Location with Luxury for Families Visiting Florence

Located on the banks of the Arno River, overlooking the Ponte Vecchio, Gallery Uffizi, and Via de Tomabuoni, Lungarno Suites may be the best-located hotel in Florence.  With studios to two-bedroom suites, all with kitchen areas and luxury appointments, this is a gem for families visiting the Tuscan capital.

Lungarno Suites is part of the Lungarno Collection, owned by the famous Ferragamo fashion family, committed to sharing the style and craftsmanship of their native city of Florence. Each hotel has a different personality, but guests of Lungarno Suites can enjoy the amenities of other hotels like the White Iris Spa at Continentale or happy hour at Lounge Bar Picteau at Hotel Lungarno, plus free admission to the Museo Salvatore Ferragamo.

Playing Uno with Grandma in our suite

Wrapping up a trip to Tuscany with my husband, 5-year-old, and mobility-limited mother-in-law, I picked a Deluxe Arno Suite, at Lungarno Suites for my family.  At the cost of less than two comparable hotel rooms, my mother-in-law was free to watch the bustle of the Ponte Vecchio from the comfort of her room, order room service, or walk less than half a block to cafes and shops, while we were sightseeing.

Well Designed Apartment Suites Ensure Family Comfort

Our suite was a one-bedroom with sliding doors to the living room and a comfortable pull out couch, all made up during evening maid service.  Two full bathrooms, one off the bedroom and another at the entrance, plus multiple closets throughout the apartment, and a television in each area, ensured comfort, privacy and flexibility.  I actually found it more comfortable than the two hotel rooms we had at our previous stop, as my daughter could more comfortably visit grandma, while I relaxed on the bed.

The kitchen was compact, but well stocked and ample for both snacking and cooking small meals.  Of course, I was most excited about the espresso maker, but the two-burner stove, microwave, dishwasher, and refrigerator were put to use during our four-night stay.  The fridge is stocked as a mini bar, but I found plenty of room to keep salume, cheese, juice, milk, fruit, and wine alongside the mini bar items.  One evening I cooked up a pasta and vegetable dinner to go with our nibbles and wine.  Counter space is limited and dishtowels and napkins would have been appreciated.

I am not one who wants to be the family cook on vacation, so I think of a kitchen as a convenience, not a cost-saver.  We were all able to have espresso or juice plus a piece of fruit while waiting for everyone to get showered and dressed in the morning.  Every night, we had an in-room happy hour where we could lie back, enjoy a bottle of Tuscan wine, salami di cinta senese, pecorino fresco, focaccia while looking out the window at sculls gliding down the river, tourists hurrying across the Ponte Vecchio and to reach Piazzale Michelangelo for sunset, listening to musicians on the bridge performing for loose change, and watch the evening light turn the Florentine yellow patina a deeper gold.  With my sore feet propped up on my bed and my daughter watching Italian cartoons with grandma, Lungarno Suites was exactly what a family hotel room should be.

A Different Restaurant Every Morning

Included with our room rate was breakfast.  Lungarno Suites doesn’t have it’s own restaurant, so for a small fee you can have breakfast delivered to your room, or you can enjoy breakfast in one of three other hotels owned by the Lungarno group.  Two, Gallery Hotel Art and Continentale, are adjacent and Hotel Lungarno is 5 minute walk across the river.  All three had breakfast buffets and an a la carte menu.  Of course, the tastiest food was the traditional Italian like ricotta fresca, prosciutto, fruit tarts and fresh breads.

These same hotel restaurants are open for lunch and dinner.  While I didn’t make it this trip, Borgo San Jacopo at Hotel Lungarno is one of the top restaurants in Italy with an innovative fashion designer turned chef, Beatrice Segoni. Be sure to request a table on the Arno.

Room service is available at Lungarno Suites.  The fresh food is quite good and delivered within quoted time.  While Grandma and my daughter enjoyed room service, my husband and I headed to the rooftop SkyBar at Continentale for prosecco cocktails overlooking the Uffizi and Duomo.

Tips for Visiting Families

• DO visit the Museo Salvatore Ferragamo; his couture shoes are works of art and the kids can learn how shoes are constructed.
• DON’T consider driving to hotel unless you know Florence’s pedestrian zone very well. Even our taxi driver had problems navigating construction and barriers!
• DO splurge on the Arno view suite. Your feet could not ask for a more relaxing place to recover before dinner.
• DON’T expect fast service during peak times. The one-on-one boutique style service can get busy.  Be patient or stop back at a less hectic time.

We offer complete trip planning services throughout Italy and beyond. To request assistance, Connect with a Family Travel Advisor.

Meg Keough, is a freelance writer, marketing and business consultant who loves working with performing arts, food and wine, and travel. She has retired her award-winning blog, Backpack to Buggy, and is enjoying writing guest posts. Photos by Meg Keough.

Editorial Note: Meg received media rates for her stay at Lungarno Suites so she could refresh Ciao Bambino’s review of the hotel. As always, all thoughts expressed on Ciao Bambino are our own.

Relevant Links:

Five favorite family-friendly luxury hotels in Italy

52 things to know before traveling to Italy with kids

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Kid-friendly tour guides in Italy 

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