At a glance

Type

Five-star grand luxury hotel

Period

Building dates from the late 19th century; hotel in continuous operation since the early 20th century

Style

Late-nineteenth-century palazzo with Art Nouveau and Belle Époque interiors

Location

Piazza Ognissanti 3, 50123 Firenze FI — 43.7721° N, 11.2457° E

Overview

The Westin Excelsior Florence stands on Piazza Ognissanti beside the Arno River, in the western sector of Florence’s historic centre between the train station of Santa Maria Novella and the Ponte Vecchio neighbourhood. The hotel occupies a handsome palazzo whose ornate interiors — coffered ceilings, frescoes, and marble floors — place it firmly in the tradition of Florentine grand hotel architecture that flourished when the city was capital of unified Italy in the 1860s. Today it operates as part of the Westin Hotels & Resorts brand within the Marriott group.

History

Piazza Ognissanti and the adjacent Lungarno Vespucci became a focal point for grand hotel development in Florence during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, when the city attracted a large Anglo-American and European cultural tourism following the Grand Tour tradition. The palazzo housing the Excelsior was built in this period and converted to hotel use at the turn of the century, joining a cluster of luxury establishments catering to wealthy travellers who came to study art and experience Florentine culture. The property has been part of the Westin brand since the late twentieth century and has undergone multiple renovation programmes to maintain its position as one of the city’s leading five-star hotels.

What you see

The hotel’s public spaces preserve richly decorated interiors typical of the grand hotel tradition: coffered ceilings with painted panels, ornate plasterwork, marble columns, and large windows overlooking the Arno. Guest rooms and suites offer views either over the river and the hills beyond or into the piazza and the church of Ognissanti, whose Ghirlandaio frescoes are a short walk away. The rooftop terrace provides panoramic views across Florence’s skyline including the Duomo and Palazzo Vecchio. The in-house restaurant serves Tuscan cuisine in a formal setting befitting the palazzo’s character.

Cultural significance

The grand hotels of Piazza Ognissanti — of which the Excelsior is the most prominent — are a physical legacy of the nineteenth-century transformation of Florence into a major international cultural tourism destination, a process that reshaped the city’s western riverside and created the infrastructure for the cultural economy that still sustains Florence today. Staying at this address places guests in the same milieu as generations of writers, artists, and cultural travellers who came to Florence for its art and legacy, from John Ruskin’s circle to the early-twentieth-century literary visitors who made the city their temporary home.

Practical information

Address

Piazza Ognissanti 3, 50123 Firenze FI, Italy

Category

Five-star luxury hotel (Westin Hotels & Resorts / Marriott)

Reservations

Check official website for availability and rates

Website

marriott.com — The Westin Excelsior, Florence

Getting there

The hotel is on Piazza Ognissanti, approximately 10 minutes on foot from Florence Santa Maria Novella railway station. From the station, walk south along Via della Vigna Nuova or Via del Moro to the Lungarno and then east to the piazza. Taxis are readily available at the station. Florence is connected by high-speed rail to Rome (1.5 hours), Milan (1.5 hours), and Venice (2 hours).

Sources & resources

• The Westin Excelsior Florence — official page
• Cultural Heritage Online — Florence guides