Villa San Michele, A Belmond Hotel, Florence

Florence is nothing if not beautiful, but Stendhal syndrome is real — there’s so much to do and to see in its dense city center that even the hardiest travelers risk becoming overwhelmed. It’s for this reason that Villa San Michele, a Belmond Hotel, is so restful — its setting, in the hillside enclave of Fiesole, offers it a measure of seclusion, as well as picturesque views over Florence proper. Well, that and the small matter of the villa itself, whose façade is said to have been designed by no less eminent a hand than that of Michelangelo.

This cream-and-chocolate marvel was once a monastery, and many of the architectural details, somber and otherwise, have been preserved. Forbiddingly dark wooden doors sport massive metal bolts, and open into doorways still sized for people of fifteenth-century stature. A continual process of renovation has kept the interiors looking crisp and stylish, though, and repeat visitors may notice that these spaces are brighter and more colorful than they used to be.

In the rooms and suites a touch of monastic simplicity remains, though you certainly wouldn’t call them austere — the comforts, in fact, are first-rate, and the bathrooms in particular are a highlight. No less impressive is the restaurant, La Loggia, with its astonishing evening views over the Florentine city lights; it’s joined by the more casual Ristorante San Michele and the poolside San Michele Grill.