The Best Hotels with Pools in Florence

This 14th-century Tuscan villa overlooks fertile vineyards, orchards and olive groves. If you want time away from the city, there are 20ha (50ac) of gardens to explore. Its ever-so-inviting heated pool has views across the city, while the decking area is the place to be for an evening Aperol spritz. Enjoy dinner in the on-site restaurant, Il Conventino a Marignolle, which serves regional delicacies.

Opened in 1860, Plaza Hotel Lucchesi was one of the first hotels in Florence. It occupies an enviable central location, just a few minutes from Santa Croce Basilica and Piazzale Michelangelo. The highlight for many is Empireo, the hotel’s rooftop bar and pool. Outsiders can access the bar and enjoy its views of the Duomo, Florence’s iconic domed cathedral, but the cooling pool is reserved for guests only.

Located in historic San Lorenzo, Glance Hotel counts Michelangelo’s David and the Medici Chapels as neighbours. Easy access to the surrounding landmarks – including the Central Market – are a draw for many here. Crowning the building’s six floors is a contemporary rooftop bar and swimming pool, which are reserved for guests only. Head there in the evenings to watch Florence twinkle over a glass of wine.

Atop Fiesole hill, this boutique hotel offers peace away from the city. Of course, you can’t escape history in Florence, and FH55 Hotel Villa Fiesole is no different. Most notably, its main building was once a limonaia (lemon grove) frequented by monks from the neighbouring monastery. The perfectly modern pool is surrounded by greenery, and set above is a solarium with expansive views across the city.

This luxury boutique overlooks one of Florence’s finest squares, Piazza Santa Maria Novella. An immediate left turn when you leave the hotel will have you facing the eponymous church, Santa Maria Novella, an imposing gothic structure and one of the city’s top attractions. Head to the hotel’s roof and discover a dipping pool, snack bar and incredible views across the city’s bell towers and terracotta tops.

The Croce di Malta offers a large-for-Florence swimming pool adorned by wisterias and magnolias – although its central location means you may not spend too much time here. A short walk will take you to either the banks of the Arno or Piazza Duomo. Evenings can be spent around the pool or, more likely, on the rooftop – where you’ll get views of the Florentine hills.

Located on the banks of the Arno, this historic hotel was frequented by the Macchiaioli – a rebellious collection of Tuscan painters – in the 19th century. Their heated intellectual debates are no more, and have been replaced by the sounds of guests unwinding in the hotel’s spa, which includes a pool with an ice fountain, Turkish baths and a calming bio-sauna. Outside, another heated pool ringed by foliage offers yet another chance to relax.

Formerly the site of a monastery, this luxury hotel is where the rich and famous gather when they visit Florence – George Clooney, David Bowie and Luciano Pavarotti are all former guests. But you don’t need to be a VIP to enjoy the secluded gardens and the accompanying pool. It’s in an enviably central location, with the Arno and its promenades close by.