The Westin Excelsior, Florence
San Frediano, Florence
Hotel in Florence, Italy
Book with PearlWhy go
The Westin Excelsior occupies a calm, well-positioned address on Piazza Ognissanti with strong wellness credentials and a reliable five-star execution. It's a sound pick for business trips or special occasions in Florence, sitting just below the theatrical grandeur of the Four Seasons but with more accessible availability and a solid spa and fitness offering.
About The Westin Excelsior, Florence
The Westin Excelsior, Florence: Worth Booking?
The Westin Excelsior sits on Piazza Ognissanti, one of the more composed addresses in Florence, a short walk from the Arno and well-positioned for both the Uffizi and Santa Croce without the noise of the tourist core. For a special occasion or a business trip where presentation matters, this is a property that earns its place in the conversation; though how much value you extract depends on what you prioritise.
The hotel occupies a palazzo-style building with the kind of proportioned common spaces that make arrivals feel ceremonial. Lobby energy is calm rather than buzzy; better for a business dinner handshake than a late-night cocktail crowd. If atmosphere is your primary filter, the Excelsior delivers quiet authority rather than fashionable energy. That suits certain trips well and others less so.
On the wellness side, the Westin brand places genuine emphasis on its spa and fitness offering, the Excelsior Florence carries that through. The WestinWORKOUT gym is a consistent feature across the brand's top-tier properties. For travellers who need to maintain a routine during a stay, or who want a spa session after a day of museums and meetings, this is a more reliable bet than many comparable Florence addresses. Hotel Lungarno has the Arno views, but the wellness infrastructure here is stronger on paper.
Rooms at a property of this category in Florence typically run from the mid-hundreds into the four-figure range in peak season, which means the Excelsior competes directly with The St. Regis Florence and the Four Seasons Hotel Firenze. Against those, it offers a slightly less theatrical experience but also somewhat easier availability and a more central-without-being-chaotic location. If you want the grandest possible room in Florence, look at the Four Seasons. If you want reliable five-star execution with strong wellness amenities and a landmark Piazza address, the Excelsior is a sound choice.
For broader context on where this property sits in the city's accommodation market, see our full Florence hotels guide. If dining is a priority for your stay, our full Florence restaurants guide covers the leading options by neighbourhood.
Reservations: Book direct or via the Marriott Bonvoy platform for loyalty benefits, availability is generally accessible outside of peak summer weeks. Timing: Spring (April–May) and autumn (September–October) deliver the leading balance of weather, crowd levels, pricing. High summer compresses availability and pushes rates up. Leading for: Business travellers, anniversaries, anyone who values a dependable amenity stack over boutique character.
Planning details
- Location
- Piazza Ognissanti, 3, 50123 Firenze FI, Italy
- Website
- marriott.com/en-us/hotels/flrwi-the-westin-excelsior-florence/overview?scid=f2ae0541-1279-4f24-b197-a979c79310b0
- Phone
- +39 390 552 7151
The take
The Take
The Vibe
The Westin Excelsior reads like a proper Florence grand hotel: palazzo fabric, frescoed public spaces and high ceilings give the property a historic, ceremonial feel. It sits on a quiet piazza yet presents a river‑facing façade that anchors the building to the Lungarno, so public rooms feel both composed and genteel. Service leans formal rather than trendy, reinforcing the sense of civic grandeur and measured dignity. The overall impression is of a restrained, dignified hotel that favors architectural weight and polished hospitality over contemporary design flourishes.
Best For
This is a property for travelers who want the classical grand‑hotel experience in Florence: guests who value formal service, spacious, proportioned rooms and a central riverside address. Its proximity to Santa Maria Novella and the Ponte Vecchio corridor makes it practical for sightseeing, while the hotel's diplomatic, aristocratic heritage suits business dinners and special occasions that ask for a more ceremonial backdrop. Visitors seeking a design‑led boutique stay will find the Excelsior instead offering scale, tradition and the steadiness of established luxury.
Stay Tips
When planning a stay, ask the reservations team for a river‑facing room to take advantage of the hotel's Arno aspect; the description highlights the building’s river‑facing orientation as a defining element. Expect formal, coordinated front‑of‑house service in dining and public spaces and, if you have specific timing needs for dinners or meetings, mention them when booking so the hotel’s food‑and‑beverage operation can coordinate the experience.
