Today it`s about our short trip to the Tuscany. First we stayed one night in Pisa and afterwards 6 nights in Florence.

After we arrived at Florence Airport we headed to Pisa. It was hard to choose a hotel, because nothing near Pisa really impressed me. In the end we decided to stay one night at the Bagni di Pisa Palace & SPA. It`s part of the Leading Hotels of the World.

The hotel is the former residence of the Grand Duke of the Tuscany. It`s relatively small and in a small village perhaps 15 minutes from the center of Pisa. When we arrived we first saw no one from the staff, if you step in you don`t really feel like in a hotel. The lobby is a small room with reception. Check-In was fast and we were escorted to our room.

We had a suite which was 55 sqm in size. Before it was transformed to a hotel room it were 2 rooms with high ceilings. The bathroom was later added into the living room as part of the transformation. While the ceiling was still the original size, the bathroom was like a container. It looked out of place. The living room itself was small with a sofa, one armchair and a small flatscreen. The window looked out into the corridor. The bathroom was small, but had 2 sinks, a shower and a tub. The toilet was very close to one of the sinks. The bedroom was spacious, but appeared a little plain. The mattress was very very hard. Because the window was tiny and badly placed, the room was dark. Over all not a room to remember.

The hotel provides 2 SPAs with 3 pools, 2 indoor and 1 outdoor. For us it was the best thing about the hotel. We didn`t take treatments, just enjoyed time in water. While the claimed the recently renovated the area, it appeared worn out.

In the evening we ate in the hotel-restaurant. The restaurant was located on the 3rd floor. It had no atmosphere, because it was part of the corridor and only seperated by wooden screens. Service was good, the food was OK. Not as tasteless as the furniture. They told us at Check-In we need a reservation, but we were actually almost the only guests. We would have preferred if it had stayed this way. One family played computer-games with loud sound at the table. Must I say more?

Breakfast was mediocre. Strange were people running around in their pyjamas, bath robes and support stockings. I don`t want to see something like that when I`m eating or at any other time.

Over all the stay wasn`t too bad, but definitely not what I expect. My problem was that I didn`t find something more promissing near Pisa.

Check In

Our next hotel was the Four Seasons Florence. After all the enthusiastic reviews here I had the highest expectation. We booked via FSPP/ Virtuoso. On arrivial we were immediately greeted and escorted to the reception. The lobby is really impressive and is a transformed courtyard. You see a lot of art and with all the paintings you feel that you are inside a palace. You even find a small chapel which you can rent for private dining or weddings.

Room

We booked a Junior Suite and got one in the main building. OK, online the next suite-category was available, but I didn`t argue. The room itself had a spacious corridor and a nice bathroom. Big shower, a tub, 2 sinks and a separate toilet. It was partly furnished like a normal room with a candelier. The room was a bed/ living combination and not too big. Therefor it was nicely furnished, the mattress was good. The use quality all the way. In fact it was one of the best "rooms" I stayed in also I must say, that I like 2 rooms.

Garden

The hotel has lovely gardens with many sculptures. A real highlight! Even if it wasn´t summer we enjoyed walks through the garden and you can really call it an oasis.

SPA

The Spa is in the garden in a separate building. It has an outdoor pool with a jaccuzzi. While the pool was closed during our stay, we enjoyed the jaccuzzi. I guess that it´s great to stay inside the city but to have a resort-like pool in the summer. My wife had a treatment and found it good.

Dining

Breakfast was a combination of ordered warm dishes and a buffet. The quality was very good, especially the patisserie. The had nice freshly squeezed juices with a special every day. I highly recommed the buffet, because to order a la carte is much more expensive, even if you only order few things.

You can eat at the bar or the restaurant. The bar is open all day. We ha tea one day and one evening dinner. A highlight is the tiramisu-cocktail, which tastes amazing. Another special is their Sacher-Torte-cocktail, but it`s only for people who like their drinks very very sweet. Food comes from the main restaurant and with a price tag. I would recommend to eat at some of the great restaurants near by which are much cheaper and sometimes even better.

The restaurant Il Palagio has a Michelin-star. We ate at Il Palagio and were pleasently surprised. While their Vegetarian menu was uninspired, they had a nice seafood selection. The quality was good as you may expect from a one star. But you shoudn`t expect too much.
 

Service

One day was my wife`s birthday and I have to say the treatment was great. At breakfast she got a little cake, at her SPA-treatment she got a free facial treatment, at Il Palagio she got a raspery-puff pastry desert with a rose and finally in our room waited a bottle of Prosecco with a chocolate-cake. Great!

We used the concierge only for dinner-reservations. All people were really helpful and the recommondations were priceless.

Over all you can say service is nearly perfect and not "Italian".

Overall

The FS Florence is a really good hotel, which we enjoyed. If I ever come back to Florence, I will stay here again.I don´t know if it is the best city-hotel in Europe, but it comes near.