10 minutes away by foot is a luxury many busy executive guests will appreciate. However, Stopani’s now-completed answer to bohemian chic matches up with nearby neighborhoods that are themselves undergoing a renaissance. The public rooms and spaces, meanwhile, all but invite guests to lounge, relax and reflect on new ways to enjoy Florence, from the bold, sophisticated game room to the polished bar that feeds into the property’s lobby bar and restaurant, and spills out to the courtyard (a rarity among downtown Florence hotels) and the quirky but sleek backdrop of the subterranean Mimesi restaurant (the villa’s original kitchen). Even with the care put into creating a thoroughly modern expression of Florentine luxury and attention to detail, Viviani made sure to preserve the villa’s historic character.

Fine-dining Restaurant Mimesi, located in the villa’s original subterranean kitchen, completes Dimora Palanca’s sensory experience through full dishes and amuse bouches whose flavors, shapes, textures and aesthetic inventively mirror the décor. Head chef Giovanni Cerroni and his team mostly succeed in their efforts to create inventive dishes uniting locally sourced ingredients, showmanship in the presentation, and a mix of Northern and Southern Italian techniques and influence. You can also see and taste other ways his past experiences around Italy, Spain, and elsewhere push regional Tuscany cuisine forward. The bar, which flanks the casual dining room (where breakfast and informal meals are served), is a showcase for small-batch craft gins and other spirits, as well as cocktails with regional culinary flair.

Although the Dimora Palanca may be a little further away from Florence’s cultural center, the hotel’s size and location embodies the desire of the sophisticated and experienced traveler to live like a local.

In addition to exclusive tours of Florence’s great museums and colorful history, the concierge offers guided tours with renowned experts to enrich the guests’s familiarity with the city. There’s everything from a Ferrari driving experience and bespoke luxury shopping tours (leather workshops to jewelers, sculpture studios, ceramic artists, shoemakers, bookbinders, papermakers, textile designers, shoemakers and more) to specialized tours dedicated to wine tasting, cooking, local restaurants, architecture, light adventure, wellness and more.

The hotel itself doubles as a contemporary art gallery with pieces and custom furnishings from regional and international talents. The newly opened Orangerie, once a separate greenhouse for the villa’s plants in winter, extends that opportunity to families and small business groups while ensuring the main building’s ambiance remains quiet and sophisticated. Private details tying the hotel’s sensory experience together include the walled courtyard garden set off by its fragrant jasmine plants and seasonal flowers; state-of-the-art soundproofing; large en-suite bathrooms with marble interiors, large whirlpool bathtubs and chromatography rain showerheads; top-tier Simmons mattresses; luxury bathroom amenities by Florence perfumer Lorenzo Villoresi; and pretty linen accents.

Dimora Palanca

Via della Scala 72
50123 Firenze
Florence, Italy
tel 39 0 55 031 7816