Luxury Florence hotel passes the coconut test

Dinah Hatch ended a seven-week tour of Italy with a two-night stay at flagship Florence property The Helvetia and Bristol. But will the reputation of this Royal Demeure group grand dame of the city match reality?

Madonna’s exacting entourage made it their home from home, Hollywood A-lister Kirsten Dunst insisted on staying there when she was filming and one-time resident Mikhail Gorbachev may have glimpsed the future of perestroika Russia as he looked down from his suite onto the Prada, Gucci and Salvatore Ferragamo stores in ultra-posh Via Tornabuoni down below.

The Hotel Helvetia and Bristol, smack bang in the beating heart of this architectural swoon of a city, is the Savoy and Claridges of Florence rolled into one, with gleaming Porsches and Ferraris lined up outside its 19th century portals. And I stayed there. Well, actually I had my husband, who is writing a book set in Italy, and my two children with me but I liked to pretend I was a mysterious Italian billionaire on a shopping trip as I wafted through the fabulous lobby on my way to our rooms.

So let me tell you about the accommodation. Well, if you are one of the aforementioned celebs, VIPs or just plain extravagant, you can splash out on one of the two top floor suites at the H&B (we’re talking around €2000 a night rack rate). Both have views that necessitate much oohing and aahing on arrival ("Look, I could throw this pecorino panini at the Duomo and I would score a hit", as my nine-year-old so accurately remarked during our tour) and the simply lovely ornate furnishings conjur up a sort of 21st century version of how one of the Medicis may have lived. Think Chinese porcelain and bronze, Carrara marble, giant hand carved beds and deco appliques then add high speed wifi, giant flat screen TV, safes and air-con.

This luxurious feel flows down through the remaining floors and rooms, with great inlaid armoires, antiques tables, giant Florentine art works and silks setting the tone. We were very fortunate to have adjoining bedrooms so that the adults could pretend to work but really gaze out of the window at the breathtaking Florence roofscape while the children sat entranced by The Spaghetti Family (I’m not joking) on TV next door.

Through the lobby, with its giant working fireplace, antique furniture and efficient front desk, turn right for the Winter Gardens, an elegant room flooded with daylight with its own original fountain where well-heeled Florentines and business people come for afternoon tea when it’s not hosting fashion shows and banquets.
Take a left and you’re at Hostaria Bibendum, the hotel’s relatively new restaurant and bar whose alfresco terrace makes for an intimate little spot for dinners per due.

With a nine-year-old and six-year-old and a journalist’s income to think about, we didn’t eat in the restaurant but thought we’d give room service a try in the interests of research. I asked for something to open a coconut with (daughter’s current obsession) and a bottle of wine and some glasses. Almost before I had replaced the receiver there was a knock at the door and a request to take away the coconut for preparation. Five minutes later it returned, lavishly presented on a platter, the coconut water neatly poured in a cup and surrounded by a bed of ice cooling the coconut flesh. I think they passed the test.

The hotel also does super things like running cooking classes, lending you a personal shopper for the day and running tours of the city themed around author Dan Brown’s book Inferno which is set in the city. This hotel is beyond fashionable – its d-©cor, service and location make it a must for holidaymakers willing to pay a little extra for real class.

http://www.royaldemeure.com/

A classic double has a rack rate of €490 a night, with children under 12 staying free in an extra bed. The hotel can be booked through Leading Hotels of the World, Signature, Fine Hotels and Resorts and JDB.