If you know me, you know that I'm a better person when I'm in Europe. I don't know why, but it's true. As soon as that first Aperol Spritz hits my bloodstream and Euros start flying from my bank account, I come alive. And I'm not mad about it.
That's why I was more than happy to head to Florence, Italy, for a press trip with Chase and Hyatt this past month, to check out one of the city's most historic and swanky hotels: Il Tornabuoni, which is part of Hyatt's Unbound Collection. The goal of the getaway was to show me—and, subsequently, you—what you can get with the 60,000 welcome bonus points that come with opening a World of Hyatt® Credit Card, aka one of the best cards to cop if you're a travel junkie. (Up to nine times the points on hotels, spas, and restaurants! Plenty of opps for free nights! Access to specially curated experiences! Oh my!)
They popped those points in my World of Hyatt account and let me do as I pleased—and two nights with my fiancé at the five-star Il Tornabuoni, plus a yummy meal at their in-house restaurant, Il Magnifico, sounded like the perfect way to spend 'em (because, yes, you can use them on meals and experiences, too). Spoiler alert: It was. And honestly? I wouldn't want to stay anywhere else during a quick weekend trip to La Bella Firenze (ahem, "beautiful Florence," if you don't speak Italian...like me).
Wanna know what a stay at the stunning property might look like? Read on for my full review, and prepare to start singing "That's Amore" subconsciously. Last one to Italy is a rotten egg!
THE QUICK HITS: IL TORNABUONI HOTEL EDITION
- Name: Il Tornabuoni Hotel
- Location: Florence, Italy
- Cost Per Night: Starting at 450€
- Best For: Those visiting the city for the first time
- While You’re Here, Visit: Ponte Vecchio (literally a five-minute walk from the hotel!)
- One-Word Vibe Check: Fabulous
- Most Iconic Photo Spot: The Butterfly Terrace, the rooftop bar with panoramic views of the city, at sunset
- Don’t Leave Without: People watching from literally every window
THE FIRST IMPRESSIONS!
I can sleep decently well on planes, especially in a lie-flat seat, but I was still a little discombobulated when I hopped out of the cab in front of Il Tornabuoni after a 12-hour travel day/night/"What time is it back home!?" situation. Neither my fiancé nor I had ever been to Florence before, so we had no idea where we were, but luckily a bellhop jumped over to grab our luggage out of the trunk before we could even say "ciao."
Looking around, I realized we were steps away from several luxe stores (think: Burberry on one side of the hotel, Omega on the other), and in the cutest little piazza (read: public square). Inside, the elevated vibes only continued—think: a plush lobby with velvet finishes, jewel tones everywhere, and a long staircase with butterfly-printed carpeting (which was giving 1790s, not 1990s, believe me.
THE ROOMS!
While we were being shown to our suite, we were told that the hotel's interior design is all a nod to the Renaissance, as the building dates back to the 13th century(!!!). That is further back in time than my brain can even compute, but I can honestly say that they managed to preserve the history of the property—and the beauty of old Italy—while still keeping things fresh and modern where it matters (like the bed and bathroom, lol).
After many hours on a plane, we were beyond thrilled to see our room, which was bright and sunny with stunning Art Deco-y furniture (still thinking about the fringed velvet couch and accent chairs) and fun wallpaper. The bedroom had two massive windows that overlooked the piazza below, and I could have sat there watching people pass by for hours, tbh. We napped immediately, of course, and in the 0.2 seconds before I passed out, I remember thinking, "Wow, this might be the comfiest hotel bed I've ever slept in." I continued to think that every night of our stay, so clearly it was pretty cushy.
THE AMENITIES!
In addition to the comfy bed, pretty much everything in the suite was as cozy as could be—despite looking like it belonged in a design magazine. I'm talking thick towels and bathrobes, the soaking tub of my dreams, and a little office nook I wish I was using right now.
My fiancé was also overjoyed by the two amenities that mean the most to him: the coffee station and the wifi. The espresso options would please even the pickiest of Italian Nonnas (IYKYK), and the wifi connection was powerful enough for my basketball-obsessed partner to stream all the NBA games he was missing back home without a single glitch. Because, yes. That is a thing I have to worry about when I travel now.
THE FOOD AND BEV!
If you watched my Insta stories during this trip, you already know that I low-key lost my mind over the (complimentary!) breakfast they serve every morning at Il Magnifico, the swanky restaurant on the ground floor. There were just So. Many Options. And they were all delicious. And free. Basically, there's an entire side room full of self-serve goodies (which was great, because I wanted an ungodly amount of bacon, fruit, and fresh-squeezed orange juice), and then you can also order a la carte (still free!) at your table. I can say from experience that you can't go wrong with either the pancakes or the waffles, which come smothered with berries and powdered sugar, and a big cuppa maple syrup.
We also had dinner and drinks at Il Magnifico, which is open all day for dining, on our last night, and were just as impressed as we were with breakfast. The cocktails were a little pricey, but worth it—my fiancé tried their signature Tornabuoni Spritz (made with Campari and hibiscus soda water), while I sipped on a bubbly ginger pick from their mocktail menu. (FYI: The Butterfly Terrace, their gorgeous rooftop bar that's also great for drinks, is closed in the off-season, but I got a little peek, and it is as stunning as the photos.)
We definitely ruined our appetites by gorging on bread dipped in olive oil so fresh it looked (and tasted) like liquid gold, but still made room for a few antipasti options. Our favorite was the ficattole, a traditional Florentine appetizer of puffy fried dough. It came with slices of Tuscan ham and a creamy dipping sauce—we were hooked.
THE BOTTOM LINE!
Il Tornabuoni was the perfect place to stay while exploring Florence for the first time—and you can bet it won't be our last. It's just *so* central, and you feel like you're experiencing a piece of Florentine history when you walk inside (because you are!). I'm also honestly still mind-blown by the fact that our entire stay was covered by the bonus points that you just get with a World of Hyatt® Credit Card—I mean, we're talking two nights of five-star luxury, people!!! The world of points can be overwhelming, I know (if you've come across PointsTok on your FYP, you understand), but my experience was honestly super stress-free, just like any good Italian vacation should be! Not NOT planning my trip back...
Hannah Chubb is the lifestyle editor at Cosmopolitan, covering all things home, travel, food, health, career, and more. She spends pretty much every hour of every day curating the internet for the best new products, trends, and travel destinations. You can typically find her looking for houses she can’t afford on Zillow or Airbnb, planning her next meal before she gets to the restaurant, or taking all of the Justin Bieber classes over and over and over again on Peloton. Follow her on Instagram.
