bhrubin

We highly recommend the Gritti Palace even over the Aman Venice, especially if (1) budget is a factor, as the Gritti is usually a bit cheaper and has the same incredibly high level of service and food/beverage, (2) location is a factor, as the Gritti is much closer to St. Mark’s while still being outside the main tourist area, or (3) one loves a sundowner or cocktails/drinks on the water, as the Gritti’s wonderful Riva bar is right on the canals, as opposed to the beautiful but interior bar with no real water view at the Aman. The Aman is a beautiful hotel, but its entry level rooms are wildly overpriced and very small and uninspiring. The Gritti is a very worthy competitor to the Aman at which you don’t really sacrifice anything, comparatively speaking. There aren’t that many hotels in the world that can say that. The Gritti is one of our best hotel stays of all time (Oct 2016).

We stayed at the St Regis Rome this past Oct 2017. Its public spaces are spectacularly beautiful, the best in the city IMO, and the rooms and suites renovations are expected to be completed by this summer. We concur on it not being right next to anything, yet it’s only a 15-20 min walk to the Hotel Hassler and Spanish Steps, a 10 min walk to the Hotel Eden, a 10 min walk to the Trevi Fountain, etc. Service was to a very high standard, and food/beverage and concierge were outstanding.

We will stay at the St Regis Florence this Oct 2018 and will have the opportunity to see several of the other top hotels in Florence (FS, Lungarno, Portrait, JK Place, etc). We previously stayed in Aug/Sept 2005 at Belmond’s Villa San Michele in the Fiesole hillls above the city. We found the Villa San Michele to be lovely but too formal for our tastes, but with spectacular views onto the city—an excellent location for lunch but not so great for us as first time visitors to the city (or being less formal).