the hotel is indeed a 5 star property. Italy is not easy to find nice hotels with good quality rooms and usually it comes at a stiff price. So its nice to find a hotel which delivers what you expect.
Staff was genuine and warm and made all effort to make you happy.
The location is not directly downtown but either a short walk or taxi ride of about 8 euro;s. Also a bus is provided several times a day to the main shopping street.
But when one starts to know Florence you will see that its a very small city and best is to walk.

If you want some grand feeling in terms of lobby and gardens go here and avoid the Savoy Hotel.

My husband and I spent three nights in Florence at the Four Seasons and it was perfect. This was right after New Year's so all of the decorations were still up, so pretty.

The staff is ultra professional and helpful in every way. When we checked in our room had a small plate of cookies waiting for us with a note wishing us a Happy New Year. The room was comfortable, spacious, and clean. It had a feeling of a small apartment since there was a small foyer and a hallway that lead down to the bathroom and bedroom.

The bathroom was heavenly, large soaking tub, separate toilet and bidet area, and large rain shower. I didn't want to leave the room, it was all so comfortable.

We had dinner reservations the first night at Il Palagio. The food was wonderful. We had the tasting menu and it was definitely worth it. Really inventive and fun while not overwhelming.

We used the concierge to help us get Uffizi tickets and they arranged every thing. It was nice not to have to sort it out ourselves. Although there are two computers in the business center in the main building which we did use to check in for our flight. We also got restaurant recommendations from the concierge and they were so helpful.

One thing I wish I had known earlier is the shuttle service. The hotel offers a shuttle between the hotel and their sister property close to the Ponte Vecchio. This is really convenient for getting close to restaurants, shopping, etc. It only operated until 9 pm on the half hour while we were there.

Stayed at the Fours Seasons during a business trip and I really wish to go back again with all the family.
The location is magin, the rooms have a charming fllorentine syle, excellent food and the staff is really great, from the waiters to the concierge.
It's is difinetly the best hotel to choose for a romantic stay in Italy.

This is a very special property. It of course has the comfortable beds, robust plumbing (neither of which is a given in Italy) and solicitous service you expect at any Four Seasons. But the physical plant adds a dimension which makes this hotel stand out further. The property itself is two hotel buildings set at opposite ends of a substantial botanic garden. Unlike many high end hotels in historic buildings, the upgrade of these buildings was total - so no poky little standard rooms, antique plumbing or balky electricity -- just spacious well functioning everything. We stayed in the smaller of the two buildings, the Convent, which is the quieter of the two by far. After a long day as intrepid tourists in the hot, noisy, crowded (but still amazing) streets and sights of Florence, coming back to the greenery, impeccable soundproofing and tranquility of this hotel was utterly soothing. So soothing that we ended up staying on site and having dinner at the hotel almost every night in the outdoor restaurant and bar, where the food was delicious, and the bartender eager to share samples of Northern Italian wines with us. As others have mentioned, the hotel is very expensive. My only quibble is with the add on fees for wireless and concierge service, which seem to me should be part of the room rate. Having said that, I cannot imagine staying anywhere else in Florence.