Belmond’s Villa San Michele Is Back — And Florence’s Best Hotel View Just Got Better

Florence is a city that rewards you for going uphill. The views get quieter, the air gets cooler, and the whole Duomo-and-rooftops postcard starts to look less like a set and more like a living place.

Villa San Michele has always owned that perspective — a former convent in the hills of Fiesole, with the kind of terrace view that makes dinner reservations feel like a major life decision.

Now it’s back after a major renovation. The headline changes aren’t just prettier rooms. It’s the first-ever on-site spa (with Guerlain), new dining, and a shift toward slow, season-spanning stays — the kind of reset that actually changes how you’d use the property.

What changed (and why it matters)

Belmond’s Villa San Michele reopened on April 28, 2026 after an 18-month renovation. The refresh isn’t a light facelift — it’s a full repositioning around wellness, gardens, and a more complete reason to stay on-property instead of treating the hotel as a launchpad for Florence.

• 39 rooms and suites, fully reworked
• Villa San Michele Spa by Guerlain (the hotel’s first on-site spa)
• New dining, including the fine-dining restaurant Antesi
• Revitalized terraced gardens and more structured outdoor programming

The spa: the missing piece finally exists

The big upgrade is the new Villa San Michele Spa by Guerlain, an intimate spa set inside the historic convent with three treatment rooms, including a double suite. In practical terms: this turns the hotel from “book it for the view” into “book it for a true slow-luxury reset.”

The food: a reason to stay for dinner

The reopening adds Antesi, a small, eight-table restaurant led by Executive Chef Alessandro Cozzolino. If you’ve stayed here before, you’ll recognize the old rhythm: aperitivo on the terrace, then into town. The point of Antesi is to keep you up on the hill — and make that choice feel like the right one.

How to plan a stay at Villa San Michele (Noon-style)

• Use it as a Florence base, not a Florence checklist. Do one big museum day, then spend the next morning slow: pool, gardens, long lunch.
• Book 2–3 nights. One night is a flex; two is a stay; three is where the hotel starts to do its job.
• Pair it with a city stay. If you want both energy and quiet, do one night in Florence proper (classic center-of-town luxury), then move uphill to reset.

What You Actually Want to Know

When did Villa San Michele reopen?

It reopened on April 28, 2026 following an 18-month renovation.

How many rooms does Villa San Michele have?

The hotel has 39 rooms and suites.

Is there a spa on site?

Yes — the new Villa San Michele Spa by Guerlain is the property’s first-ever on-site spa.

Is this a good honeymoon hotel?

If you want Florence with breathing room (and a view that does the romance for you), yes. If you want walk-out-the-door city energy, split your time: one night in the center, then finish in Fiesole.

Let Noon build the Florence itinerary that actually works

Villa San Michele is one of those rare properties where the setting is the product. If you want us to pair it with the right Florence hotel, guide the room category, and lock in the best-perk combination for your dates, Noon can plan it.

One more read: Sleep Tourism Is the New Luxury Flex — Here Are the Hotels Doing It Best