Within the U.S., the Auberge Resorts Assortment is thought for managing a number of the nation’s finest luxurious motels—a number of of which have made appearances in Journey + Leisure‘s World’s Best Awards and the It List. In Europe, although, the model continues to be a relative newcomer, and after having stayed at a number of Auberge properties in America (together with Maine’s White Barn Inn, The Vanderbilt in Newport, Rhode Island, and Mauna Lani in Hawaii) I arrived in Florence to see what their very first resort in Italy was all about.

It’s, in spite of everything, an enormous deal for each the town and the corporate—a lot of the high-end motels in Florence are positioned within the dense metropolis middle. They often occupy former palazzi (townhouses courting again to the fifteenth and Sixteenth centuries) and have restricted house for facilities. However what I discovered at Collegio alla Querce is wholly totally different from the remainder of Florence’s resort scene.

My first glimpse of the property got here after a 15-minute taxi trip from Santa Maria Novella, the town’s major practice station. Anybody who’s stayed within the middle of Florence will really feel the distinction instantly: the upscale residential neighborhood of hillside villas gave technique to an extended, gently sloping, cypress-lined driveway revealing a good-looking Sixteenth-century constructing surrounded by greenery. In its former life, Collegio alla Querce was an all-male boarding faculty supposed for the sons of well-to-do households. From the south facet of the property, there’s a view out in the direction of the terracotta-roofed, Renaissance-era buildings of the town’s historic middle, and on the opposite facet are villa-dotted hills. There’s a big swimming pool on the alternative finish of the doorway—it is reportedly the longest outside resort pool within the metropolis at 115 toes.

Apart from the visually beautiful exterior renovation, the primary factor I seen in regards to the property was how quiet it was. Birdsong was the first soundtrack, and the vacationer cacophony of the Centro Storico, lower than two miles away, felt very distant. The interiors, in the meantime, designed by native studio ArchFlorence, felt like a modern, palatial variation of the Tuscan countryside aesthetic.

However rustic this property shouldn’t be, and strolling by way of the hushed, pristine hallways and customary areas swathed in shiny marble, creamy limestone, polished terrazzo flooring, and tasteful art work, it occurred to me greater than as soon as that the resort would have made an ideal set piece for an episode of Succession. Nonetheless, the ambiance was energetic and heat, and the employees unfailingly gracious. Undoubtedly, although, Collegio alla Querce will attraction to a largely American traveler who’s used to very costly luxurious resorts and the seamless, “no request is just too huge” service to match.  

Here is what it is like to remain on the Collegio alla Querce, Auberge Resorts Assortment.

The Rooms

There are 83 rooms and suites on the Collegio alla Querce. I stayed in an enormous 1,600-square-foot one-bedroom suite, and I cherished the considerate design particulars. There have been coffered wooden ceilings, a glazed ox blood tile-covered bathe, a tv discreetly hidden behind a mirror in the lounge, parquet wood flooring, and a stand-alone soaking tub. There have been additionally beautiful ceramics positioned all through the room that had been sourced from native makers Studio Ceramica Giusti, and customized furnishings made by Milan-based Paolo Castelli. 

Throughout my keep, I additionally toured a number of lodging, and I seen a number of issues. Every unit had a barely totally different character whereas nonetheless feeling a part of a unified aesthetic. For instance, in one of many customary rooms I visited, beautiful hand-painted wallpaper depicting the Tuscan countryside adorned one of many partitions. The Suite Giardino, which felt like a personal house, featured restored frescoes and a stone fountain. On the high finish of the spectrum is the seven-bedroom Palazzo Moderno, a three-story, 6,258 square-foot house accessible by a personal driveway and elevator. It comes with a collection of huge rooftop terraces, views of the Duomo, and a personal plunge pool. 

Meals and Drink

Collegio presents 4 meals and beverage choices, the first venue being La Gamella, which is adjoining to a verdant outside backyard with patio seating. The house occupies the constructing’s former eating corridor. My days began right here with a superbly introduced buffet desk full of things like bread, pastries, yogurt, contemporary fruit, and meats like bacon and sausage. There was additionally an à la carte menu for extra elaborate egg dishes, brioche French toast, ricotta pancakes, and the like. 

La Gamella shines brightest at dinner, although. Chef Zamperetti created a menu that riffs on seasonal Italian classics, with produce sourced from close by farms and pasta handmade on website. Amongst my favourite dishes had been the wood-fired rooster cacciatore served with spring potatoes and shallots, the Mediterranean bluefin tuna tartare, and a luscious millefoglie for dessert—caramelized puff pastry embellished with a wealthy vanilla cream and a touch of apricot sauce. For a enjoyable after-dinner deal with, head to Conservatorio, the place you possibly can take pleasure in a glass of wine together with reside music.

Elsewhere, there’s a very atmospheric lounge, Bar Bertelli, which was as soon as the headmaster’s workplace. Half library, half sitting room, it has darkish woods, vintage rugs, and richly patterned textiles. Friends can order craft cocktails on the round bar, and for many who indulge, there’s a small, clandestine cigar room simply off the doorway. And whereas it wasn’t but open on my go to, you will quickly be capable to order wood-fired pizza on the poolside Cafe Focolare amidst a backyard of olive bushes. 

