Luxury bespoke holidays and tours to Relais Santa Croce, Florence
Facts in brief
Official star rating 5
Location 2 minute walk to the Basilica of Santa Croce
Annual opening All year
Closest airport Pisa or Florence
Distance from airport The hotel is about 90-minutes' drive from Pisa Airport
Closest railway station Firenze Santa Maria Novella Station
Distance from railway station The hotel is about 15-minutes' drive from Firenze Santa Maria Novella Station
Hotel facilities and services
3 Star Michelin Restaurant linked to the hotel, Gourmet Restaurant, Bar and Music Room, Garage and Car Park with Valet Parking, Lifts, Disabled Access, Concierge.
Complimentary
Wi-Fi
Thanks for organising what was a wonderful holiday. Apart from a delay because of Gatwick fog coming home, everything ran like clockwork and we had a cracking time. I would be happy to recommend Expressions and hope we will have the opportunity to organise another trip with you in the future.Mrs S, October 2024
Holiday price guide Sample prices are per person based on two people sharing a Deluxe room for 3 nights
From about
£990 low season
Holiday Code IE359
The prices displayed here are a guide only. Each holiday price will be tailor-made at the time of booking to reflect all actual costs including up-to-date special offers.
Call us on 01392 441245
Luxury bespoke holidays and tours to Relais Santa Croce, Florence
Relais Santa Croce, formerly the Ciofi Jacometti Palace, is a five star hotel in Florence with exquisite furnishings, decoration, and original 18th Century features. The hotel earns its name from its close proximity to the historical Basilica Santa Croce, which can be seen through the hotel's long windows. Florentine opulence is in abundance throughout the hotel, with charming features such as guilt mirrors, elaborate frescos, and intricate wooden flooring. The hotel's 24 rooms and suites are individually decorated and many contain antique pieces. The colour scheme is rich with golds, and sumptuous fabrics add an inviting appearance and multi-sensory comfort. Grand Deluxe Rooms offer views of Florence's skyline, and the larger suites hark back to the building's palatial originals in their grand living areas, and original frescos; in the Da Verrazzano Suite, guests are afforded the luxury of a private gym. The hotel's careful renovation involved installing contemporary touches and comforts, from the leather armchairs of the lounge, to the restaurant's monochromatic table settings. There is the distinct feeling that the Santa Croce could be both a stately home and a hotel. The hotel houses a triple Michelin-starred restaurant that offers an exquisite menu, whilst the hotel's own gourmet restaurant continues the balance between the contemporary and traditional. The bar and music room offer an ideal space to relax, while the hotel's close proximity to the Teatro Verdi and museum of Basilica di Santa Croce di Firenze make it the ideal base from which to immerse yourself in Florentine culture.
Room descriptions
Relais Santa Croce has 24 rooms, all of which are air conditioned with a king size bed and include Wi-Fi, TV, an iPod docking station, safe deposit box, minibar and bathroom.
Thanks for organising what was a wonderful holiday. Apart from a delay because of Gatwick fog coming home, everything ran like clockwork and we had a cracking time. I would be happy to recommend Expressions and hope we will have the opportunity to organise another trip with you in the future.Mrs S, October 2024
Holiday price guide Sample prices are per person based on two people sharing a Deluxe room for 3 nights
From about
£990 low season
Holiday Code IE359
The prices displayed here are a guide only. Each holiday price will be tailor-made at the time of booking to reflect all actual costs including up-to-date special offers.
Call us on 01392 441245
Luxury bespoke holidays and tours to Relais Santa Croce, Florence
The journey and how you get there
For a holiday to Relais Santa Croce in Florence, our clients usually fly to Pisa airport, Florence airport or arrive by train at Florence Santa Maria Novella railway station. From the airport and the station, we recommend a private car transfer which we would include in our holiday price. If you are visiting Florence as part of a tailor-made touring holiday, we recommend returning your hire-car upon arrival in Florence, and then if you need a car to continue the itinerary, collecting another one when you leave.
