Hotel Palazzetto Rosso

If only these red brick walls could talk. Hotel Palazzetto Rosso, located in the heart of Siena’s medieval center, has been hosting travelers since the Middle Ages. Plenty has changed since the inn’s original heyday, when traders from all over the world came to Tuscany on business. But the building itself was constructed according to 13th-century planning regulations, and the original façade, decorated with traditional wrought-iron ensigns and flares, remains the same.

Inside, the hotel has changed with the times. Tuscany is more of a leisure destination than a merchants’ crossroads, and the nine-room Palazzetto Rosso is much more than a place to rest your head between trade deals. It’s a place to linger over cappuccino at cheerful red N7 table that resembles a piece of oversized origami, or to relax in a 3D armchair by Pedrali. Indeed, the decor at Hotel Palazzetto Rossi represents a greatest hits list of contemporary Italian designers.

There’s old-world elegance in the architecture, to be sure — high vaulted ceilings, rich frescoes, curving archways — but the slate gray floor tiles are by 14 Ora Italiana, the mod Zippo banquettes and cool white bar by Claudio Dondoli and Marco Pocci, the lighting scheme by Michele De Lucchi and Giancarlo Fassina for Artémide. All told, it’s a satisfying mix of Tuscan tradition and cutting-edge design. Take the bistro tables by Luca Nichette for Casamania: they’re done in black and white, the official colors of Siena.

It’s impossible to guess just how many people have climbed up the imposing brick staircase that leads from the lobby to the guest rooms and suites above. No two rooms are alike, but all feature a mix of old and new. Expect painted friezes, wood-beamed ceilings, stone fireplaces and Venetian drapery alongside striking modern design pieces, Smart TVs, and contemporary artwork. Some suites contain unexpected amenities. In Suite 3, for instance, the bathtub is located in a giant glass and concrete cube in the center of the room, while other rooms offer priceless relics from the past, like a sink fitted with an antique fountain. All rooms and suites have views over some sort of interesting Italian scene, whether it be the silhouette of Monte dei Paschi Bank — the oldest extant bank in the world, thank you very much — or a cobblestone street filled with locals standing in line for gelato.

Indeed, all of Siena’s historic treasures and pleasures are just outside the Hotel Palazzetto Rosso’s front door. A fair number show up on the breakfast buffet table, too — check out the spread of local charcuterie and cheese — and in the hotel’s charming enoteca, a quiet candlelit venue to enjoy a glass or two at the end of the day.