Hotel Milù

In a city as heavily traveled as Florence, the best thing a hotel can offer is a break from all the commotion. Allow us to present Hotel Milù. We have here a 14th-century, 5-floor fixture — accessible, naturally, via a 19th-century grand staircase — on Via Tornabuoni, a thoroughfare as famous for its classic palazzos as its couture and jewelry boutiques.

This, too, is a boutique at just 22 rooms, one that partakes of both antique elegance (the façade’s swoony arched windows and slab stonework) and contemporary panache (modern Italian design thrumming throughout the interiors). Each room displays a unique palette and carpentry profile, showcasing a slew of Italian-made furnishings, lighting elements, and objets d’art by esteemed production labels. Echoes of Art Deco inform the marble-accented bathrooms, while espresso machines nod to another of Italy’s national pastimes.

The entirety of the hotel functions as a gallery of sorts, showcasing medium-spanning artworks by international visual artists in the lobby, stairwells, hallways, and on-site library; all are available for purchase, we’re happy to report. They don’t have their own restaurant, but in case you need reminding, that’s half the fun of an aimless stroll on the Arno’s north bank. The other half might be the hotel’s partnership with an upscale spa just down the street.