Asides

Villa la Vedetta Florence is a 12!

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A red room for romance 🙂

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There will be a lot more written about Villa la Vedetta, a slice of paradise overlooking Florence with the most welcoming and gracious staff, especially Massisimo!! We will be here for a week. Immediate impression is that this is a place to remember. There is something magical happening here and it’s easy to see why wedding parties rent out the entire 18 rooms. This is a place to relax, unwind, and fall in love again and again.
We were shown around and the view of Florence from the rear of the villa is even more incredible than it looked in pictures, how can this be?!?

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The property is lush with gardens and an inviting pool which will open at the end of May, when it’s warmer. It’s also within walking distance of the city center- though they have a free shuttle for those who might not wish to walk.
We were shown to our first room in a guesthouse sort of building and we fell in love with it. It had two windows and even though the hotel doesn’t consider it to have a view, it actually does!

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After coming from the Bauer with its dingy room and lack of any natural sunlight we thought we were in heaven.
Luckily before we even got out bags they came to let us know that they would upgrade us to an even better room since we were here for a week. This room has two huge windows: one overlooks the pleasure garden and the other has a spectacular view of Florence.

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I have to say that having seen the two rooms I feel that you can’t go wrong here. It’s either going to be amazing, or surreal⛲️ Both rooms had jetted tubs, well thought out bathrooms with a bidet and lots of marble, and they even have my favorite bath products! (Ortiga, which are the same ones we received in the Londra Palace in Venice a year or so ago- the bath foam is wonderfully amber scented and I had actually kept it in my travel bag since then)

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So far this is the best place we have stayed in all of Italy…stay tuned for details 🙂
After our second night here I can confirm that the breakfast buffet, which is served in a tent roofed patio with transparent walls so that the view of the duomo can sweeten your morning tea, is wonderful. Smoked salmon can taste quite delish with ricotta so I’m barely missing the cream cheese, red onions and capers that made every morning in Alaska! The quality and variety of cheeses and meats is outstanding as are the little cakes and sweets.

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The room where breakfast is served is beautiful with exquisite furnishings because in the evening it becomes part of the Villa’s restaurant: Onice. We are looking forward to trying it as the menu looks intruiging. We’ve been enjoying the 20 min walk into town and experimenting with local cuisine. It’s been thrilling!

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After being here for 4 nights, we are still enamored w Villa La Vedetta. The staff is what makes the difference. I’ve never met a more hospitable concierge , ever!!  Massimo could work at any 5 star restaurant in the US, in fact he could run one! We also really enjoyed Laura who is from England and has lived in Italy for 10 years. The employees at Villa la Vedetta can compete w any at the Four Seasons in hospitality. They are simply the best and I believe all hotels should put as much care into selecting a gracious and warm staff. Little things are easy to overlook when you feel cared for. The best hotel in the world won’t make a good impression without the right staff. Bravo to this hotel

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Massimo the king of hospitality can answer any question and make you laugh too!

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