Villa Cora

The entire building inside and out was beautiful, the lands were absolutely beautiful. The trees, plants, the pool. The staff and service was all so fantastic.

There was nothing I did not like

Everything

Villa Cora was an exceptional stay from start to finish. The property itself is beautiful, with gorgeous gardens, a lovely pool, and a genuine sense of privacy that made the whole experience feel special. My suite was a real standout, spacious, elegantly furnished and beautifully finished. The common areas were just as impressive, ideal for relaxing at different points throughout the day. Breakfast was a real highlight, a generous and well-executed buffet each morning, and the staff were warm and attentive. The shuttle service into town was completely seamless and convenient, making it easy to enjoy both the tranquillity of the property and the charm of Florence only minutes away by car. I also enjoyed walking into town some mornings, a nice way to start the day. As someone travelling solo, I felt completely comfortable and well looked after throughout.

Nothing, every aspect of my stay was exceptional.

The Villa itself is beautiful, with lush tapestries and furniture. Our room was spacious with a large window and bathroom. The pool deck and grounds were also stunning. The hotel is located in a neighborhood full of trees and flowers, and sits on the edge of the Boboli gardens. The walk into the center of Florence wasn't too bad but is pretty far when you find yourself a little past the city center in the evening. They do offer a shuttle service but I believe it ends at 8pm (and dinners in Italy usually start at 7pm).

For a five-star hotel, I didn't receive the service I had expected and had grown to expect from my previous stays at other five-star hotels. I appreciate the staff and the effort they put in on a daily basis, but I think there may be some service training opportunities here, though. A few issues during my experience that I will point out: - Pool: The highlight of the hotel, in my opinion, is the pool. It took us longer than we had expected to find a way to the pool. Other reviewers mentioned this as well but we experienced it firsthand: towels and glassware were left on chairs and side tables, which were not cleaned up right away. Stain marks from drinks from previous guests could be seen on the side tables, which is a small detail that overall made the poolside feel "messy". No one greeted us at the pool, so we had to ask another guest where to find the chair towels. The pool is also "first come, first served", which was briefly mentioned in the arrival "onboarding", which really meant there weren't enough lounge chairs for every guest. If I am a paying guest, it shouldn't be so hard to find a lounge chair given there is ample poolside room. When the chairs were full, it seemed like some guests begrudgingly accepted the pool-side couches (not ideal for lounging), like we had done when we expected to spend a relaxing morning at the pool. - Departure: We weren't acknowledged at first when we tried to check out. We sat in the lobby for about 15 minutes before we were helped. I was the main point of contact for the entire booking and communications, and the person that signed the final bill. During the entire stay, though, we were addressed by Mr. (we have two different last names). The cherry on top was as we were checking out, the concierge didn't acknowledge me and passed the receipt to my husband. I am not exaggerating. That was insulting.