Capella Florence

Name: Capella Florence
Address: Florence, Italy

Capella's first in Europe

Florence, Italy

First look

Capella Florence is the brand's first hotel in Europe, and it's not arriving quietly. The Singapore-based group is taking over the San Gallo complex on Via San Gallo, a cluster of former convents that traces back to the 12th century and later did time as a military hospital, a few minutes from the Duomo and Piazza della Libertà. Restoring 800 years of stonework into a working hotel is the kind of brief that either sings or goes badly wrong.

On paper, the numbers are restrained for a city-center palazzo conversion: 89 keys, split into 56 guestrooms, 33 suites and 10 residences. The Italian firms RPA and De Vita & Schulze are handling the architecture, with French studio Liaigre on interiors. Plans mention a 600-square-meter spa, two restaurants and a rooftop bar.

We haven't stayed, and a 2027 opening on a heritage site leaves plenty of room for the date to move. What we'll be watching for: whether the convent bones survive the conversion intact, and whether Capella's Asian service standard travels to Tuscany. We'll find out when we visit.

Not yet scored. We publish a Fat Score only once a hotel is open and real guests have stayed and written about it — this is a first look, not a verdict.

Before it opens

When does Capella Florence open?

Capella Florence is slated to open in 2027 as the brand's first hotel in Europe. The trade press cites 2027 without narrowing to a specific month, and dates on heritage conversions can slip.

How many rooms will Capella Florence have, and where is it?

It is an 89-key hotel: 56 guestrooms, 33 suites and 10 residences. It occupies the restored San Gallo complex of former convents on Via San Gallo, near the Duomo and Piazza della Libertà.

Open now

What you can book today

Capella Florenceis still under wraps. Here's what's already open and scored in our collection — more from Capella, and nearby in Italy.

Fat Favorite

Capella

Capella Bangkok

Bangkok, Thailand

Capella Bangkok has earned its status as the #1 hotel on the World's 50 Best list through a combination of flawless execution and genuine Thai warmth. This riverside sanctuary delivers the intimate, residential feel that Bill Bensley's design intended — just 101 rooms and villas scattered across lush gardens along the Chao Phraya. The service operates at an entirely different level: staff know your name, anticipate your preferences, and create those small moments that transform a stay into a memory. While the location requires commitment to shuttles or taxis for city exploration, that seclusion becomes an asset when you're poolside watching longtail boats drift past. The breakfast alone justifies the rates — a full à la carte menu plus exceptional pastries that guests return for even after checking out.

Fat Legend

Capella

Capella Ubud

Ubud, Indonesia

Bill Bensley's Capella Ubud is theatrical luxury at its finest—a tented camp where every canvas pavilion tells the story of a 19th-century European explorer, complete with copper bathtubs and saltwater pools carved into the Keliki Valley jungle. The service operates at an almost psychic level, with staff who remember your coffee preferences by day two and arrange doctors when needed. Yes, you're paying premium rates to sleep in what's technically a tent, but when that tent has museum-quality antiques and you're falling asleep to jungle symphonies, the magic justifies the expense. The only real weakness is accessibility—those romantic riverside tents require serious hiking, and the design prioritizes atmosphere over practical conveniences like proper lighting controls.

Fat Favorite

Aman

Aman Venice

Venice, Italy

Aman Venice occupies Palazzo Papadopoli, one of the Grand Canal's most storied addresses, and it remains the most architecturally arresting hotel in a city saturated with beautiful buildings — original Tiepolo frescoes, soaring ballroom ceilings, and secret walled gardens create an atmosphere no new-build can replicate. The brand's signature minimalism is applied with admirable restraint here: Aman lets the 16th-century palazzo do the heavy lifting, though entry-level rooms can feel starkly contemporary without the frescoes and gilded detailing that make the upper suites genuinely transcendent. Service is overwhelmingly praised and repeatedly cited as among the best in the Aman portfolio, with the notable exception of the spa, which is compact and has drawn sharp criticism for both quality and management responsiveness. The location — just outside the tourist triangle of St. Mark's, Rialto, and Accademia — is a genuine strategic advantage: quiet enough to feel like a private residence, connected enough to reach everything by foot or by the hotel's private boats. Room category matters enormously here; book at least a fresco-facing or canal-view suite to experience what makes this property worth its rates, and approach the wellness offering with appropriately modest expectations.

Fat Favorite

Belmond

Belmond Hotel Caruso

Ravello, Italy

Perched dramatically above the Amalfi Coast in Ravello, Caruso delivers the kind of soaring views and old-world Italian grandeur that justify the Belmond premium. The restored 11th-century palace centers around one of Europe's most spectacular infinity pools, where the horizon dissolves into endless Mediterranean blue. Service consistently impresses — staff remember names, anticipate needs, and handle everything from wedding logistics to emergency olive oil stain removal with genuine warmth. The property's elevated position provides blessed refuge from coastal crowds but requires commitment to the shuttle or lengthy drives for exploration. While rooms vary in renovation quality and dining can feel uneven between venues, the core experience remains undeniably magical.

From the desk

Get the first-look verdict

We publish our verdict the week Capella Florence opens. Get it in the monthly note, before the rest of the internet catches up.

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Expected

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First look →