Additional information
Minimum stays: A minimum stay of 2 nights is required from 8 to 11 January and 11 to 14 June.
Children: Children are welcome. Cots are free and available on request. Children under 16 years stay for free when sharing with 2 adults in the same room. In suite categories a third bed may be added for children at a supplement.
Other information: Dogs weighing below 15kg are accepted at a small supplement. There is a smoking room onsite.
Special offers
Call to make your booking and save an extra £50 per adult Call us instead of emailing us when you are thinking of booking a holiday and save an extra £50 per adult (in addition to any special offers that might be available). We want to talk to you to discuss your requirements and a phone call is usually the best way for you to define what you want enabling us to respond more accurately. We want to talk to you and you save an extra £50 per adult.
Thanks for organising what was a wonderful holiday. Apart from a delay because of Gatwick fog coming home, everything ran like clockwork and we had a cracking time. I would be happy to recommend Expressions and hope we will have the opportunity to organise another trip with you in the future.Mrs S, October 2024
Holiday price guide Sample prices are per person based on two people sharing a Deluxe room for 3 nights
From about
£990 low season
Holiday Code IE359
The prices displayed here are a guide only. Each holiday price will be tailor-made at the time of booking to reflect all actual costs including up-to-date special offers.
Call us on 01392 441245
Luxury bespoke holidays and tours to Relais Santa Croce, Florence
About Florence
An Expressions tailor-made holiday to Florence is one of the ‘must see’ places of all art lovers. Florence is the centre of the Renaissance movement and the Uffizi Gallery houses a phenomenal collection of painting from this era, as does the Accademia, home to Michelangelo’s statue of David. However, it is the atmosphere of the city which is overwhelmingly Renaissance as everywhere you turn there is yet another reminder of the period either artistic or architectural and this creates a superb museum like ambience to the historic centre. All the sites are easily reached on foot from the Ponte Vecchio to the Church of Santa Maria Novella, to the Accademia, to the Duomo and it is by visiting on foot that you can soak up the amazing atmosphere of the city.
Highlights of Florence
The markets in Florence are great for browsing for leather bags and shoes, but be prepared to haggle the price, as these markets are now really geared up for tourists and you can end up paying more than you need to. Fiesole can be reach by train or bus and has lovely views of the city. The Boboli gardens are an enchanting place to spend a few lazy hours and can be reached on foot over the other side of the River Arno from the main sites. Hire a car and visit Siena, Lucca, San Gimignano, Chianti, Montepulciano, Perugia and many more fascinating mediaeval towns nearby.
Cultural highlights of Florence
The Duomo, The Battistero, Uffizi Gallery, Accademia Gallery, the mausoleum of the Medici family in the Medici Chapel, Ponte Vecchio, Palazzo Pitti, The Piazza della Signoria.
Festivals in Florence
There are a wide range of fashion shows held in Florence in January, which can make finding hotel availability difficult during the show period. Otherwise, Florence holds any wonderful festivals throughout the year including the Scoppio del Carro or the explosion of the cart on Easter Sunday, which is really a firework display, but the atmosphere is tremendous. Calcio in Costume in June is a fun spectacle and a slightly different take on ‘Calcio’ or football! Alternatively, in September there is the Festa della Rificolana where children carrying candlelit lanterns converge on the Piazza della Santissima Annunziata to celebrate the eve of the birth of the Virgin Mary. The most notable festival in the area however, is of course the Palio in Siena, just south of Florence and easily reachable by train, which takes place in July and August. Early booking is essential.
Gastronomy in Florence
Florence is famous for its food, namely Bistecca alla Fiorentina and many grilled meats and game dishes, but of course it is the centre of the Chianti wine producing region and thereby has access to some of the most prestigious wines from Chianti and the hearty reds of Southern Tuscany. Olive oil is also in abundance here and is used with everything, from cooking to dipping and even tasting!
