The Excelsior
Charlie Chaplin, Orson Welles and Arthur Rubinstein signed the register here. The Excelsior has been one of the two great hotels of Florence for a hundred years, facing the other across a small square on the river.
- Class
- Five-star hotel
- Opened
- 1927
- Rooms
- 171 rooms and suites
- Area
- Piazza Ognissanti
Florence this week
What sets The Excelsior apart
The roof
The restaurant and bar on the top floor are glazed on every side, with the river below and the dome of the cathedral behind.
Two hotels made one
In the nineteenth century the building held the Hotel d'Italie and the Hotel de la Ville, side by side. The English novelist Ouida stayed at the first in 1871.
Kraft's Excelsior
By 1927 the Swiss hotelier Gérard Kraft, who also ran the Grand Hotel opposite, owned both, and the hotel had made its name as the Excelsior.
The square
The church of Ognissanti, a few doors away, holds Botticelli's tomb and frescoes by him and by Ghirlandaio.
What it has
- Rooftop restaurant and bar
- Bar on the ground floor
- Fitness room
- Meeting rooms
Where The Excelsior is
Address
Piazza Ognissanti 350123 Florence, Italy
Nearest tram
Unità, on lines T1 and T2, beside Santa Maria Novella station, about 500 metres away
Museums and sights nearby
- Medici Chapels700 m
- Ponte Vecchio750 m
- Pitti Palace800 m
- Florence Cathedral800 m
- Palazzo Vecchio900 m
Distances are in a straight line from the hotel.
The Excelsior since the 1920s
The building, known as Palazzo Bonaparte, was turned into hotels in the nineteenth century. After the interiors were rebuilt in the 1920s to designs by the architect Ugo Giusti, it was one house under one owner and one name.
Among its guests in the twentieth century were Arthur Rubinstein, Charlie Chaplin, Françoise Sagan, Orson Welles and Henry Ford. It was the Westin Excelsior for many years, and now trades as The Excelsior.
The Excelsior: common questions
- Where is The Excelsior?
- At Piazza Ognissanti 3, in the Santa Maria Novella quarter of Florence. The nearest tram stop is Unità, on lines T1 and T2, beside Santa Maria Novella station, about 500 metres away.
- Which museums and sights are near The Excelsior?
- Medici Chapels is 700 m away, Ponte Vecchio is 750 m away, Pitti Palace is 800 m away. Distances are in a straight line from the hotel.
- Does The Excelsior have a swimming pool?
- No. The Excelsior has no swimming pool.
- When did The Excelsior open?
- In 1927. It has 171 rooms and suites.
What visitors say about The Excelsior
Rating from Google
Tickets and tours near The Excelsior
Things to do near The Excelsior
The nearest of this site's best things to do in the city. Distances are in a straight line.
- 13See Masaccio's Trinity in Santa Maria Novella400 m awayChurch, 1 to 1.5 hours, ticket
- 16Cross the river to the Oltrarno and the Brancacci Chapel550 m awayWalk, 2 to 3 hours, free to walk, ticket for the chapel
- 10Stand among Michelangelo's tombs in the Medici Chapels700 m awayMonument, 45 to 75 minutes, ticket
- 5Cross the Ponte Vecchio at sunset750 m awayWalk, 20 to 45 minutes, free
Where to eat near The Excelsior
The nearest of the famous tables this site lists in Florence. Distances are in a straight line.
- Trattoria Sostanza4.5Trattoria, Santa Maria Novella150 m away
- Buca Mario4.4Restaurant, Santa Maria Novella250 m away
- Il Latini4.3Restaurant, Via de' Tornabuoni300 m away
- Giacosa 18154.7Café and cocktail bar, Via de' Tornabuoni400 m away
Artists to see near The Excelsior
The museums nearest to here, and the most famous artists on show in each.
Medici Chapels, 700 m away
Pitti Palace, 800 m away
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Picture: Sailko, CC BY-SA 3.0
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