Quiet and tasteful boutique hotel in 18th century Florence palazzo
Casa G / Florence / Italy
One thing I have come to realize is how I am often drawn to the opposite when traveling. If I am going to a calmer small-town I tend to look for the hotel that has the most vibe to get an energy injection and if I go to a noisy, busy town with a lot of visitors I tend to do the complete opposite. You don’t need to be a rocket scientist to see the reason behind this behavior, but it is interesting that I just realized this pattern of mine when I was staying at this place, Casa G in Florence, Italy. Florence, for all good reasons, get millions of visitors each year and the streets are busy, so to find a calm, cozy hotel like Casa G is the great way to create some kind of equilibrium.
Casa G is located on a fairly quiet side street, Via dei Rondinelli in a grand 18th century palazzo. This building used to be the HQ of Ginori Ceramics, a world-renowned porcelain- and ceramics producer, hence the name of the hotel, Casa G.
The hotel is situated on two floors of the palazzo (the second and the third) and has only 15 rooms of different size and look. What connects them is an attention to detail and rich use of vintage furniture and lamps. Fascinating how well mid-century design fit so well in this kind of setting.
My room was the smallest one, a so called cozy room with a red velvet queen-size bed where I could lay and look out over the roof tops of Florence and countless swallows zooming back and forth.
The heart of the hotel is the grand lounge, right next to the reception and breakfast room. A tall room with massive windows and a handsome marble honesty bar. This is a perfect spot to retreat back to when you need a break from the crowds of Florence. Have a drink and rest your feet, before you head back out to explore this magnificent city.
Welcome to Casa G with its massive and impressive entrance!
The reception is cleverly hidden in what looks like a small broom closet.
I love the wallpaper in the reception. Looks almost handprinted.
The common areas are filed with vintage furniture and a lot of art work.
My cozy room. Not only my choice of words, this room category was called cozy. And it was.
A clever way to cover the TV that would otherwise stick out like a sore thumb in this kind of vintage world.
I love this little set that was in my room. Practical and cute. And the box labeled TV is where the remote was hidden.
The view from my room. Loved to sit here and look at the swallows zooming back and forth over the roof tops of Florence.
The heart of the hotel, the lounge.
Such a grand space, with double height ceilings and massive windows facing the street.
I love myself a honesty bar, especially when it looks this good and is so well-stocked.
The breakfast room
One of the most famous bridges in the world, Ponte Vecchio crossing the River Arno.
The magnificent Duomo of Firenze.
I love to get up early when staying in cities that get a lot of visitors. When you share the streets with some locals, heading off to work.
A short walk from the hotel you'll find La Ménagère. A mix of restaurant, bar, florist and interior design store. I love these kind of places...
...and especially when they serve a really delicious Americano.
RG inside info
This place is perfect if you…
…are looking for a cozy boutique hotel on a quite side street offering a refuge from the busy streets of central Firenze. If you like your design to be laden with vintage items in a historic building, you will be happy staying at Casa G.
My favorite thing about this place…
…is the lounge/living room. I loved returning to the hotel, having something from the honesty bar and just relaxing while sitting but he window looking down on the busy street life below.
What not to miss when staying here…
…is to get out of bed and explore town early in the morning. There is something magical when walking around almost empty streets before they are filled with other tourists, being able to take in all the beauty that this town has to offer. If you want to go out for a drink or some food, there is a place called La Ménagère, a short 10 min walk from the hotel that I love. It is a mix of bar, restaurant, florist and interior shop.
If you like this hotel you might also like…
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Les Deux Gares, Paris, France
Hotel Wilmina, Berlin, Germany
Il Palazzo Experimental, Venice, Italy
