Casa Howard Florence, Florence, Italy

Boutique hotel Casa Howard Florence is in an elegant town house right in the centre of Florence , just minutes away from the train station, Renaissance monuments, and fashion district. Expect an intimate and elegant mansion, a discrete address and personal service from this boutique hotel. In a beautiful historic building, Casa Howard provides the charm of a private house with the standard of personal service expected from a 5 star hotel. Casa Howard Florence achieves hominess with an eccentric twist by applying bold colours and fine fabrics to a mix of antiques and custom-made pieces.

The facilities

The boutique hotel's amenities include a large Turkish hammam bath, a music/TV room and a full personal library. The spacious bath is ideal for restoring museum-weary bones, and comes with an assortment of Santa Maria Novella toiletries. There is a room especially intended for families and a Disney video library is also available. Small dogs and smokers are also welcome, each with a room designed with them in mind. Breakfast is served in the room at any time (within reason) and includes hot croissants, homemade jams and honey from the owners' farm. Fridges on each floor of the boutique hotel are stocked with champagne, wine and soft drinks, whilst dinner reservations can be arranged by the attentive housekeepers.

The rooms

No two bedrooms are alike at Casa Howard Florence. Each of the 11 themed guest rooms, including two suites, and one small apartment, are a contemporary take on antique furnishings. Every room at the boutique hotel features paintings, parquet floors, antiques, beamed ceilings, satellite TV, tea making facilities, air-conditioning, Ginori china and complimentary WIFI access. Many of the rooms have working fireplaces and it is possible to combine some of the rooms to create a large private suite. There is something for everyone at Casa Howard Florence; every room is designed to please. The spacious and dramatic Drawing Room has black walls and white cornicing, white mouldings, leopard-print headboards and mauve window treatments. The boutique hotel’s intimate Hidden Room has scarlet walls hung with erotic Japanese prints and includes a sunken bath. There is even a room for kids including a fun climbing structure against one wall. Another is designed for dog owners, complete with dog beds and a large terrace.