Grand Hotel Minerva

Florence isn’t exactly short on impressive hotels, but the Grand Hotel Minerva stands out in a few categories. First there’s the location, on the Piazza Santa Maria Novella, right between the rail station and the historic city center. Second, there’s the rooftop pool, a rarity in this town, and a welcome one at that. And third, there’s, well, the whole thing — the hotel originally dates back to the 19th century, but it was famously redesigned in the Fifties by architect Carlo Scarpa, and a more recent renovation at the hands of Piera Tempesti Benelli leaves the Minerva’s particular blend of classical grandeur and mid-century glamour looking as fresh as can be.

The 97 rooms and suites are elegant, some vibrantly colorful, others pleasingly monochrome, predominantly contemporary in style but with little flourishes that alternate between bold modernism and Renaissance opulence. The artworks, however, are strictly contemporary — if you want to see the classics, you know where to look. Meanwhile a ground-floor restaurant serves contemporary Florentine fare, and in the summer months expands onto a terrace on the Piazza Novella. And the roof terrace is not to be overlooked — it’s open year-round for a glance at the city’s rooftops, and from May through September the pool is open as well, plus a bar, for a bite and a drink with a panoramic view.