Actions and Experiences

Apart from the facilities just like the pool, spa, fitness center, and yoga studio, Collegio offers an array of experiences, each on and off-property. Throughout my keep, I did two of them. The primary was a tour of the Florence Cathedral (extra generally often called the Duomo), which was accomplished in 1436 and conceived primarily by architect Filippo Brunelleschi. For over two hours, my group had up-close entry to this unimaginable feat of engineering—we even received entry to the elevated walkways, so we may see the inside of the intricately painted dome. We additionally went out on an outside rooftop for beautiful views of Florence. (Honest warning: it’s in all probability not the most effective tour for these afraid of heights, and I needed to depart the tour early after we had been about to climb to the very high of the Duomo, which is over 375 toes excessive). 

The second was a enjoyable and academic 90-minute pasta-making class at Cicchetti with chef Zamperetti. She spoke in regards to the numerous sorts of pasta discovered all through Italy, offered perception into how the restaurant sources produce and components, and answered questions on Italian cooking with the data of a real professional. After practising kneading, sheeting, filling, and shaping our tortellini, I left with some new expertise to attempt again residence. 

The Spa

Aelia, the resort’s spa, has an uncommon setup: it’s a extremely individualized expertise, and there aren’t any locker rooms. As an alternative, company are led from a lounge that overlooks an outside terrace and backyard into considered one of 4 remedy rooms—two single rooms with personal altering areas and showers, or two bigger suites, every with their very own soaking swimming pools and steam showers. (For these seeking to sauna, you will have to e book a time as there isn’t any communal sauna.) The setting contains murals of olive bushes throughout the partitions, whereas an precise olive tree acts because the centerpiece—a pleasant contact.

The spa has a partnership with Italian skincare model Furtuna Pores and skin, and my therapist used its merchandise for my therapeutic massage and facial. These comprise potent, wild-foraged botanicals and olive extract sourced from Furtuna’s 800-acre natural farm in Sicily. Apart from spa remedies, there’s a collection of courses like yoga, pilates, meditation periods, private coaching, and a very good fitness center with state-of-the-art tools.

Household-friendly Choices

Throughout my keep, I noticed a number of households checking in and having fun with meals collectively, and the property has even developed a whole wellness program particularly for youngsters ages 5 to 12. Choices embody yoga for teenagers and a sound tub workshop, the place individuals can discover using gongs, chimes, and singing bowls. Different kid-friendly choices abound, like a pasta-making class, pastry making, and the “My Completely satisfied Florence» tour, which is tailor-made in the direction of households. It features a go to to a preserved Sixteenth-century residence to be taught in regards to the traditions and each day lifetime of Renaissance Florence. There’s additionally a cease at Museo Galileo for academic hands-on science reveals, in addition to gelato tasting and conferences with native artisans.

Accessibility and Sustainability

Being a renovated historic property, slightly than a brand new construct, implies that sustainability is an inherent characteristic of this resort. Throughout my time right here, I by no means noticed any single-use plastic, and all in-room water bottles had been manufactured from glass. 

When it comes to accessibility, the resort has made lots of the pathways wheelchair-friendly, together with routes to the swimming pool, restaurant, spa, and all visitor rooms. There are additionally accessible parking areas within the self-parking facility and a collection of accessible visitor rooms.

Location

From Firenze Santa Maria Novella, the primary practice station in Florence, it’s a fast and simple 15-minute taxi trip to the property, and it takes about the identical period of time to get to the resort from Firenze Santa Maria Novella (FLR). Since there aren’t any nonstop flights from the U.S. to Florence, many guests arrive from Rome’s Leonardo da Vinci Worldwide Airport (FCO) or Milano Malpensa Airport (MXP) in Milan. They’re each lower than two hours’ distance through high-speed rail, or a 3 or three-and-a-half-hour drive, respectively. 

The placement is without doubt one of the defining traits of the property, since virtually each comparable resort on this worth vary is close to or within the metropolis middle. However there are benefits to this quiet, residential neighborhood on Florence’s north facet. Regardless of the sensation of being in considered one of Tuscany’s small villages, it’s nonetheless potential to stroll into city, which I did at some point in about half-hour. It allowed me to pleasantly move by way of locations that had been off the vacationer map, and I received to poke my head into little outlets, parks, and cafes. There’s additionally a complimentary shuttle that leaves each hour to take company to and from the middle of Florence.

Methods to Get the Most Worth Out of Your Keep

There’s no getting round the truth that rooms at Collegio alla Querce are a number of the priciest in Europe, and Auberge Resorts doesn’t have a loyalty program. Nevertheless, Collegio alla Querce, Auberge Resorts Assortment is a part of American Express’ Fine Hotels + Resorts program, which presents advantages like a $100 resort credit score, early check-in, late checkout, and (when accessible) a room improve. In the event you e book your keep earlier than Could 23 and go to by Could 26, you will get a complimentary third evening if you happen to make your reservation by way of the FHR platform.

Nightly charges on the Collegio alla Querce, Auberge Resorts Collection begin at $1,600 per evening.

Each T+L resort evaluate is written by an editor or reporter who has stayed on the property, and every resort chosen aligns with our core values.