Goodmorning2U

Has anyone been to both properties, and have a strong preference between them?

We have been to the Four Seasons Florence and thought it was spectacular.

offerendum

Only stayed at FS Florence but in my eyes both are not comparable, something quite different. What's the reason you are between this 2?

Goodmorning2U

My experience is most affected by the service, then location, then quality of the hard product (gym/spa in particular), then cuisine, in that order.

In Italy, I feel there are very few properties of the quality of the Four Seasons Florence. Mandarin Oriental Lake Como might be one of them, but I am unsure at this point.

Villa Fratinelli appears to be an additional property in this category of service, or above, but the lack of a nice gym and spa takes it off my list.

I have enjoyed the St.
Regis in Rome, the Gritti in Venice, the Four Seasons and Park Hyatt in Milan, but I do not rank those at the level of the Four Seasons Florence.

Pausanias

You seem to be rather hung-up on chain hotels - is it because of loyalty points or something? On Como, I'm sure the Villa D'Este or the Tremezzo would be more interesting. And the Villa Feltrinelli on Lake Garda. And may I ask what sort of service are you wanting to place that above everything else?

Goodmorning2U

I wish Four Seasons and Mandarin Oriental had loyalty points. Let me know if I am missing something. I looked at Villa D’Este and Tremezzo but the rooms look tired now as well as having very small gyms/spa small. They also look a lot less personal than the Mandarin Oriental because of their size. No doubt those are both true luxury hotels but I don’t think they would be included as among the very best hotels in the world, unlike Four Seasons Florence or Paris.

Service I’ve received at the Four Seasons has included hand embroidered christmas ornaments of dolphins we saw at Saint Jean Cap Ferrat, with the kids initials on them, hand stitched hawaiin print robes made for the kids stuffed animals and placed on them as a surprise at turndown at Hualalai, Italian hand painted wooden toys for the kids and the gift of a large unicorn raft for my daughter at the Four Seasons Florence. Remembering us by name and our dining preferences.

I wish Villa Feltrinilli met the spa and gym requirements.

BLV

You don’t go for places like MO on Lake Como. No amount of gadgetry or modern decor will compete with the atmosphere, ambiance & service offered by Villa d’Este.

I’ve celebrated my second NYE at FS Florence this year but that would never be my preference in that city (just for reference). Lungarno is where I stay there.

Offshore171

As a destination, I prefer Lake Como, but could not recommend the MO. It is very poorly located, and you miss the essential Lake Como experience, which is to stay at one of the mid-lake villages (Varenna, Menaggio, Bellagio etc) which are well connected to the ferry system.

The MO is not near a significant village or ferry wharf, and you'd pretty much be confined to the hotel or you'd need to be car dependent (which can be a nightmare in high season).

I'd go with the Serbelloni if your budget permits it.

Pausanias

Thanks for your v. interesting response.

JClasstraveller

Massage at Serbelloni and food at Mistral (1 Michelin star) were exceptional.

Not sure why the first port of call is chains (notwithstanding that the chains are higher end).

Lago Di Como is about character and as mentioned above, the villages that dot its shores.

To stay at a chain that is in the middle of nowhere is to miss the point of Lago Di Como in my humble opinion.

Drew4au78

The spa at the Grand Hotel Tremezzo is spectacular, and photos don't do the rooms justice. Traditionally styled, yes. But they don't feel tired. We love the Terrace Garden Suite in particular.

Nizar

This hotel has been on my list for a very long time. Just waiting to save up pennies to have enough for one of those rooftop suites with outdoor jacuzzi which start at around EU3k a night. What a life.

ABG

I would second these comments about rooms, spa and gardens at Tremezzo. You are a short and frequent ferry boat ride to Bellagio.
That being said, staying on property at the Mandarin is an excellent choice as it is well spread out and laid out to be distant from others. Harder to get around the Lake.

If it has to be Lake Como vs Florence in the summer time I think I would go to Como first..... BUT this year Florence might be very "empty" and offer a good chance to explore the art and history without thousands of people around you.

Goodmorning2U

Thank you very much for each reply. They are thoughtful and have encouraged me to go and see
other properties, particularly Grand Hotel Tremezzo and Villa D’Este. I’ve decided to split our time between the FS Florence and the MO Lake Como. I look forward to sharing insights I learn from these stays with you.

I am hoping Florence is a little quieter and Lake Como relaxing.

Drew4au78

Why stop there? For only €4K a night more than a rooftop suite, you can stay at one of the hotel's villas ...

In all seriousness, anything above the basic "Prestige" room is very nice indeed.

sophialite

I love Four Seasons Florence, but one of the most frustrating aspects about the property is that you need to really get up there in rooms before you see something spectacular, and that means you'll spend $$$. I don't find there to be a tremendous difference between the base room and the executive suite, at least not enough to justify the price difference. I've done the Gallery Suite, which has huge ceilings, but the actual square footage is not that large. The ren suite is where things start to get interesting... you still don't get a separate living room, but you do get a walk-in closet (one of the two gallery suites also has a walk-in, FYI), and the bathroom is absolutely gigantic. I think it might even be bigger than the room itself.

The Presidential Suite is truly my favorite room in the hotel, but that'll cost you a pretty, pretty penny. I haven't tried the Duomo view suite or the limonaea so can't comment on those.