Hotel Torre di Bellosguardo

One of the most important factors to look for in hotels, if you are spending any time in Florence in the summer, is outside space. If you have deep pockets, you couldn't do better than the Torre di Bellosguardo, a four-star villa hotel perched on a hill to the south of the city with a fabulous view over the steaming masses below. Formal Italian gardens and a pool make a magical setting, and the bedrooms are furnished very much in keeping with their 16th-century origins with, of course, the addition of all the usual comforts you would expect from a hotel at this price.