Planning details
Location
Piazza Ognissanti, 3, 50123 Firenze FI, Italy · Directions
Also consider
Also Consider
- Four Seasons Hotel Firenze; Notable alternative
- Hotel Calimala; Notable alternative
- Hotel Savoy, a Rocco Forte Hotel; Notable alternative
- The St. Regis Florence; Notable alternative
- Palazzo Portinari Salviati Residenza D'Epoca; Notable alternative
Hotel context
Against its closest rivals in Florence, the Westin Excelsior holds a specific position: more accessible than the most rarefied options, more polished than the boutique tier. The Four Seasons Hotel Firenze is the clear step up; larger gardens, more theatrical interiors, a spa that is among the best in the city; but it comes at a premium and books out quickly in peak season. If maximum grandeur is the goal and budget is not the constraint, the Four Seasons wins. If you want reliable luxury with easier availability, the Excelsior is the more practical call.
The The St. Regis Florence is the Excelsior's most direct competitor on the prestige scale; both occupy landmark palazzo buildings with comparable room categories and pricing. The St. Regis edges ahead on heritage cachet and service theatre; the Excelsior counters with the Westin brand's consistent wellness infrastructure. Choose St. Regis for the ceremony of arrival; choose the Excelsior if an actual gym and spa program matters to your trip.
For travellers who want character over branded consistency, Palazzo Portinari Salviati Residenza D'Epoca and Hotel Calimala offer more intimate experiences at a lower price point. They won't match the Excelsior's amenity depth or room scale, but they deliver a more personal Florence feel. If wellness and a full-service hotel experience are non-negotiable, stay at the Excelsior. If you'd rather spend less and invest the difference in dining, the boutique alternatives are worth considering.
Around this place
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Unlock the full The Westin Excelsior, Florence guide in Pearl, including awards, comparisons, FAQs, planning details, and nearby places.
Compare The Westin Excelsior, Florence
| Venue | Awards | Booking Difficulty |
|---|---|---|
| The Westin Excelsior, Florence | No published awards | Easy |
| Four Seasons Hotel Firenze | 2026 Forbes 5-Star2026 Virtuoso Luxury Hotel Collection2026 La Liste Top Hotels2025 World’s 50 Best Hotels · #92025 Forbes 5-Star2025 Conde Nast Hotels Gold List2025 Michelin 3 Keys2024 World's 50 Best Hotels · #192024 Michelin 2 Keys | Unknown |
| Hotel Calimala | 2025 Travel + Leisure 100 Favorite Hotels in the World · #922025 Michelin Selected Hotels2024 Michelin 1 Key | Unknown |
| Hotel Savoy, a Rocco Forte Hotel | 2026 Forbes 5-Star2026 Virtuoso Luxury Hotel Collection2026 La Liste Top Hotels2025 Michelin Selected Hotels2025 Forbes 5-Star | Unknown |
| The St. Regis Florence | 2026 Virtuoso Luxury Hotel Collection2026 Forbes 4-Star2026 La Liste Top Hotels2025 Forbes 4-Star2025 Michelin 1 Key | Unknown |
| Palazzo Portinari Salviati Residenza D'Epoca | 2026 Virtuoso Luxury Hotel CollectionLeading Hotels of the World 20262025 Michelin 2 Keys2024 Michelin 2 Keys | Unknown |
Side-by-side comparison to help you decide where to book.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
How is the location of The Westin Excelsior, Florence?
The Piazza Ognissanti address is one of the stronger positional cases for this hotel. It puts you close to the Arno, within reasonable walking distance of Santa Croce, the Uffizi corridor, central Florence without being directly in the tourist crush of Piazza della Repubblica. For sightseeing on foot, this is a genuinely practical base.
Is The Westin Excelsior, Florence good for business travel?
The Westin brand is structured around business travel globally, the Piazza Ognissanti location gives reasonable access to Florence's commercial areas. Marriott Bonvoy status benefits apply here, which matters for frequent travellers accumulating points or seeking room upgrades. If meeting facilities are essential, confirm capacity directly with the hotel before committing.
Is The Westin Excelsior, Florence family-friendly?
The Westin Excelsior's Piazza Ognissanti setting is manageable for families: the streets are less chaotic than central Florence, the Arno is close for easy walking. The hotel's scale as a full-service Westin property typically supports family stays better than boutique alternatives. For families wanting more curated children's programming, Four Seasons Hotel Firenze has more documented family amenities.
Do loyalty programs work at The Westin Excelsior, Florence?
Yes; this is a Marriott Bonvoy property, so points earn and redemption apply. For Bonvoy members, this is one of the cleaner cases for booking: a prime Florence address at a brand where your status actually moves the needle on upgrades and late checkout. Compare redemption rates against The St. Regis Florence, which sits in the same Marriott portfolio but at a higher category tier.
What is check-in like at The Westin Excelsior, Florence?
As a full-service Westin property, standard check-in is 3pm with checkout at noon, though Marriott Bonvoy elite members typically receive flexibility on both. The hotel operates at the scale where check-in is staffed throughout the day rather than the self-service model you find at smaller boutique properties like Hotel Calimala. If you are arriving early from a morning flight, request early check-in at booking rather than on arrival.
