Hotel Review • Europe • Italy
Hotel La Gemma: A Boutique Hotel That Nails the Balance Between Heritage and Contemporary Design
Nestled right in the beating heart of Florence’s historic center, the five-star Hotel La Gemma offers Michelin-starred dining, an otherworldly spa, and one of the most ideal locations in the city.
Courtesy of Hotel La Gemma
BY EMILY ASH POWELL
Why it works
Hotel Snapshot
Florence is my favorite Italian city. Best known as the birthplace of the Italian Renaissance, the narrow streets lead you through a treasure trove of art, architecture, and history. Compact, walkable, and pulsing with Renaissance romance, this city was made for wandering, sipping, and simply existing with your favorite person.
And nestled right in the beating heart of the city’s historic center sits Hotel La Gemma—a five-star place that nails the balance between honoring Florentian heritage and bringing in contemporary design. Housed in the 19th-century Palazzo Paoletti, built in 1895 by architect Tito Bellini, La Gemma is owned and run by the five siblings of the Cecchi family (‘La Gemma’ is actually an acronym that combines the initials of the parents, Luca and Alessandra, and their children, Ginera, Edoardo, Massimiliano, Maria Sole and Andrea), who see La Gemma as not just a hotel, but as a place that celebrates love, hard work and the power of sticking together. It’s a place that’s easy to feel at home in—which is exactly what makes it so hard to leave.
Design & Character
As soon as you step inside the building, you’re met with a vivid take on Florentine heritage, balanced with Art Deco elegance. The design direction for La Gemma’s interiors was crafted by Milan’s Design by Gemini Studio. Everything is gorgeous green and perfect pink, inspired by the tones of the Duomo, accented with velvet, marble, and bronze details. Every nook and cranny of La Gemma feels grand yet modern, sophisticated without pretense and inviting and intimate.
Courtesy of Hotel La Gemma
The Rooms
The Cecchi family siblings brought their respective backgrounds in art, architecture, fashion, and design together with their own excellent tastes to create rooms and suites full of glamour. Each room features marble checkerboard floors, botanical prints on walls, brass finishes, and velvet accents on furnishings—all in the hotel’s signature green and pink color palette. I stayed on the top floor in the Executive Suite, which boasts 660 square feet and has two bedrooms (one for me, one for my mother), a separate living area, one huge marble bathroom, and a private terrace with a sky view and the distant sounds of Florence’s hustle and bustle.
Each room comes with all the modern amenities you’d expect, like coffee machines and smart TVs, but the real treat is the Votary skincare, bodycare and haircare set, which smells of rosemary. I’m still using the body lotion as a hand cream in my purse.
The Food & Drink
On arrival, we were taken to La Gemma Café in the hotel’s courtyard and served the hotel’s signature cocktail, ‘La Gemma’ (which blends gin, ginger beer, and matcha), with an olive-and-cream-cheese vol-au-vent and truffle crisps (of which I could have eaten hundreds). This café serves traditional Florentine dishes and Basque-inspired pintxos—all in an ambient setting.
But if you’re looking for a high-end, exceptional dinner in Florence, La Gemma’s Luca’s Ristorante is truly an experience. The restaurant earned its first Michelin Star this year and features Chef Paulo Airaudo’s multi-course tasting menus with fresh seasonal ingredients transformed into culinary art. Breakfast is served here as well, with à la carte service featuring the usual excellent staples and high-end options like a caviar omelet.
Courtesy of Hotel La Gemma
Amenities at Hotel La Gemma
Take the private lift down to the basement of the 19th-century building, and you can lose all your sense of time and space at Allure Spa. Here, you’ll find a hydrotherapy plunge pool with massage jets, a Turkish bath, a sauna, an ice shower, and the first Biologique Recherche skincare partnership in Florence, which offers multi-step facials, massages, and wellness packages. I started my second morning at La Gemma with an aromatherapy massage, which left me so relaxed that I found it difficult to do anything other than hop from wine bar to wine bar—a tough life.
Additionally, La Gemma offers a 24-hour front desk, concierge, valet parking, and laundry services. And in the rooms, you’ll find a complimentary, fully stocked minibar with soft drinks and snacks, an Italian-made espresso machine, and a cocktail station, too. You can ask to bring small pets with you, too (although depending on how well-behaved they are, they may slightly ruin the hotel’s tranquil vibe for you).
Courtesy of Hotel La Gemma
Location & Neighborhood Recs
You couldn’t ask for a better spot in the historic center of Florence, really, with all the city’s top spots just a few footsteps away. Palazzo Strozzi is just outside the front door, the Duomo is five minutes away, and Ponte Vecchio and the Uffizi Gallery are 10 minutes away, too. You’re also never more than a few minutes away from one of Florence’s famous ‘buchette del vino’ (or wine windows), where you ring a bell, pay for your wine (or Aperol Spritz), and moments later, see it appear—as if by magic. My favorite one was De’Bardi Enotea on Via de’ Bardi, just across the river.
Fast Facts
Address: Via dei Cavalieri, 2/C, 50123 Firenze FI, Italy
Neighborhood: Ideally located in the Historic Center of Florence
Nearest Airport: Florence Airport (30-minute drive); Pisa Airport (90-minute drive)
Star Rating: 5 stars
Starting Rate: Base rooms start at $450-500 per night, depending on the season and day of the week, and suites start around $1000+ per night.
Room Count: 39 rooms and suites
Vibe: Florential elegance meets eclectic style
Best For: Design lovers, couples, solo trips, foodies, and culture-seeking friends
Amenities (hotel): Michelin-starred restaurant (Luca’s), bar, room service, 24-hour reception, concierge, on-site spa with sauna, steam room, and hot tub, valet parking, and luggage storage.
Nearby: The Duomo, Uffizi Gallery, Ponte Vecchio, Piazza della Signoria and all the city’s main attractions
Our Favorite Thing: Ending a busy day of wandering the city at Luca’s Ristorante, with Chef Paulo Airaudo’s playful multi-course tasting menus that you just don’t want to end.
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Gallery
A closer look
Courtesy of Hotel La Gemma
Courtesy of Hotel La Gemma
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