http://www.hotelchatter.com/ Hotel Reviews, Hotel Ratings, Hotel Openings en-us Copyright 2008 - SFO Media 2009-11-09T00:53:40Z HotelChatter HotelChatter http://www.hotelchatter.com/images/hcwhite.jpg http://www.hotelchatter.com/ http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2009/8/25/23852/6523 <![CDATA[<p><img src="http://www.hotelchatter.com/files/1425/sestoview.jpg" class="top"><p> <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/hotel-reviews/The+Westin+Excelsior%2C+Florence/ian/141203"><b>The Westin Excelsior, Florence</b></a> used to attract a who's-who of the film industry to its Roof Garden, the top-floor terrace, with such VIPs like Franco Zeffirelli, Sophia Loren, Gina Lollobrigida, Orson Welles, Leonard Bernstein, Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward. But it's been a while since some of those folks have stopped by. (Yes, we know a few of them are no longer alive.) <p>But the hotel is now looking to reclaim its glamorous glory by reopening the rooftop terrace with the (awkward) new moniker <b>SE.STO on Arno</b> in late September. <p>After a $4 million renovation, the rooftop is reopening as a bar, restaurant and lounge. A curved, upholstered wall marks the entrance to the bar and Jennifer Kester 2009-08-26T09:09:41-05:00 http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2009/8/10/74255/7143 <![CDATA[<img src="http://www.hotelchatter.com/files/3873/Monsignor_Della_Casa_Florence.jpg" class="top"><p> <p>You don't even really need a good reason to take a vacation in Tuscany but for those with a taste for the luxury and gourmet side of life, the <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/hotel-reviews/Monsignor+Della+Casa+Country+Resort/ian/244324"><b>Monsignor Della Casa Country Resort</b></a> near Florence has got a <b>Gourmet Truffle Break</b> deal to tempt you. The Monsignor Della Casa looks like just the right kind of quaint countryside resort for a Tuscan break and it is part of a 16th century estate that belonged to an Italian "good manners expert" of the day, so this place has some pedigree.<p>The truffle package includes two nights' accommodation and a buffet breakfast, plus a truffle hunting expedition into the park of Villa La Casa, followed by a truffle amandak 2009-08-10T09:36:17-05:00 http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2009/1/12/214934/999 <![CDATA[<img src="http://www.hotelchatter.com/files/3873/Palazzo_Vecchietti.jpg" class="top"><p> <p>The <a href="http://www.townhouse.it">Town House</a> brand is a totally swanky range of apartment-style accommodations that is spreading across Italy. They started out in Milan and Turin and are now just opening the <b>Town House Palazzo Vecchietti</b> in central Florence, and this latest one certainly sounds like it's living up to the quality of the others.<p>The Palazzo Vecchietti is actually twelve separate apartments built into a fifteenth-century palace in a no-expense-spared kind of way. Each apartment is named after an Italian "great", with the largest one being the Leonardo da Vinci. They've got their own kitchenettes and there are mod cons including WiFi, and every room is kitted out to fit the part of belonging to a palce. <p>This amandak 2009-01-13T15:15:48-05:00 http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2008/8/26/4269/65520 <![CDATA[<p><img src="http://www.hotelchatter.com/files/1425/fourseasons_florence.jpg" class="imgborder"><p>Just six weeks or so into its life as a luxury hotel, the <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/hotel-reviews/Four+Seasons+Florence/ian/262503"><b>Four Seasons Florence</b></a> is getting very impressive feedback: almost everyone gives it a <a href="http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g187895-d866681-Reviews-Four_Seasons_Florence-Florence_Tuscany.html">5-star rating</a> on TripAdvisor and a recent write-up in the UK <i>Times</i> made it sound the best hotel the reviewer had ever stayed at.<p>It certainly has some historical and artistic advantages over regular hotels, being created out of two Renaissance palaces joined by the largest private garden in Florence. There are frescoes on walls, cherubs on the ceilings and artworks galore throughout the hotel. It's kind of like going sightseeing around Florence but without actually having to go anywhere.<p>We were a bit scared when we clicked over to look at amandak 2008-08-26T09:55:17-05:00 http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2008/6/26/11246/7852 <![CDATA[<p><img src="http://www.hotelchatter.com/files/admin/dvfclaridges.jpg" class="imgborder"><p>Going old school with a runway show in Florence last week for her Resort 2009 Collection, the foundress of the wrap dress <b>Diane von Furstenberg</b> flashed the retro card with outfits based on her own hotel travels.<br><p> Entitled <i>"La Petite Valise,"</i> the collection's focus on dressing for the destination comes through with primary Riviera stripes and zigzags, bathing beauty swimsuits that scream "lounging on the lido," and a dress with the pattern of DvF's own passport pages.<br><p> Even though the entire show referenced the days of the grand tour, Furstenberg deemed a portion of it "the Hotel Life," flashing outfits of Wedgwood blue and a hotel key pattern directly influenced by the style of <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/hotel-reviews/Claridge%27S/ian/172844"><b>The Claridge's Hotel</b></a> JetSetCD 2008-06-26T13:15:06-05:00 Search HotelChatter string http://www.hotelchatter.com/search/