The Most Tranquil Day Spas in Florence, Italy

Right in the heart of the historical centre, close to the Ponte Vecchio bridge, this plush boutique hotel has snuggly suites with lashings of velvet and gold. The spa is petite but attractive, with a jacuzzi, hammam, sauna and massage beds designed for two – ideal for a private afternoon spent being scrubbed, soaked and massaged away from the sightseeing hordes. It’s popular with guests and non-guests, so book your takeover well ahead.

This collection of modern, luxurious suites lures in a jet-set, business-minded crowd, thanks to facility frills such as Nespresso machines, dishwashers and minibars – but it also hides a low-lit, mosaic-tiled spa. Draped with candles and palm fronds, the spa is kitted out with a sauna, steam room and hot tub, as well as on-request treatment rooms for massages and facials. Want 24/7 pampering? Book one of the suites with an in-room jacuzzi.

Slightly out of town, but still a 10-minute drive to the southern bank of the Arno and the manicured Boboli Gardens, Villa Tolomei is more serene holiday resort than classic city crash pad. Book into its health club to join toned and moneyed Florentines swimming laps of the huge ice-blue pool, with its expansive views of the city skyline. Then hit the elegant, light-filled gym before slinking off to a hypnotic sound bath massage.

From its statue-trimmed outdoor pool to its rooftop bar, the petal-pink Villa Cora is a palatial, see-and-be-seen sort of stay. Even if you can’t spring for a mega-suite, book a pampering session at its spa, popular with locals for its transformative facials by Sarah Chapman. Marbled walls, rippling whirlpools, cream-cushioned loungers and glimmering pillar candles ensure a high-end hideaway. Packages for up to six make for a great value day out, with sparkling wine and mini treatments included.

Alongside Florence’s many grande dame villas, sull’Arno is a breath of fresh air and contemporary taste. On the banks of the Arno, slightly to the east of town, it’s stacked with huge houseplants in unpolished metal containers, mismatched vintage furniture and artfully distressed textures. As well as a dreamy, jade-green outdoor pool, there’s a mellow spa where you can book a sleep-restoring Ayurvedic treatment before draping yourself in the curvaceous marble steam bath.

Set amongst the cypresses and pines of the Tuscan countryside, slightly northeast of the city, it’s only natural that this wow-factor stately home should have a spectacular spa. Specialising in aromatherapy and tapping into Florence’s perfumery heritage, it has whole sensory “journeys” infused with grapes, citrus and herbs, packaging up a body scrub, massage and mask. After your treatment, lounge by the glorious two-tier cascade pool, with views down towards the city.

Close to the Duomo cathedral, the Uffizi Gallery and the storybook streets that surround them, this super-central spa hotel is made for lovers. Scarlet velvet headboards, satin sheets, private terraces – it doesn’t do anything by halves. The opulence continues into the spa, where great value packages for two throw in a bottle of champagne alongside use of the facilities. A no-frills treatment list covers deep tissue massages, anti-ageing facials, manis and pedis.

Florence loves a lavish little boutique hotel, tucked away in a historic building – and this number, in the historic centre, surprises and delights. As well as simple but chic rooms in cream and mushroom tones, it has a mini-spa you can book just for you and your partner – soaking in the whirlpool tub, warming your limbs in the sauna or sipping champagne in your fluffy robes.

Right on the riverside, a few blocks west of the Ponte Vecchio, Florence’s St. Regis has some of the most sought-after suites in town. Packed to the rafters with heavy chandeliers, vintage furniture and gilded mirrors, it has an equally decadent spa, where spacious, gold-mosaic treatment rooms have sofas and private bathtubs. Book one of the exclusive My Blend by Clarins facials – they’re only available at a few of the world’s high-end hotel spas.

Located in a stunning, renovated Renaissance palace with sprawling landscaped gardens, the spa at the Four Seasons Hotel is your ticket to another world. Just spending the afternoon here is enough to make you feel like you’re a Medici, but if you want more, you can book one of the private spa suites nestled in the gardens. Fancy massage options include the Chianti wine back massage, rubdowns with Tuscan herbs and the super glam luxe treatment, with 24-carat gold massage oil.